As the Global Alliance of Creative Cities, "City of Design" was officially launched by UNESCO in 2004 to promote the development of local culture and exchanges among its member cities. Currently, only four Chinese cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan -- have been awarded the title of "Capital of Design".
In recent years, Tianjin has been marked with the label of "design" while becoming a mega-industrial and commercial city through considerable economic development. As an annual design event, Tianjin International Design Week has been successfully held for four consecutive years, bringing together more international quality design resources and transforming scientific and technological achievements for Tianjin, stimulating the design potential of young designers who shoulder the mission of the new era, promoting the vigorous development of the design industry, and continuously expanding the brand influence of Tianjin. Its influence in the domestic and global design field is also becoming increasingly prominent, further accelerating the pace of Tianjin's application to become a "design city".
This Tianjin International Design Week, together with the core city members of "Design City" at home and abroad -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Kobe, Japan and Italy, builds a "dialogue" platform, shares the development of creative industries under different social backgrounds, cultural differences and humanistic concepts, and presents the design concept of each city shining with the light of wisdom.
The City of Design is now.
The 5th Tianjin International Design Week, Set sail again"
The 5th Tianjin International Design Week was officially kicked off on May 11, 2018 in Beining Cultural Creative Center and Xiangsi Creative Industry Park, Hebei District, Tianjin. The design week will last for 6 days and the exhibition will last until May 16. The theme of this Design week is "East x West", which aims to explain the opposition and integration of Eastern and Western culture, and explore the positive influence of the integration and development of Eastern and Western culture, art and design on the current and future social and economic development under the background of globalization.
Adhering to the concept of "design is everywhere", this Design week has invited nearly 100 guests from home and abroad, including famous designers, artists and university leaders from China, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands and other countries. Through several themed sections, such as themed design exhibition, design competition, Dialogue Design City, China-Italy Experimental class, Tianjin Forum, investment promotion activities, etc. For tens of thousands of Tianjin citizens to present a audio-visual feast of the collision between China and the west, fully display the beauty of the design.
[Re-creation of "East x West" Crossover mash-up]
The theme of this design week, "East x West", conveys to the visitors that in the development process of creative design, the culture of "East and West, ancient and modern" is interwoven, and on this basis, the crossover, mixing and intersection of the re-creation. The original intention of this theme is to hope that all visitors can trace the roots of design, personally integrate design into life, and perceive the wonderful results of the collision and integration of the East and the West under the postmodern art.
[Theme design exhibition, opposites create opportunities for integration]
As the highlight of Tianjin International Design Week, themed design exhibition attracts a large number of designers and audiences to participate actively every year. This year's theme design exhibition includes contemporary architecture Made in Germany Exhibition, "Music Form" exhibition, China Pavilion, Japan Pavilion, rare art exhibition, Italian Architecture Urban Conservation Exhibition, design competition exhibition, Asli Floating Houseboat rebirth exhibition and other sections.
The exhibition brings together more than 30 leading teams from the construction industry in Germany, and exhibits outstanding projects from home and abroad through 49 exhibition panels. Tianjin, as the first stop of this world-class exhibition tour, will launch a new understanding of "Developing urban structures", "Inventing the Future", "Public Places: Communication, Health and Recreation" and "Working and Living in the City" during the design week.
The exhibition "Musical Forms" consists of three parts. The first part is the presentation of music and performance venues. Through traditional, new and non-traditional "performance places", different forms of musical expression in the East and the West are presented in contrast. The second part shows the traditional Musical Instruments of the East and the West and the Musical Instruments of the future. For example, the London Symphony Orchestra combines 3D technology with symphony, so as to increase the interest of young people in classical music. The third part is the display of music playing equipment. For example, Acerbis music is played simultaneously through headphones, speakers, stereos, etc., to experience the auditory effects produced by different equipment.
Song Tao, the chief curator of the Design Week, has also curated a number of wonderful exhibitions, including Tian Di Ren, curated by Zhang Ruoyu. "Heaven and Earth" is a concept in traditional Taoist thought, which refers to the place of human beings in the universe and has guided Chinese people's attitude towards life for thousands of years. At a time when rebellion and criticism are prevalent, designers hope to experience the meaning of existence of life with the most delicate emotion, as well as the values that support all rebels and the sincere love hidden behind criticism and Shouting. There is also the furniture exhibition -- Future Simple Life, which is co-curated by Zhou Chen Chen, Xue Wenjing and Yuan Yuan, including the eclectic series. Through multi-dimensional design and mixing of different materials, simple and clear design techniques are used to create furniture works full of architectural sense, structural sense and sense of time, trying to find the balance between culture and life. From the beauty of traditional Chinese furniture mortise and tenon structure, using modern design concept, re-comb the process and materials, redesign the mortise and tenon structure; Ruyiye is a homonym with "Ruyi", which expresses the design concept that we use art to change life, enrich life, and use design to imagine the future to lead life. And the Blooming Zhu LAN Ink Works Exhibition curated by Zhu LAN. This exhibition will display more than 20 of Zhu LAN's newly created ink works. The artist extracts the "lines" in Chinese ink paintings and walks on handmade rice paper with traditional brush and ink techniques, which looks like random graffiti but is full of restraint and confrontation.
Founded in 2010 by Xiang Jing and Qu Guangci, two famous sculptors in China, Rare Art conveys happiness, warmth and sincere blessings in the form of gifts, which is the core of the brand of rare art. It connects the elements of Chinese contemporary art contained in its products with the positive values shared by people all over the world. Through exquisite modeling, bright colors and rich and diversified product stories, it resonates with the most pure and beautiful emotions in people's hearts.
Tianjin International Design Week Architecture Exhibition brings eight works: earth, wood, tile, stone, wood, paper, paint, color painting; Through the triangular skylight in the lobby, the passenger center of Amador Cruise Terminal on the island of Isla Perico in Panama can be seen; Green buildings are the few options for sustainability in our era of warming and air pollution; On the ground is the hill, on the sky is the cloud, the zigzagging water, the forest of Beijing International Horticultural Expo International Pavilion bidding program; UCD challenges the first bionic architecture in China, tries to challenge the existing boundary of bionic architecture field, and realizes the rebirth of phoenix by means of engineering technology in the new era. Between light and shadow, shadow and light, between inside and outside, outside and inside, "unity and co-existence" exhibition; As an art carrier in the 21st century, Ningxia Art Museum should have profound cultural and artistic temperament; For modern university life, library is not only a holy place for learning, but also a place for socializing -- Tianjin Chengjian University Library Tender Plan; As well as the transformation of No. 66 Yuanaman Alley and Wangjing SOHO Zhenchuan Muay Thai Gym; There is also a collection of works by Zhuang Ziyu Studio.
Through the design of contemporary literati, the China Pavilion introduces aesthetic taste into the eyes of ordinary people and applies it to daily life. At the same time, it tries to broaden the narrow door where contemporary attributes are increasingly solidified in the current artistic view. Life intervenes in art and art enters life.
As a love letter sent by Masayuki Kurokawa to Chinese culture and a tribute to Zhuangzi, the Japanese Pavilion Mengdian-an mainly displays Masayuki Kurokawa's series of furniture and works, so as to show the original state of different cultures.
The Rebirth of the Asley Floating Houseboat exhibition was invited by the famous Japanese architect Mr. Hidehei Endo to design the renovation of Le Corbusier's Louiss-Catherine boat. The concrete and steel barge, which served as a coal transport during World War I and was converted into a homeless shelter in Paris, sank into the Seine River on February 8, 2018. During the design week, the ship's historical data and renovation plans from the Le Corbusier Foundation will be on display at the Optimistic Hall, which is its first tour exhibition in China.
Color Bubble is the only outdoor installation in this design week, created by the famous German artist Irn. For him, everything was in motion all the time, and nothing was really still. He constantly applies changeable and active art concepts, hoping to reflect the living things in our life through dynamic art installations. Art comes from life and will return to life.
[Design Competition to inspire more design potential and inspiration]
Design competition, as a permanent award of Tianjin International Design Week, is also one of the main components of Design Week activities. With the theme of "TOOLS FOR SITTING", the competition is inviting creative entries from all over the world in the fields of industrial design, architecture, graphic design and interior design, encouraging creative young artists and designers to try their hand at creating more styles and art forms. Masayuki Kurokawa, a renowned Japanese designer, served as the judging consultant for the competition, and four industry experts from China, Italy, Japan and Switzerland made up the competition jury to ensure the fair and authoritative results.
[China-Italy Experimental Class upgrades cultural exchanges between East and West]
The China-Italy Experimental Class was initiated by the China-Italy Inter-School Alliance. This year, the experimental class will be open from May 7-12 and May 14-15. In the first stage, 25 students participated in a group to discuss and implement the design concept of a small cinema/cardboard, thus presenting the young generation's view of the world. In this place, the "world" is metaphorically a microcosm, with various forms tried over time and different symbolic meanings assigned to the works of scholars, inventors and artists; The second stage brings together nearly 40 students from Tianjin University, Nankai University and Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts to promote the international interaction and cultural exchange between Chinese and Italian teachers and students through the interaction of international language and diverse music.
[Tianjin Forum, Multi-cultural ideas and Sharing]
On the afternoon of May 12th, around the theme of "East x West", the forum will invite Masayuki Kurokawa, a world famous architectural and industrial designer from Japan, who is known as the representative figure of "opening a new era of Japanese architecture and industrial design", Marina Parente, Professor of Architecture Department of Polytechnic University of Milan, Zhuang Ziyu, partner and principal architect of RSAA Cologne, Germany; Sergio Colantuoni, journalist and stylist; Joachim Wendt, General manager of Schneider Schumacher Urban Planning and Design Co., LTD.; Elisabetta Pisu, Director of Art and Design Program of IMF Foundation; Bai Wanjun, General Manager and Design Director of Beijing Palfan Zhu Lighting Design Company, Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta & Benedetta Parenti, Assistant Professor and Researcher of Oriental University of Naples, Sun Dayong, the founding partner and chief architect of the China Office of Penda Architects, joined 9 internationally renowned designers and critics to discuss topics such as "East x West", "Land Design" and "360° Lifestyle".
Multiple themes, breakthrough design inspiration.
[Attract investment and find more cooperation possibilities]
The investment promotion activity was launched in Beining Cultural and Creative Center on May 15, 2018. The main content of this activity is to carry out policy resource publicity and enterprise connection, build a bridge of investment attraction, help relevant enterprises and institutions at home and abroad to understand the policy and conditions of investment attraction in Tianjin Hebei District, vigorously promote the cultural tourism resources in Hebei District, organize Chinese and foreign enterprises to negotiate, so as to attract more enterprises to settle in the area and promote the sustainable economic development of Tianjin area.
Photography is by Dong Yuehang
