08 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Opinions & reviews Tags: Design Indaba, frank tjepkama, tjep
Frank Tjepkema’s presentation started quite strangely. He showed us images of Holland as it might be in the future – a model of a sustainable city farm, its lack of warmth possibly caused by the inhumanely smooth computer generated graphics.
Frank Tjepkama then moved away from this slightly worrying vision of the future, and continued a theme that was apparent in many of the previous speakers – that of design that is concerned with the personal and the warmly human. More
08 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in Design Indaba, Opinions & reviews Tags: Design Indaba, revital cohen, young designers
The Pecha Kucha session at Design Indaba allowed a number of young designers to show their work.
They were Jon Stam, Sandhya Lalloo, Revital Chohen, Arno Mathies, Barbara Cilliers and Lauren Mackler. More
08 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: Design Indaba, edelweis, maywa denki, nobumichi tosa
Nobumichi Tosa treated us to a wacky, nonsensical performance on the third day of the Design Indaba. He appeared on stage strapped into one of his absurd contraptions and proceeded to act out a ceremonial dance.
His mock formal greeting was punctuated with loud sounds produced by his strange instrument-outfit. More
08 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Illustration, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: design, Design Indaba, Design Indaba 2009, Marian Bantjes, typography
The last day of the Design Indaba started with Marian Bantjes who proceeded to make me most uncomfortable. She held out a vision of how life could be that I found deeply disturbing.
Work which is synonymous with love. Drawing and writing, ornament and pattern. And the promise that these are within reach if only one is willing to risk it all. More
08 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in Design Indaba, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: Design Indaba, Marcell Wanders
Marcell Wanders did not so much talk as dance us through his presentation. We needed this sparking energy to revive us at the end of the long second day of the Design Indaba.
Here is another designer who’s presence dominated the occasion. He looked like a smooth and charming Lucifer, complete with casual jeans, jacket and a string of pearls. And the work he showed us spoke of a world of temptations and luxury most of us can only dream of. More
05 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: Design Indaba, ell bulli, ferran adria
One of the great stars of Design Indaba this year was Ferran Adria, the Spanish chef.
Ferran Adria has been called the “Picasso of cooking” and “the greatest chef in the world “. His restaurant, El Bulli receives over a million reservations a year of which only eight thousand get a table. More
03 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Opinions & reviews Tags: barberosgerby, Design Indaba, iris table
Edward Barber and Jay Rosgerby of the London firm Barberosgerby spoke on the second day of the Design Indaba.
They typify the kind of design I used to think Design Indaba was about: minimal re-articulations of chairs, sofas, lamps and vases. However, they surprised me after all. More
03 Mar 2009 1 Comment
in Colour, Design Indaba, Opinions & reviews Tags: color hunting, colour hunting, dai fujiwara, Design Indaba, issey miyake
Dai Fujiwara, the creative director of Issey Miyake was one of my favourite speakers at the Design Indaba.
Although his English was broken, this seemed to help rather than hinder his ability to communicate. He charmed us with his self deprecating and oddball sense of humour. More
03 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Opinions & reviews Tags: Commonwealth design, Design Indaba
David Boira and Zoe Coombes from Commonwealth projects in New York spoke on Day 2 of the Design Indaba.
Here we have a marriage between two cultures – the Spanish Boira and the American Coombes . Its interesting how many of the designers presenting at this year’s Indaba are Spanish. More
01 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Opinions & reviews Tags: 5.5, Design Indaba
The 5.5 designers are Vincent Baranger, Jean-Sébastien Blanc, Anthony Lebossé, and Claire Renard – a group of young french designers.
Here I have to admit a strong prejudice. I found their presentation intensely irritating. Even so, the work was interesting and looking through their site there is much to see. More
01 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: Design Indaba, incredible india, india, royal enfield, wieden and kennedy delhi
Some of the presentations were a real treat of sumptious images, rocking music and moving content: such were Mohit Jayal and V Sunil from Wieden and Kennedy Delhi. Here was another team of presenters who really connected with the audience.
They are probably best known for their “Incredible !ndia” campaign, which they took from the sublime: More
01 Mar 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: architecture, Design Indaba, green, housing, Luyanda Mpalwha, South Africa
What I enjoy above all at the Design Indaba is its buzz, all that positive energy. This is created simply by people speaking on subjects they are passionate about. And sometimes you hear about projects which really make a positive difference in the world. Architect Luyanda Mpahlwa spoke to us about his participation in the Design Indaba 10 x 10 low cost housing project. This is a attempt to alleviate our housing crisis by encouraging innovation in constructing low cost housing.
In 2008, Design Indaba invited architects to design ten low cost houses on ten sites in partnership with ten international architects, for ten families. More
28 Feb 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: Design Indaba, electric car, Joule, Keith Helfet
I must admit that, although I am ordinarily not very interested in cars, I cannot continue a conversation when a Jaguar drives by. Another speaker on day one of the Design Indaba was Keith Helfet who has worked for most of his life as an automotive designer for Jaguar. One would expect him to come across as the ultimate arrogant designer, but no:
His presentation was thoughtful, wry and sincere. He was just as happy to share his designs of MRI scanners, as of the F-type Jaguar. More
28 Feb 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews Tags: Anthony Dunne, design, Design Indaba, Fiona Raby, Royal College of Art
Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby from the Royal College of Art in London were two of my favourite speakers at the Indaba. Partly, I must admit, because I enjoyed drawing Fiona. She is so deliciously caricaturable:
Before her talk, she came tripping past the P Q at the women’s loos, chirping – “I’m on next – I’m a presenter – sorry!” and vanished into a cubicle. I could not wait to draw her. More
28 Feb 2009 Leave a comment
in Design Indaba, Opinions & reviews Tags: design, Design Indaba, Rick Valicenti
The second speaker on the first day of the Design Indaba was Rick Valicenti.
Here he is on stage, taking a picture of the technician who was trying to help him get his presentation started. Actually – it might have been better if that technician had failed. Valicenti without the presentation was much more compelling than his performance with all the technology working. Which was ironic as his main theme was that of “real human presence”.
Masha du Toit 
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