Hyper local is the new global – and Design Indaba is embracing African design, innovation, creativity and ingenuity. Everybody is talking about Africa.
In the past two years, The Economist and TIME magazine have trumpeted its rise on their covers.
From Ghana in the west to Mozambique in the south, Africa’s economies are consistently growing faster than those of almost any other region of the world.
Design Indaba Expo 2014 will present a ground breaking exhibition of African design, creativity and innovation.
Africa is Now will be a large-scale exhibition that anchors Design Indaba Expo. It will be an up-to-the-minute survey of emerging, established and unexpected talent from across the continent. The project will showcase African ingenuity in finding solutions to its own problems, using local materials wherever possible.
The exhibit will also speak to one of the four themes of Cape Town’s programme for World Design Capital 2014: “African Innovation, Global Conversation – African ideas that speak to the world” by showcasing creations of exemplary ingenuity that are intrinsically connected to their locale in Africa.
Design Indaba believes “Africa Is Now” and wants to look beyond the macro-economic statistics to uncover the latest developments in the creative world.
Africa is Now is about showcasing the continent’s creativity – not just in terms of aesthetics, but also in terms of innovation and ingenuity.
It’s interested in African solutions for African problems. It’s about asking questions:
What are some of the characteristics that make African cities unique, and how should we be designing for them?
How is traditional craft adapting to contemporary markets?
Why have African Fashion Weeks mushroomed up around the world?
How is mobile technology meeting the needs of everyday Africans?
Africa is Now! – courtesy Design Indaba