Celebrating its 6th anniversary this year, SingaPlural, the annual anchor event of the Singapore Design Week, will be making its return from 7 – 12 March at the F1 Pit Building.
Titled ‘Stories- A New Perspective’, this year’s edition of SingaPlural “aims to give visitors a glimpse into the creative minds of designers” by exploring how design plays a role in our daily lives.
Here’s a sneak peek at five things you can expect at SingaPlural 2017.
1. A fresh exhibition venue
Chromacity by Monocoque Service Design at SingaPlural 2016
Image credit: SingaPlural
Since its inception in 2012, SingaPlural has been held at various iconic locations around the island, including the former Beach Road Police Station (99 Beach Road) as well as the *SCAPE Warehouse. This year, the homegrown design festival will take place at the F1 Pit Building (3rd storey). Here, visitors get to explore over 100 eye-catching exhibits in the very same premises where the F1 garages, tracks and media centre are housed!
2. Exciting collaborations between local brands & designers
Mural by Shermay’s Singapore Fine Food x Yip Yew Chong
Image credit: SingaPlural
Members of the public will once again have the opportunity to support local brands and designers at SingaPlural through the returning Pop-Up festival segment. Featuring product partnerships between Singapore brands and local designers, this year’s exhibits include collaborative works by Shermay’s Singapore Fine Food & muralist Yip Yew Chong, CATCH & artist Lucinda Law, and many more.
3. Ground-breaking international partnerships
Image credit: 共KYO @KYOproject
True to its identity as an inclusive platform for creativity, SingaPlural 2017 will be showing off several international works under its Partners segment. Fun-lovers can look forward to the mini-games and installations that feature the AIRism clothing line by global clothing brand UNIQLO and local graphic design studios Machineast and Roots.
This year’s festival will also see the maiden collaboration between the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade & Industry (METI-Kanto), Japanese craftsmen and local designers on a series of furniture and lifestyle product projects under the ‘KYO project’ initiative.
4. Experience-driven installations & interactive exhibits
Image credit: SingaPlural
Engage in the various interactive exhibits and installations at SingaPlural 2017 and play a part in making the event a success. Write an anonymous message to a stranger at ‘Hello Stranger’, which seeks to explore how we make connections through physical letters in an increasingly virtualised world; or overturn hourglasses at ‘The Sweet Melting of Time’ installation – a symbolic act that conveys a person’s desire to ‘reset’ his or her own time.
5. Insightful talks and hands-on workshops
Image credit: SingaPlural
Visitors who wish to get their hands dirty can do so at the various workshops happening at SingaPlural 2017. From stencil dyeing and chopstick lacquering organised by ‘KYO project’ to lessons on how to create user-centered products and services, there is something for everyone at the festival.
For those who prefer to gain insight into the current state of design, there are also panel talks by industry professionals on topics, such as preserving craft traditions and the blending of East-West sensibilities.
SingaPlural 2017 is held in conjunction with the International Furniture Fair Singapore/ASEAN Furniture Show and Nook Asia as part of Singapore Design Week. Tickets are available on-site at $10 each. Local students, children 12 years and below as well as senior citizens aged 60 and above, get to enjoy free admission. For more information, visit www.singaplural.com.
