Now in its eighth edition, Design Week Mexico will be showcasing art and design all over Mexico City from Oct. 5-9. Founded in 2009 by Emilio Cabrero, Andrea Cesarman, Marco Coello and Jaime Hernández, Design Week Mexico aims to “promote creativity and design as catalysts for social change.”
The year marks the city’s preparation for World Design Capital 2018. Mexico City was selected this year and is the first city in the Americas to hold this designation. “As we prepare for World Design Capital, Design Week Mexico 2016 is an opportunity for the public and professionals alike to discover the latest trends in Mexican and international contemporary design, spatial practices and beyond,” said Emilio Cabrero, General Director of Design Week Mexico.
This year is also the Mexico Germany Dual Year, making Germany the guest country of Design Week. Additionally, Mexico City will host Jalisco as guest region.
Design Week Mexico provides an opportunity for the city to celebrate creativity and design through a range of activities, representing a commitment to design as a tool for economic, social and cultural development. Bringing together creative professionals from various disciplines, Design Week Mexico will give visitors a chance to explore design through exhibitions, temporary installations, interventions, talks and more.
The week is divided into different exhibitions and themes in various locations. “Vision and Tradition” brings together German and Mexican designers to work with artisans from Jalisco, exploring the tradition of Mexican crafts. In transforming an existing home, the “Design House” installation invites various designers and architects to show their works to visitors by through interventions in the domestic sphere. “Design Route” connects showrooms and galleries in a tour around various neighborhoods. Forty buses will be traveling around the city, allowing visitors to hop on and off to view the latest collections and exhibits. The Museum of Modern Art will also be kicking off exhibitions by renowned artists Kazuya Sakai and Don Shoemaker.
The Creativity & Change Symposium will be taking place this Friday. (There is a chance to win tickets through a Facebook and Twitter competition.) This event will look at the dynamic relationship between design, education, innovation and sustainability while exploring their possible social impact, particularly within the urban context. Guest speakers include Christoph Korner from the German architecture studio GRAFT, SFMOMA’s Head of Architecture and Design Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, MACM’s Director John Zeppetelli and social urbanist John Bela from Gehl Studio.
The World Design Capital 2018 designation centers social change in Mexico’s creative and design pursuits. As a megacity, Mexico City’s design interventions have major impacts on its millions of inhabitants.
“The project is currently undergoing an initial phase of research and investigation, looking at the city, its inhabitants and the social dynamics enabled by design and other modes of creative production,” added Cabrero. “Our goal is to build a platform for collaboration, not only between design and creative disciplines, but also across countries. World Design Capital 2018 will seek to create a hub of global creative industries that have a positive impact on society.”
Design Week Mexico runs from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9th. The full schedule can be found online. The inauguration will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct 5 at the Museum of Modern Art and Museo Tamayo.
Make sure to check out The News’ Twitter and Facebook pages for a chance to win tickets to the Creativity and Change Symposium.
