SM2018 beijing

From 21.09.2018 to 22.09.2018 Iridescent Network

The 2018 ICoD  Iridescent Network Meeting (formerly 'Special Meeting') was held at the Gehua New Century Hotel in Beijing (China) on 21-22 September 2018 in partnership with Beijing Design Week.

The Beijing  Iridescent Network Meeting brought together representatives of 17 entities from 14 different countries, and was conceived to determine how the international design community can better collaborate to achieve mutual objectives and tackle shared challenges. The Meeting was open to entities promoting and supporting design in their regions including design events, design museums and design cities. Seventeen entities participated in the second  Iridescent Network Meeting, including core entities from the pilot Montréal Special Meeting held in 2017, with an expanded group joining in Beijing.

From left to right: : Raman Saxena, Isabelle Verilhac, Josyane Franc, Ole Bouman, Alexandra Sankova

The Meeting was held to coincide with the opening of Beijing Design Week—one of the world’s largest design weeks. China's fast-growing economy and internal market is changing international trade and consumption, exerting a very powerful influence on the international design community. The setting of the Special Meeting in Beijing offered a unique opportunity to better understand the consequences of these historic developments.

All participants brought forward case studies from their regions, and shared best practice examples that might be replicated in other regions. The global design landscape is varied and vibrant, composed of organisations across a spectrum of formats, each with particular objectives and audiences. Many of these objectives are shared, and many programmes complement each other, raising the possibility of mutually beneficial collaboration and exchange while celebrating the unique qualities and capacities of each entity.

Above: Breakout Sessions

ICoD sees the network as a valuable channel through which to transmit to new audiences ICoD messaging relating to professional community issues—valuable content to Design Weeks, Cities and Museums, Festivals and Biennales. Such content relates to topics including National Design Policies, Conveying the Value of Design, the Challenges of Globalisation and Professional Practices. The entities participating in the 2018 ICoD Iridescent Network Meeting in Beijing also expressed interest in the recently issued Montréal Design Declaration

In the concluding session, participants listed desired next steps, including a method to enable quick communication and consultation and data bases for sharing information.  Iridescent Network Meeting participants articulated satisfaction with the well-organised meeting and look forward to the 2019 edition—tentatively planned for May in Europe, the exact location and date will be announced soon.

PARTICIPANTS

Representatives from the following organisations participated in the 2018  ICoD  Iridescent Network Meeting:
Aiap Women in Design Award (Italy)
Australian Design Centre (Australia)
Beijing Design Week (China)
Cape Town UNESCO City of Design (South Africa)
Delhi Design Festival (India)
Design Society (China)
Graz UNESCO City of Design (Austria)
Lima Design Week (Peru)
Moscow Design Museum (Russia)
MUMEDI Museo Mexicano del Diseño (Mexico)
Nairobi Design Week (Kenya)
Open Design Afrika Festival (South Africa)
Porto Design Biennale (Portugal)
Saint-Étienne UNESCO City of Design (France)
Shenzhen UNESCO City of Design (China)
Singapore Design Week (Singapore)
Wuhan UNESCO City of Design (China)

ABOUT BJDW

The 2017 iteration of Beijing Design Week (BJDW) included over 1000 components and attracted 8 million participants. In collaboration with Guest City, Copenhagen, the 2018 iteration theme is Design and High Quality Development. In addition to over a hundred exhibitions, conferences and events, two main exhibitions illuminate the theme: The Past 40 Years, and Tradition: Intangible Cultural Heritage Design. The events take place from 23 September to 7 October 2018 and will include ten activities: Design Night (opening ceremony), Themed Exhibition, Guest of the City, Classic Design Award, Beijing Design Forum, Design Fair, Innovation Design Services Conference, Design Trade Fair, Design Hop and Fashion Beijing. 

CONTACT

For more information on the  Iridescent Network Meetings, please contact ICoD Special Meeting Coordinator Tara Farsky at outreach@theicod.org.