AN ACTIVIST DESIGN CONFERENCE WORKING TOWARD SOLUTIONS

On Thursday 12 April the DutchDFA programme will present its year report 2011. National and international partners and guests will share their experiences in China, India, Germany and Turkey of the past year, and discuss their plans for 2012 and beyond.

It could be food — Peking Duck, steamed dumplings and the like. Or kung fu — Bruce Lee and his dazzling martial-arts skills or more recently Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Or the giant pandas — those cuddly creatures as photographed in the nature reserves or as portrayed in the Hollywood blockbuster, “Kung Fu Panda.” Or Yao Ming — the other cuddly giant who, until he retired last year, won games and friends in the NBA. Stereotypical or not, these are some of China’s “soft power” resources. 

In recent months, China has been on a “soft power” offensive to improve its national image and increase its global influence.

展 期：2012年3月10日 – 2012年4月10日

主 办：喜玛拉雅美术馆                

艺术总监：原研哉                        

策 展 人：朱锷                          

地 点：证大当代艺术空间（杨浦区军工路1436号101幢） 

Dates: March 10 – April 10,2012

Organized by: Himalayas Art Museum

Art Director: Kenya Hara

Curator: Zhu E

Venue: Zendai Contemporary Art Space ( No. 1436, Jungong Rd. Shanghai )

From 24 March to 23 September 2012, the Groninger Museum will present the first large-scale solo exhibition of the work of Iris van Herpen (Wamel, 1984), one of the most striking designers of this moment. The exhibition offers an overview of her work from 2008 to the present. A selection of her most recent work, such as Capriole and the Micro collection that is to be shown in January 2012, will also be on display.

What can be created out of wool of one sheep? Which products can be made of one pig or what can be offered by one parcel of flax? In the work of Christien Meindertsma research to the origin of products stands central. She thinks that the consumer is too much alienated of the origin of daily objects. From this research new products come into existence and to achieve this she cooperates with local companies that value craftmanship. Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg is the first museum that presents an elaborate exhibition dedicated to the work of this young designer. Visit the website ofTextielmuseum or Christien Meindertsma.

China Red Star Design Award is on its preparing process for the 2012 submission. The opening date is on March 15, the products which are designed or manufactured by enterprises registered in China (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) or those that are batch sold in China  (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) can apply for the Red Star award.

Established in 2006, the China Red Star Design Award is organized by the Beijing Industrial Design Center (BIDC). It intends to promote Chinese enterprises to protect intellectual property rights, introduce good design into China and internationalize Chinese design. In 2011, over 5,000 products from 16 countries and 24 domestic provinces were received. Dell, Motorola, Philips etc international renowned brands also joined and awarded.

ONLINE APPLICATION：15TH MARCH – 30TH JUNE

FIRST SCREENING：LATE JULY

SECOND SCREENING：SEPTEMBER

AWARD CEREMONY / YEARBOOK PUBLICATION：NOVEMBER

EXHIBITION OF AWARDED PRODUCTS：NOVEMBER

Watch the presentation of BNO Ambassador Peter Kersten, who gave an introduction about doing business in China for entrepreneurs without experience.