DesignMarch starts today

DesignMarch is Iceland’s most important annual design event. For four days, the most northerly capital in the world plays host to dozens of openings, exhibitions, workshops and other events. From fashion to furniture, architecture to food design, the festival showcases the best of the local design scene alongside exciting international names.

DesignMarch opens with DesignTalks, a one-day-long series of lectures on topical issues within the creative industries. This year, the theme for the Talks is cross-disciplinary collaboration. From science to saunas, graphic design to food, the speakers are four internationally acclaimed designers that work on the boundaries between different fields.

Speakers: Eating Designer Marije Vogelzang, Finnish architect and urbanist Tuomas Toivonen, artist, scientist Koert van Mensvoort, and designer Hjalti Karlsson of Karlssonwilker. Confirmed events include: Designers and Farmers at Spark Design Space, Aurum, The Icelandic Museum of Design and Applied Art, MUNDI, Tinna Gunnarsdóttir at The National Gallery of Iceland, HAF by Hafsteinn Júlíusson, Sruli Recht, STEiNUNN, Sigga Heimis, The Reykjavík Art Museum, Kraum, 34 Icelandic Illustrators, Snæfríð Þorsteins and Hildigunnur Gunnarsdóttir for Crymogea,

Local Designers in the spotlight and Norðaustan 10 at Epal. Fresh, exciting, exotic and not so well known or accessible elsewhere in the world, DesignMarch offers a unique chance to see and experience Icelandic design, spiced with a handful of the most interesting international names, says festival director Greipur Gislason. Design buffs appreciate the chance to get up, close and personal with both local and the international designers, while families and weekenders get to join in the town fair atmosphere – whether young or old; designer, musician or fisherman, the recent Capacent poll shows that over 10% of the entire nation partakes the design celebrations.

Usually, these fairs are only open for professionals, but we Icelanders like to have fun, so everybody joins in, says festival manager Greipur Gislason. For more information, log on to www.designmarch.is or follow the blog.   See you in DesignMarch!