The annual International Furniture Fair Singapore aims to be the Asian Salone Internazionle del Mobile – a high quality, design-driven furniture fair.
It also signals Singapore as an Asian design hub.
So, inevitably the Fair explores ways of celebrating design to provide a wider context for the purely trade side of the show. This began with the co-located D-Space and Platform, designed spaces within the Fair introducing new products from independent designers, showcasing emerging talent and a variety of seminars and lectures from international guests.
Then, in 2012, the Fair launched SingaPlural, an off-site satellite show in downtown Singapore – a mix of exhibitions, installations, and events. The idea was to complement the show at Singapore Expo, create a city-wide event and reveal a host of different dimensions to design.
This year SingaPlural, working in tandem with their network partners, DesignS, promises to be bigger and even more exciting.
At Expo, Platform will be complemented by FutureCraft featuring thirteen designers/design studios from Singapore, Sweden and Indonesia. This collaboration between the Singapore Furniture Industries Council and Himpunan Desainer Mebel Indonesia will explore contemporary uses for traditional materials like teak, bamboo, rattan, re-cycled wood and ceramic.
Then, downtown at the *Scape Warehouse there will be a series of Design Conversations on the theme ‘Unity in Diversity’ with guests speakers from the UK, the Netherlands and Singapore.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Furniture Design Award participating designers are asked to explore the theme, ‘Co-Exist’, while a special exhibition will turn the spotlight on previous FDA winners such as Nathan Yong, Gabriel Tan and Wendy Chua from Singapore, along with Apirat Boonruangthaworn from Thailand, Jarrod Lim from Australia and Kenneth Cobonpue from the Philippines.
Other events include Design Larger Than Life, ten over-sized, interactive installations and the 48 Hours Challenge where five retailers collaborate with design students in a race against time to produce playful, interactive installations and objects.