SingaPlural 2015: Having Fun with Design
PUBLISHED March 13th, 2015 04:00 am | UPDATED June 15th, 2020 05:32 pm
We absolutely love it when common misconceptions are given a good spanking – think peanut butter, coffee and bacon, murderer as victim, and Singapore’s library as global-list-worthy-stunning. Same goes for SingaPlural 2015, which brings design to us with the belief that its something more than a profession or pure aesthetics; design plays the same intricate role as food, wine and conversation in everyday life.
And we’re delighted to say that this festival demands at least a few good hours of your time this week – not just to browse through dozens of installations and exhibitions, but also to attend workshops, enjoy F&B and retail offerings, and even ride a bicycle. There’re more than a few things going on, so here are some highlights to look out for:
The Location
Located in the former Central Police Station at 99 Beach Road, SingaPlural makes full use of the absolutely charming colonial-era compound, occupying small classrooms with installations, dressing staircases up in floral arrangements, and even building a makeshift hut for AirBnB’s temporary home. Every corner reveals something new – just be careful not to bump into someone when having fun with photographs!
Unexpected Collaborations
We have experience design studio In Merry Motion collaborating with local laminate brand Lamitrak (along with talents like wynk and Miun), live illustration performance by Dan Wong from A Good Citizen, ceramists Weekend Worker and copper pipe designer Make Your Own. There will be durians, gunpowder, dying flowers. We won’t give too much away, it’s best to head down to take a look yourself.
Local Talent
Through a public call for submissions, a total of 32 designs completed in 2014 will be on display, including works from the likes of Depression, Grafunkt, Carrie K, and even architecture-inspired wallets Shiok! Collaboratives. This dedicated collective showcase gives our talented local designers and projects a well-deserved pat on the back.
Moving and Learning
‘Good architecture, like good wine, gets better over time.’ – well said, Singapore Institute of Architects! Not only will they be hosting a Architecture Appreciation Course, other talks and symposiums held over the week include monthly breakfast lecture Creative Mornings session with Mas Shafreen from the Band of Doodlers. If you’re itching for hands-on activity, you can even make your own Mini Copper Lamp. There’ll also be a total of eight half-day tours bringing the public around a design studio, a workshop and a retail/showroom space for a behind-the-scenes perspective into the process behind bringing a product or idea into actualisation.
The Food, Drinks (of course), and More
Hippie superfoods concept store and juicery Gorilla Press and fresh brews from Papa Palheta will be there to quench your thirst and feed your caffeine monster. There’s nosh from The Quarters and booze from Absolut. You’ll lighten your wallet at Naiise’s pop-up retail space next to local fashion label CATCH, indulge in serious wanderlust at AirBnb’s pop-up, and ride Coast Cycle’s newest line of cargo bicycles when you get bored.
Organised by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, in partnership with DesignS, the week-long design festival is happening 10-15 March 2015. Also an anchor event of the Singapore Design Week, see SingaPlural 2015’s website.
