- DesignTide
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DesignTide Tokyo is an annual design event that takes place in Tokyo in late autumn. It is analogous to the type of design events that take place in major cities around the world such as Milan's Salone del Mobile, Cologne's IMM, New York City's ICFF and the Stockholm Furniture Fair.
Other events that take place in Tokyo concurrently with DesignTide include 100% Design Tokyo and Tokyo Designers Week.
Contents
Founding
An organization that planned a similar series of events, Tokyo Designers Block, was dissolved after its 2004 events due to financial concerns. DesignTide was started with the hope of continuing to support design in Japan despite the loss of Tokyo Designers Block. DesignTide's original founders were many of the same people that were involved with Tokyo Designers Block.[1] As a result it originally followed a similar focus as Tokyo Designers Block, namely emphasizing designers' creative vision rather than pursuing a role as a trade show. Since 2007, DesignTide has sought to develop a trade show component to the event to achieve a more equitable balance between design as creative vision and the need to support commercial activity in the field.
Location
In 2005, DesignTide took place in shops and galleries throughout Tokyo's design-conscious areas. Since 2006, added to this format has been a main exhibition site in a medium-scale hall within the city (as opposed to a large-scale convention center outside the city).
The location of the main exhibition site often changes each year. In 2006 the main exhibition took place in a soon-to-be-demolished building in Harajuku; in 2007, in a gymnasium at the National Olympic Stadium; in 2008 and 2009 in the meeting hall of Tokyo Midtown.
Off-site exhibitions continue to take place as in 2005 in art galleries, museums and boutiques throughout Tokyo's main design-conscious neighborhoods. These have typically centered around Aoyama and Harajuku and have also included Daikanyama, Marunouchi and Roppongi.
Main exhibition site
DesignTide's main exhibition site is a curated design show. This aspect sets it apart from most other major design fairs. Whether applicants are allowed to show at the main exhibition is decided by DesignTide's directors.
The structure of the main exhibition site deviates from other design fairs in that it eschews cubicle-shaped booths. Also, an architect or designer is hired each year to develop unique architectural and design elements used to allot and define exhibitors' spaces, thus turning the exhibition space itself into work of design.
External links
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
