Design is finally reaching the Russian capital. Moscow Design Week is opening its second edition, having matured and broadened its boundaries. Over the next five days, the city will become a Mecca for design professionals from around the globe.
Where design is concerned, Moscow has never been on a par with cities like London or Milan. Even Asia has done much more in that sphere in recent years. However enthusiasts like Aleksandr Fedotov from Art Trading Group are striving to turn around this unfortunate tendency.
Last year’s event was unimpressive, despite the expectations raised by the organizers. However, this year’s program sounds much more promising. MDW will take over the main city’s culture hotspots, such as the Red October Factory and Winzavod, along with the renovated GorkyPark and central shopping malls GUM and TSUM, the Central House of Artists and several other venues. The sheer scale of the enterprise speaks of a fresh ambition.
World-famous curator Li Edelkoort will present her Organic Dwelling Project, reflecting on her view of a greener future for design and architecture. The project will be displayed at the Schusev Moscow Museum of Architecture along with an exhibition of works on the same theme by another design guru, Luigi Colani.
Organic Dwelling project. Nacho Carbonell. Evolution (2008)
A special Russian version of Interni magazine is to be launched, with an Italian edition on design being speraheaded by the Italian Interni curator Gilda Boiardi who is bringing her Mutants Architecture Design project, created for the 2011’s Design Week in Milan.
The graphic design section will be a tribute to one of Russia’s greatest avant-garde artists, the photographer and pioneering designer, Aleksandr Rodchenko. Winzavod is opening a display of posters created by emerging Russian graphic designers.
Red October will become the scene for an interior, lighting and furniture design display with the Made In Italy project, curated by Gulio Capellini.
Moscow Design Week will officially end on October 16, however some projects will be on display longer. For more details, look out for the Week’s Info Points, placed at strategic points around the city.