The upcoming Decorex Africa event will boast over 250 leading design brands, speakers and seeks to showcase the possibility of an inclusive design industry which supports young talent and upholds inclusion. With a new vision, Decorex will be unlike any other year, speaking to the zeitgeist of conscious production and conscious design. Here’s a look at just a few things to look forward to at Decorex Cape Town from 16 - 19 June at the CTICC.
100% CHAIR
100% Chair is an all-new showcase of original pieces, providing a sterling opportunity for designers to really show their thinking. Curator Bielle Bellingham has pushed the participants to launch designs the public has not seen before. Master Studio, James Mudge, Pedersen & Lennard, Haldane Martin, Outlander and Bofred are among the designers who’ll be taking a seat… Expect to enter into a debate about this indispensable object with an exhibit that unseats concepts around the meaning of “good design” as much as honouring its historic legacy as a form of throne
THE BEST BAR IN THE CITY
A gathering place for networking, business meetings and a fantastic tipple to boot, the Decorex Bar speaks “to one of the key responsibilities of the show, which is creating connections,” says creative director Bielle Bellingham
NANDO’S YOUNG DESIGNERS RETROSPECTIVE
Clout/SA will present a riveting retrospective of eight years of pieces by Hot Young Designers (HYD) in association with Nando’s. The exhibition will highlight seminal works as well as more current iterations by a rising tide of new names. This exuberant expression of young design is impeccably timed for Youth Day on June 16, which is when Decorex Cape Town first opens
NEVER SEEN BEFORE DESIGNS BY HOOP
Made by Hoop is a new furniture company that will launch to the public for the first time at Decorex Cape Town. Setting out to rethink the way furniture is made and sold in South Africa, they aim to bring better furniture to more people. “We make flat-pack, solid wood furniture that’s a joy to assemble, rather than a shlep,” says this exciting new brand.
WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE
Herperspective is a public participation project focused on women in architecture. As part of an expanding digital archive, Herperspective will present a physical exhibition at the Cape Town show. Its mission is to grow a database of women who have made a positive impact on the built environment, with a focus on the Global South.
100% TRANSPARENCY
100% Transparency is a radical showcase of the power of transparency in design from both a figurative and literal perspective. This exhibit is curated to include a range of small independents and large industrial brands and will feature a number of all-new pieces that incorporate transparency either as a material (glass, clear plastic, voile and so on) or as a process or design philosophy.
BOFRED VILLA COLLECTION
Cape Town-based design studio Bofred is launching its new Villa Collection. Each piece in the collection is “a quiet call to adventure - a reminder that a great big world awaits, and that it's filled with boundless beauty…”
100 FLAVOURS
Culinary designer Hannerie Visser of Studio H will present a contemplation on the edible in a beautifully mounted display. If food is your jam - and bread - then head for the interactive Samsung Cooking Theatre, too.
NJANO EATERY
Decorex Africa ambassador Cassandra Twala has reimagined African beadwork in her treatment of the bespoke Njano Eatery, the foodie hub at the heart of the show, created especially for the show. Her restaurant design uses traditional beads that have been reimagined at contemporary scale as a driving motif, reconciling both past and present realities, while imagining an alternative future for African craft.
NEXT 2022
NEXT22 will display 28 export-ready local brands, clustered together in one curated hub presented by Craft + Design Institute (CDI) and Decorex Africa. In addition to existing lines there will be a spread of new products by the likes of master weaver Angeline Masuku and social enterprise Woza Moya, which will be representing a group of KwaZulu-Natal-based artists.
In addition to the expo, Decorex Africa identified that there is a need for useful qualitative and quantitative research on how things have shifted, and in accordance, will release its first-ever State of the Industry Report at Decorex Cape Town. This comprehensive overview of the industry has been researched by trend forecaster Chris Reid on behalf of Decorex Africa and is essential reading for the industry in benchmarking how design is doing business now.
Decorex Cape Town is open on the following days:
Thursday 2022 10h00 – 18h00
Friday + Saturday 10h00 – 18h00
Sunday 10h00 – 17h00
For more information on the expo visit decorex.co.za
