Gothenburg Design Festival programme

Open Week—Gothenburg’s first Design Festival is organized through eight platforms at venues and institutions across the city and surrounding areas. These include, OW Displays, a constellation of exhibitions and events on curating education, learning and practice. Night School HDK, a learning platform exploring ideas about teaching and knowledge and what forms of communal life it may begin to make possible. OW Journal, a publishing platform and virtual exhibition space. Späti, an after-hours venue where diverse topics, discourse and people come together. OW BAMA, an exhibition acting as an educational resource and site for continued learning. OW Youth, a youth programme across the festival responding to the themes and content of Open Week. Open Studio, a network of design studios reveal the inner workings of contemporary practice. Open House, a festive day that answers questions about HDK and our sister department Valand Art Academy.

Selected events and participants within the platforms include:

Monday, November 20
Festival launch with exhibition openings at HDK, Röhsska Museum, University main building, Regional State Archives in Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Hospital, GU Humanities library, Viktors Kaffe, Sjumilaskolan in Biskopsgården and the launch of the after hour’s venue, Späti designed and programmed by Studio Nock and Studio Miessen.

Tuesday, November 21
A mini-symposium with Linda Hilfling Ritasdatter, Nikita Mazurov & Jonas Ingvarsson on books, code and networks. Designer Markus Bergström in conversation with Danish architect Carsten Hoff. Screening and workshop on Bruce Lee & Intersectional Teaching by Lory Dance. Panel discussion with Alejandro Arevena & Elemental in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology.

Wednesday, November 22
A city walk with Magnus Haglund. Lunch talk with Jan Boelen (director of the Istanbul Design Biennale). Prof. Peter Lang `in conversation with Andrea Malanski around digital preservation in conflict zones. Zine-making workshop with Mattias Gunnarsson and Anna Hydén. Talk by Söderberg prize winner Daniel Rybakken. Workshop by the Precarious Workers Brigade and the Shadow Curriculum with Fredric Gunve & Judith Seng.

Thursday, November 23
Talks with both Morten Nottelman & Omforma. Evening Portfolio school and workshop by Tom Cubbins. Two-part food chat show by Globala Tanter. Talk with She’s a Show and Linda Hintz.

Friday, November 24
Open House with workshops and music. Exhibition by pupils from Frölundaskolan. A Parse Dialogue on Migration, Heritage, Institutions and Social justice with Alessandro Petti (DAAR) & Gabi Dolff-Bonekamper and a workshop by She’s a Show. A talk on Crafts and Ethics with Christien Meindertsma & Jessica Hemmings. Open Studio events will take place across Gothenburg with guest designer Fredric Paulsen.

Saturday, November 25
Workshops with artist Olle Essvik and Play Without Borders at Blå Stället. Design Politics presents Para-Platforms with Stephan Trüby, Markus Miessen, Hannes Grassegger, and Forensic Architecture. Designkanalen in collaboration with Blå Stället/Angered.

Open Week will also host a temporary cultural house in Sjumilaskolan in Biskopsgården and collaborate with current Art Inside Out residents Samir Alj Fält & Byggstudio on workshops and the OW Journal.

For the full programme please visit gothenburgdesignfestival.se

HDK - Academy of Design and Crafts invites the public to explore new ideas about learning, work and social equality. Backed by partners, cultural institutions, students, alumni, staff as well as local and international practitioners, Open Week encourages learning to see, to think, to make and to reflect.

Festival partners include:
Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg City Library, Regional State Archives in Gothenburg, cultural center Blå Stället, Sjumilaskolan in Biskopsgården, Göteborg & Co, Svensk Form (the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design), ADA, Art Inside Out, University main building & Humanities Library (University of Gothenburg), Viktors Kaffe, Chalmers University of Technology, Museum of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska Hospital, Iaspis – Swedish Art Grants Committee, Skogen, The Gothenburg Award + others

Artistic Lead and Festival Curator: Onkar Kular, Professor of Design at HDK, onkar.kular [​at​] gu.se