With the approximately 3 000 Design Indaba Conference visitors and more than 20 000 Design Indaba Expo visitors due to descend on Cape Town from February 23 to 29, 2008, the newest issue of Design Indaba magazine celebrates its Mother City in "Cape Town DC".
In just more than a week, “Cape Town DC” – as in Design Central – is due to have the highest concentration of creative minds in Africa. However, as the Q108 edition of the Design Indaba magazine proves, “Cape Town DC” pulsates all year round.
From cover to streets, this edition of the magazine is all proudly Capetonian. The innovative perforated cover is courtesy of leading advertising and design agency the Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town. Says Joanne Thomas, creative director at Jupiter: "Our idea for this month’s cover follows on from our ad campaign for Design Indaba this year, which shows how creativity can make the world a better place. ‘Recycling’ the content of previous Design Indaba covers and perforating them into strips, we show readers how the magazine could have a second life as a chair, just as industrial designer Charles Kaisin did. Creativity really does have the power to address the challenges that the world is facing."
Offering a dynamic biopsy of Cape Town’s creative arteries, leading cultural proponents Chimurenga, Toast Coetzer, Katrin Coetzer and the am i collective have each contributed a subcultural chart of their Cape Town. Ranging from high-concept to grungy poetics, these four cross-sections of Cape Town are sure to inspire even the most seasoned Capetonian to put their explorer boots on.
Rising star Monique Pelser, who wowed audiences with her Roles exhibition at the Bell-Roberts Gallery last year, also goes beneath the surface with her camera. In a Design Indaba-exclusive shoot, she traces five of Cape Town’s top designers to their studios and workspaces.
We have also gone behind the scenes at South Africa's youngest and biggest animation studio, Clockwork Zoo, who have already garnered much admiration through their daily series URBO: The Adventures of Pax Afrika. Now they’re setting their sights on international markets with three new shows.
Hip new artist collective, The Gugulective show us how they’ve been rejuvenating Gugulethu’s cultural climate; and we also pop into possibly South Africa’s most famous shebeen, Mzoli’s.
Spreading the love of the Mother City, we asked local creatives to interview some of the Design Indaba 2008 speakers. Artist and sound activist James Webb goes head-to-head with DJ-as-artist progenitor Paul D Miller – aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid; while product designer Haldane Martin questions and worships Japanese industrial and environmental designer Toshiyuki Kita.
Also in anticipation of Design Indaba 2008, we are greatly honoured to have managed to steal a few moments with interaction design guru Bill Moggridge, who designed the first laptop and is a cofounder of IDEO.
In the news section, get a thorough preview of what to expect from the Design Indaba Expo and Conference – besides all the surprises that we’re known for. But beyond our universe, we also have news from Hani Rashid, Matali Crasset, Max Normal, Heath Nash, Animal Farm, the Creative Company Conference, the Carry Me Away exhibition, the Fear of the Known music festival, the Carrol Boyes Functional Art competition and more.
One lucky reader can also win a Dolly Pot by designer Cornelius Lemmer, who will be launching his new range at the 2008 Design Indaba Expo.
Design Indaba, Q108, “Cape Town DC”, will be available in selected Exclusive Books stores, Melissa’s and other outlets from February 16, 2008.
