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Design Indaba magazine gets human, superhuman

Posted on June 3rd 2009

In the Q209 edition, everyone’s a superhuman – from the world’s best chef to the idea you tossed in the waste bin yesterday.

In this edition, everyone’s a superhuman – from the world’s best chef to the idea you tossed in the waste bin yesterday. Inspired by the emotion, passion and integrity displayed at the 2009 Design Indaba Conference and Expo, “Superhuman” celebrates all that is fleshy – the good, bad and beautiful, with a dollop of kink and a waft of inspiration, all in one read.

Read it with love, says Marian Bantjes’s eye-catching cover. With nonsense, says Nobumichi Tosa’s crazy inventions. With nature, says Dai Fujiwara’s fashion genius. With curiosity, says Michaella Janse van Vuuren’s arty science. With speculation, says Dunne&Raby’s critical process. With kindness, says Richard Hart’s paintings. And with honesty, nods Ferran Adrià.

Humanity is everywhere – even in our domesticity, discovers photographer Leah Hawker in her sexy fashion shoot. In fact, we are only human, is the verdict of the open-call for superheroes of the future. A litmus of the times, it’s remarkable how many designers chose to turn humble mortal traits into super powers.

The creative community of South Africa seems to be saying that our future lies firmly in our humanity. And creativity and design lies firmly in South Africa’s future, editor of Design Week UK, Lynda Relph-Knight writes in her review of Design Indaba Expo 2009.

The chockablock Design Snippets section celebrates the best in new local and international design. And, to weather the winter, curl up with a design book… We review crEATe: Eating, Design and Future Food; Marije Vogelzang’s monograph, Eat Love; Simon Gear’s Going Green; and Stan Engelbrecht’s Miss Beautiful.

Design Indaba, Q209, “Superhuman”, is available in selected Woolworths and Exclusive Books stores, as well as Melissa’s and other outlets nationwide.

Marian Bantjes

Marian Bantjes has been variously described as a typographer, designer, artist and writer. Working from her base on a small island off the west coast of Canada, her personal, obsessive and sometimes strange graphic work has brought her international recognition.

Nobumichi Tosa

With a Masters in Art from Tsukuba University in Japan, Nobumichi Tosa established Maywa Denki with his brother in 1993. Initially an exclusive art unit belonging to Sony Music Entertainment, it transferred its management to Yoshimoto Kogyo Co Ltd in 1998.

Dai Fujiwara

Dai Fujiwara joined the Miyake Design Studio in 1994 upon graduating from the Dyeing and Weaving Course at Tama Art University. After working as a member of the Issey Miyake Collection design staff, he launched the A-POC project with Issey Miyake in 1998. This won the Good Design Award in 2000 and the Mainichi Design Award in 2003.

Richard Hart

Richard Hart is a designer, illustrator, type nut and – most recently – a weekend artist. He is happiest when he’s making. His output includes posters, publications, flyers, packaging, furniture, interiors, exhibition design, painting, sculpture and a few objects that are less easily described.

Ferran Adrià

Ferran Adrià is the famed head chef of the elBulli restaurant in Spain. elBulli has three Michelin stars and has been ranked first in the S Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants for the past three years.

Dunne&Raby

Dunne&Raby – Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby – use design as a medium to stimulate debate among designers, industry and the public about the social, cultural and ethical implications of existing and emerging technologies.

Lynda Relph-Knight

Lynda Relph-Knight has been editor of the UK’s Design Week since 1989. The role encompasses editing the world’s first and only weekly design magazine and its daily website, as well as overseeing the Design Week Awards and Benchmarks prize scheme for branding.

Marije Vogelzang

Having graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven, Marije Vogelzang specialised in "eating-design". Working as an inspirator and consultant for any food-related business, she started her design studio/restaurant Proef (which means tasting or testing) in Rotterdam in 2004.

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