As we approach 2020, the Design Trust team is reflecting on this year’s incredible journey, community projects, exhibition to grantees new projects.
Design Trust continues to contribute to areas of creative research, design and development of meaningful projects through our grants, public programmes and fellowships in Hong Kong, the region and internationally. This year we have funded FEATURE GRANT AND SEED GRANT projects in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Myanmar, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain and the USA, with projects ranging from media design, product design, urban design, architecture, to social innovation, design anthropology, history of design, curation and performances. We have also funded fellows from Hong Kong, Macau, London, Lebanon, New York, Australia and Germany, who are working on projects in Hong Kong, the region, and the wider Asian context.
With our collaboration with RCA in London, as well as the M+ museum, we are pleased to support fellows’ access to the greatest curatorial minds in design and architecture. Now in its third year, the DESIGN TRUST/ RCA FELLOWSHIP IN DESIGN CURATION addresses the burgeoning field of design curating in a global context through advanced research and curatorial practice in relation to contemporary design and recent design history. The M+ / DESIGN TRUST RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP investigates issues related to architecture and design through two fellowships focused on Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and Asia under a global context, contributing to the curatorial and research practice of M+ museum.
DESIGN TRUST FUTURES STUDIO (DTFS), our community think-tank programme continues to grow in strength. The 2019 ‘Heritage is Innovation’ programme explored animated definitions of Hong Kong history to build new narratives of the role and place of heritage as a dynamic living and inspiring process. A series of site-specific project were created focusing on ‘critical making’ with new sustainable and material innovations at the backdrop of the 1930’s Haw Par Mansion in partnership with Tai Ping and Haw Par Music. Next year, selected projects will extend beyond the programme to showcase internationally in 2020.
The DTFS edition ‘Play is for The People’ continues to explore the future of micro-parks in Hong Kong. Working closely with local communities and other stakeholders from both private and public sectors, the design teams translated their findings from site research and analysis into unique concepts for four micro-parks in Hong Kong. Going beyond conceptual ideation, the aim is to translate the micro-park designs into reality with construction planning underway. Grateful to CreateHK, we also launched #AddYourMicroPark, a public generated archive of micro-park case studies and design inspirations from Hong Kong and around the world. Please join us and participate in creating a public archive of micro-parks case studies and design inspirations here.
Design Trust is committed to stimulating the positive process of design, enable new conversations, and build opportunities for emerging designers, thinkers and scholars to excel in their work. The continuous work and advocacy for the positive role of design is made possible through the support and collaboration of the design community, and the public and private sector. We are pleased to share and celebrate design’s strength and power at the Design Trust Auction event this year with Archigram’s Sir Peter Cook and Dennis Crompton, along with the generous support of the Kerry Hotel and Shangri-La Group, as well as other leading partners, auction donors and benefit committee members. Archigram inspired Design Trust’s Hong Kong grantees dtby_, SKY YUTAKA, New Office Works and HKDHNet, to collectively create an interactive spatial design and experience to share a hopeful and optimistic collaboration with Hong Kong’s own emerging designers and researchers. Next year in 2020, we expand this experience into the public realm for further educational outreach within Hong Kong for university students.
As we reflect on the past year, we envision more research initiatives on the environment and opportunities for our community to exchange knowledge. A few highlights of 2020 include Design Trust Feature Grant Recipient OMA Stedebouw and the Guggenheim Museum’s ‘Countryside, The Future’ Exhibition in New York; Design Trust Feature Grant Recipient Cao Fei’s exhibition ‘Blueprints’ at Serpentine Gallery, London; Hong Kong-based Designer Mentees Xavier Tsang and Julie Progin & Jesse Mc Lin’s showcase of DTFS 2019 works at the Milan Design Week 2020; as well as our Design Trust “Interactive” Dialogue Series for the next DTFS 2020.
Our work is only possible with the great support of our community, trustees, advisors, patrons, funding partners, and the designers, mentees and grantees who work tirelessly to produce new knowledge for the energetic and vibrant city of Hong Kong and our region.
On behalf of my board and team here at Design Trust, we thank you for entrusting in design, please join our community in supporting the growth of the design and cultural ecology here in Hong Kong, our region and our future. I also invite you to see our Design Trust video here on our community's appreciation and gratitude to your dedicated support. Sending our warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful winter season ahead, and a very happy new year. See you soon in 2020!
- Marisa Yiu Co-founder, Executive Director