Overview
The programme for the Supercity's newest creative event has been officially announced, with some of Tāmaki Makaurau's top talent coming together to show off their best work. Auckland Design Week will take place from Sunday, March 10–Saturday, March 16 and each day will be filled with walking tours, film screenings, listening parties and lively discussion panels. There will be a huge variety of designers showcasing their work, from architects, product design, furniture and fashion — just to name a few.
The week's theme is Bold and Brave, encouraging designers to riskier choices when picking colours, materials and design concepts, while making an effort to produce sustainable designs that prioritise Aotearoa's environment. This may be through only using recycled materials or restoring designs that may have gone to waste.
There will be three main epicentres for the week, set across the central suburbs of Grey Lynn, Parnell and Mount Eden, each only a short trot away from each other. The heart of Auckland Design Week will be the Design Depot, which will take place at Ponsonby Central's Sapphire Room. In this space, designers who are not located in the three aforementioned districts will display their work, curating their exhibitions to the theme of biophilia — the love that humans have for other forms of life such as nature or animals.
Auckland Design Week's Director Jen Jones said an event that celebrates talented designers in Tāmaki Makaurau has been a long time coming. "The events that champion local and international design are few and far between, the calendar for design events in New Zealand are either highly specialised or exclusively for design professionals," Jones said, "Auckland Design Week will be a window into our culture, to our work, and an open and inclusive invitation to come on in."
Auckland Design Week will be held from Sunday, March 10–Saturday, March 16, across locations in Ponsonby, Mount Eden and Grey Lynn. For the full programme and the buy tickets, head to Auckland Design Week's website.
All images: Luke-Foley Martin.