Advocates of change: revisiting creatively charged, STIRring events of 2023
by Jincy IypeDec 31, 2023
•make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend
by Jincy IypePublished on : Dec 31, 2024
When STIR looks back at the year almost gone by, what do we particularly remember? The wins, both pronounced and small. The failures, surely? We definitely recount the many on-site visits to fairs, symposiums, exhibitions, festivals and trade fairs, expressed in various dialects of shifting geographies, evolving design cultures, topics of architectural conservation, trends in the digital world, and more. Do these keepsakes divulge a richer narrative because of personal attendance? What are some commonalities observed and concerns platformed?
From questioning the scale of design and architecture conclaves from around the world and keeping a finger on the pulse of ‘sustainable’ commercial fairs to examining biases of age-old institutions vis a vis the endeavours they continue to get behind, below are some of the most charged experiential chronicles featured on STIR this year, as part of our year-end round-up series, the Best of 2024.
1. Confrontational or corrective? 'Raise the Roof: Building for Change' at RIBA
A series of commissions at a new exhibition at 66 Portland Place, London, attempted to probe and address the elite architecture institute’s racially and imperially charged history.
2. Craft, community and Scottish candour at the Dundee Design Festival 2024
A contemplative look at and visit to the "world’s most sustainable design festival" yielded reflections on the idea of sustainability and scale in design programming and beyond.
3. ‘Outonomy’ by Mathieu Lehanneur at Maison&Objet asks, what do we really need?
M&O’s Designer of the Year Mathieu Lehanneur spoke to STIR at the Parisian design fair about his carte blanche installation Outonomy, apart from giving a tour of his HQ in Paris called The Factory.
4. Paris Design Week 2024 lands momentum for its global quest and aspirations
Stepping away from the focus on localism of recent years, the French Design Week embraces a renewed aspiration for universalism, echoing the recent Olympic spirit.
5. STIR stays on brand with creative and artistic directors at 3daysofdesign 2024
As 3daysofdesign activated Copenhagen, Denmark, STIR spoke to the creative heads of design companies such as Sony, ferm LIVING and Bolon, to perceive how they Dare to Dream.
6. Moments of community and conversation peak at 3daysofdesign 2024
A dreamlike expansion of the 3daysofdesign festival sparked a continued discussion around what makes a great design fair – from locality to learning.
7. A parable of hope for Antakya, Hatay (Part One: An instigation)
A visual method of phenomenological inquiry becomes a lens to examine the ongoing reconstruction efforts at Antakya, Turkey, helmed by Türkiye Design Council and Foster + Partners.
8. A parable of hope for Antakya, Hatay (Part Two: A solemnisation)
The conversation continues just as the lens is turned on the enquiry—from an epistemological one to a dialogic one—in studying the master plans for a new Hatay.
9. Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024: championing community and discovery
Recounting the conception and the fabrication, the mise en oeuvre of the forerunner design festival in Italy: the Salone del Mobile.Milano at Milan Design Week this year was distinguished by thought-provoking dialogues and exhibitions.
10. Andreu World and Benjamin Hubert peel the LAYERs of circular design at LDF ‘24
The British designer unveiled a new collection for Andreu World during London Design Festival 2024 at an event offering insights into his practice in conversation with STIR.
11. A decade on, Dubai Design Week is still growing alongside the MENA culture scene
As a media partner, STIR visited DDW's milestone 10th edition, which revealed a thorough dedication to a new wave of creatives inspired by the Gulf’s diverse and lesser-known heritage.
12. Where does COLLECTIBLE design begin to take form?
A visit to the COLLECTIBLE design fair as it debuted in New York City revealed over 100 exhibitors formulating and creating cutting-edge contemporary collectible designs.
13. FAB Conclave 2024 focuses on a sustainable tomorrow and innovation for impact
Disruptors, thinkers and thought leaders from architecture and design collaborated towards shaping a future we want to live in, at the third edition of FAB Conclave in Mumbai, India
14. Synapse Conclave 2024 and the digital dreams of today's society
Presenting a series of in-depth conversations from the conference in India, which focused on the intersections of science, digital technology and society, warranting further reflection.
STIRred 2024 wraps up the year with curated compilations of our expansive art, architecture and design coverage at STIR this year. Did your favourites make the list? Tell us in the comments!
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Sep 03, 2025
Speaking with STIR, the event director of FIND Design Fair Asia discusses the exhibits for this year, design forecasts for Asia and the value of design in the global market.
by Jincy Iype Aug 29, 2025
Holding stories, holding people: The creative duo reflected on archives, imperfection and empathy to frame care as both practice and philosophy in this evocative ~log(ue).
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Aug 28, 2025
A compilation of writing systems and visual communication styles, edited by Oliver Häusle, explores the possibilities, resonances and unique qualities of the tools we use to write.
by Bansari Paghdar Aug 25, 2025
The upcoming edition looks forward to offering a layered, multidisciplinary series of presentations and dialogues examining Pan-Asian design within a transnational landscape.
make your fridays matter
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by Jincy Iype | Published on : Dec 31, 2024
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