Events at DesignMarch that start today

DesignMarch starts officially tomorrow but here are a few events that head start the official program and open today.

Over the nest days, the festival will spread all over the city. This years program is marked by playfulness and curiosity but among the themes of the exhibition is communication, visions of the future, microbes, birds, sustainability, health and nature. Below is the program for today but you can find the full festival program here. 

Slippbarinn at Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina will be the official festival bar during DesignMarch 2022. A special DesignMarch cocktail will be available at the bar. Icelandairs’ short doc,Why not? Designing the Spirit of Iceland,which showcases Icelandic creativity, will be shown in Slipp Cinema from today and throughout the festival.

The book ‘Laugavegur’ was published in 2021 by Angústúra publishers. It tells the building and commerce history of the main shopping street in Reykjavík in both images and text. The book includes information on over 100 houses as well as the development of the urban space, the past and present houses and the ones that were designed but never built.
The book is a collaboration between Historian Anna Dröfn Ágústsdóttir and Architect Guðni Valberg. During DesignMarch the authors of the book will exhibit material at Epal on Laugavegur that Guðni made specially for the book but wasn’t included in the final published version. An opening party will be held today from 4PM to 6PM.

Opening of the work Sýndarsund by Hrund Atladóttir at the Design museum from 5PM to 7PM. The work opens in relation to the exhibition Bathing Culture, that spans a period from the beginnings of pool culture at the dawn of the 20th century to its present dynamics in the 21st. The story of public pools doubles as a warm history of modern Icelandic society, with a hint of chlorine and sulphur, rising steam and the faint sound of splashing.

Agnes Freyja Björnsdóttir, Silvía Sif Ólafsdóttir and Sylvía Dröfn Jónsdóttir graduated from the Department of Product Design in 2020. Their collaboration is best described as humorous, playful and experimental. Presenting: “One hundred things we heard in the swimming pool” and “Bíbí and blabla” at the Design museum today from 5PM to 7PM.

Ambassador Kirsten Geelan has invited Kent Martinussen (DK) and Halla Helgadóttir (IS) to her residence and is hosting an afternoon of design centred conversations, today from 4PM to 6PM.

Kent Marinussen (DK) is a Danish architect and the CEO of the Danish Architect Center. Martinussen has been running his own architectural practice, while lecturing and researching at universities and architecture academies both in Denmark and abroad. He has been in charge of producing several independent architectural projects, all exhibited abroad, including the International Architecture Biennale in Venice and architectural triennials in Japan and the Middle East. 

Halla Helgadóttir (IS), managing director of Iceland Design and Architecture, has extensive experience as a designer and manager. Halla is a graphic designer and an honorary member of FÍT (Association of Icelandic Graphic Designers). She has worked for her own company for 20 years. Halla has participated in many examploratory and innovative projects, both in Iceland and internationally. She has gained valuable experience and knowledge of working interdisciplinary within the field of design and architecture in collaboration with companies, the government and within the field of the creative industry.

What would an ideal future for sustainable fashion look like?  How can circular solutions support and promote Icelandic design?

Iceland’s first fashion rental SPJARA invites guests to harness their creativity and take part in shaping the vision for a sustainable future of Icelandic fashion at SPJARA’s co-design event. Attendees can also use the opportunity to dress up and rent an outfit for DesignMarch at SPJARA’s pop-up rental. A selection of new and used designer items will be available to rent, highlighting quality Icelandic design. An opening event will be held today from 5PM to 7PM