16 April 2008
Information about New York’s 2008 Design Week is very thin at this point. For now, I’ve only found an interesting press release about the Meatpacking District’s own mini Design Week. I’ll be coming from San Francisco for the events as well as ICFF, will you?
The Meatpacking District, New York’s rapidly evolving design destination, will host the second annual Design Week ’08, a series of exhibitions, product launches, panel discussions, and cocktail parties. The events coincide with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) on May 16-18, 2008. The renaissance of the Meatpacking District has drawn many world-renowned retailers from Vitra to Diane von Furstenberg and arts organizations such as Milk Gallery and the Whitney Museum, all of who have staked their claim in this lively, twenty-four hour neighborhood. “New York Design Week is becoming a more vibrant design destination on the international landscape,” says Abe Gurko producer of Design Week ’08, who has spearheaded off-site design culture in the city for the past six years. “The Meatpacking District is the perfect place to stage alternative design events since so many exciting architectural and design projects are currently underway here.”
The theme for Design Week ’08 is YOUTH, which embodies the revitalized spirit and diverse membership of the Meatpacking District Initiative. MPDI is a community based organization which co-produces the event in association with Abe Gurko. Design Week ‘08 features an extraordinary series of international exhibitions and panel discussions, which are designed to drive daytime foot traffic to the neighborhood.“ Our member retailers can participate by hosting design related exhibitions and events which we promote and populate with design industry influencers as well as aficionados”, says Annie Washburn, Executive Director, MPDI.
The centerpiece to this year’s event is an exhibition called HARDCORE New Finnish Design sponsored by the Design Forum Finland. Additional presentations will be Jeff Miller at Carlos Miele, Studio Dror at Yigal Azruel, Theory, and much more. The MPDI invites the design industry professionals and design savvy New Yorkers to what is sure to be a memorable event complete with food, music, and outdoor exhibitions in a celebration of New York Design Week.
