Public Design Festival to run from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3 in 180 locations
This year’s Public Design Festival will take place from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3 in 180 locations nationwide.
Co-organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, the Public Design Festival will showcase exemplary cases where public design enhanced the lives of the public.
Now into its third edition, the festival will be held under the slogan of “Inclusion: Change for All,” highlighting the value and expanding social role of public design in creatively solving social problems and improving people’s quality of life. This year’s main venue is Daejeon, which the Culture Ministry labels a regional cooperative city “that has been garnering attention by promoting urban regeneration and inclusive policies for companion animals, such as implementing the country’s first pet-friendly certification system.”
The Korea Public Design Award selected 14 outstanding cases and 23 project proposals that demonstrate the theme of inclusion.
The Culture Ministry’s First Vice Minister Yong Ho-seong will attend the opening ceremony on Oct. 25 at Cociety in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, to present the awards.
The grand prize, the Presidential Award, will be given to the “Omok Park Renovation” project, which transformed a public facility built in western Seoul’s Mokdong in 1989 into a vibrant cultural and recreational park. By considering the diverse lifestyles and leisure activities of local residents, the renovation incorporated exercise facilities, an art museum, children’s playgrounds and green spaces.
Daejeon will host the flagship event of the festival, the “Public Design Forum,” on Oct. 30 at the Daejeon Modern and Contemporary History Exhibition Hall in Seonhwa-dong. Ezio Manzini, a world-renowned figure in the field of design for sustainability, and Patrick Reymond, co-CEO of the Swiss design studio “Atelier Oï,” will participate to share their opinions on the topic of inclusive design for the community.
In addition, Daejeon will utilize its mascot “Kumdori” and the nation’s first public bicycle “Tashu” to introduce 37 public design hot spots in Daejeon, including Daejeon O-World and the Daejeon Municipal Museum.
During the festival period, over 180 public design hot spots nationwide will run various government-civil cooperation programs including public design laboratories and academic conferences.
Details can be found on the festival’s official website: https://festival.publicdesign.kr/2024/main/index.php.