When:
October 18, 2019 – November 28, 2019 all-day
2019-10-18T00:00:00+01:00
2019-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

The first edition of Porto Design Biennale, open to the public during the extended period from 18 October to 28 November 2019, takes the tensions of the new millennium as its central theme. It takes on board the urgency of considering a changing reality and calling upon design and understanding it as critical thinking and way of intervening in that reality.

It is therefore urgent to identify, discuss and assess the forms and functions of design in the first twenty years of this millennium, and to consider the social effectiveness of the design and the new connections made from an economic, technological, political, cultural and environmental perspective. Framed within this broad and complex spectrum of tensions – of identity, geopolitics, and finance – how does the design affected by them come about? How does it interact with other disciplines and what kind of proposals are put together in these crossover areas? How does design play its role of mediator of new social meanings? How effective is design in bringing about a more inclusive, sustained and equitable society?

Three main nuclei of the theme Post Millennium Tension – Present Tense; Design and Democracy; Design Forum – together offer up seven exhibitions, two public space installations, two workshop cycles, a performance conference and a Digital Culture conference and debate event.

Territorio Italia focuses on events based on the guest country – Italy. Through three exhibitions and a conference, we are introduced to a new practice of Italian design, inseparable from the context of tension and socio-political change that affects the country and is symptomatic of a broad spectrum of tensions that mark Europe and today’s globalised world.The work of the academy will be carried out through the Schools project, in which national design educational institutions will present their visions and projects. Alongside the core schedule, several events will make up a Satellites schedule, which has a variety of forms and expressions, bringing together events hosted by Porto Design Biennale and ten projects selected from an open call. In addition to the motivations and proposals already laid out, Porto Design Biennale is intended to be a place of celebration.