Evening Forum with: Beatrice Brovia, Designer; Maarit Eskola, Interior Architect; William Lim, Participating Designer & Architect; Kingsley Ng, Participating Designer & Artist; Manabu Tago, President, MTDO Inc., Japan; Fumio Nanjo, Director, Mori Art Museum (Moderator)

“Design today [then] is nothing more or less than the art of creating how we will live tomorrow.” - Fumio Nanjo,  Chief Curator of Imminent Domain exhibition & Director, Mori Art Museum

Good design is built on solid concepts based on our comprehension of the world around us and influenced not only by our present circumstances, but also our collective pasts and possible futures. While our shared cultural heritage is important, it must never be allowed to constrain us, and contemporary designers must set their sights squarely on the future. In doing so, they must evaluate not only how we will live, but also how we should live from every possible angle. How are designers questioning the status quo and inspiring us to rethink how we will live? How are they pushing the boundaries of our imaginations and creating technological innovations that drive lifestyle changes and affect our aesthetic perceptions?

Beatrice Brovia is an artist and designer, and lectures in design at Konstfack, Stockholm. She was awarded the Talente Prize for Design 2010 from Handerwerksmesse, Munich. Beatrice graduated in interior architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy and received her MFA in jewelry at Konstfack.

Maarit Eskola is a Finnish interior architect who has won numerous design competitions and received recognition in the Finnish and German media. She is particularly interested in environmental aesthetics through the study of the history and values of surrounding landscapes, and the relationships between human beings and nature. Maarit studied spatial design at Aalto University, Finland and received her Master’s degree in physical geography from the University of Helsinki.

William Lim is the founder and managing director of CL3. An accomplished architect, interior designer and artist, he incorporates various artistic elements into his architectural and design pieces. William holds academic posts in Hong Kong and abroad, and is a member of numerous design and architecture bodies including the Hong Kong Designers Association and the American Institute of Architects. His work has been exhibited in Hong Kong, Chengdu, the US and the Netherlands.

Kingsley Ng is an interdisciplinary artist who focuses on conceptual, site-specific and community-oriented projects. To him, art should be socially relevant, employing contemporary language and media to render the issues of our time. Kingsley’s art and design projects have been exhibited in Japan, France, Italy and Canada. He received his postgraduate training at Le Fresnoy − National Studio of Contemporary Arts in France with highest honors.

Manabu Tago established MTDO Inc. in 2008, and serves as president, art director and designer. The company provides a coordinated “one-stop” service for clients from initial concept consultancy to production process including designing, guidance and management. During his career, Manabu has also worked for REALFLEET and Toshiba Design Center. Manabu is the recipient of awards that include the Good Design Award in Japan and the Red Dot Design Award in Germany.

Fumio Nanjo (Moderator) is director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and involved in the selection committees of several art awards and artist-in-residence programs. A renowned curator with over 20 years arts experience, he has worked in significant roles at numerous biennales worldwide including commissioner of the Taipei Biennale (1998); jury member of the Turner Prize at the Tate Gallery, London (1998); selection committee member of the Sydney Biennale (2000); jury member of the Golden Lion Prize, Venice Biennale (2005); and artistic director of the Singapore Biennale (2006).

This forum is part of the Imminent Domain: Designing the Life of Tomorrow's Lecture Series. To find out more about the exhibition, please click here.

Major Sponsor:

Supporting Organizations:
Hong Kong Design Centre
The Hong Kong Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects Hong Kong

CreateHK Disclaimer:
"The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."