//SHOW + SHINE – BRINGING DESIGN WEEK TO KUALA LUMPUR

A press conference will be held to unveil more about KLDW 2009:

• Date : Friday, December 19th, 2008
• Time : 3pm – 5pm
• Venue : Hang Tuah Room, Level 6, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

As one of the fastest growing cities in Asia, Kuala Lumpur has design potential at a level comparable to other innovative cities around the world. We are progressively embracing design as a way to develop our own identity and national pride.

As we proceed from one era to another, we are now in what some may say as “the creative age” – a time where people value the creative thought process, of which we now regard highly on the ability of people to embed creativity and cultural content within the goods and services they produce. Creativity has now become an integral way of life for without design, the world would be very stagnant indeed.

Design is a bridge between art and science. Art generates imagination, which translates into visualization, followed by design, and to be perfected by science. Science completes a certain idealization. Without Michaelangelo’s sketches there wouldn’t be a visualisation to invent aeroplanes, while the TV show Star Trek has managed to envision a world ahead of its time, and subsequently inspired some of the most indigenous inventions in telecommunications.

As a country of multiple cultural values, Malaysia has design capabilities worthy of respect and acknowledgement yet we are still lacking when it comes to local recognition from the government and the community alike. While there is no doubt that many talented locals have benefited from the creative economy, the path is still long for Malaysian artists or designers. We are still struggling to attract the much-needed support, both financially and generally. When will the time be when the significance of design finally be recognized by the decision-makers of our country?

The abundance of creative talents and outputs in our nation is doomed to come to nothing without a proper platform to channel everything out. We seem to be a few steps behind when it comes to putting the national name out there in recognising KL as a regional design hub. At home, the creative activity still struggles to attract the financial and program support it requires to thrive. While there are a few creative channels here and there, we still need a nation-wide, strategic approach in order to boost the Malaysian Creative Economy.

As the first project of its kind to have sailed into our local shores, the Kuala Lumpur Design Week Project is a vital tool for the development of the nation as it will provide an important role to enlighten and communicate on the significance of the Creative Economy and to encourage the education of design in economic, social, political, and cultural developments within the region. Similar projects of this kind are held annually in the mega cities of London, Melbourne, New York, Tokyo, Berlin, Bangkok and of course, our neighbour Singapore.

Slated to commence from March 27 until April 4 2009, KLDW 2009 promises a festival like no other. For 9 days, the city of KL is set be bombed with various events that has been designed to inspire and foster talking points within the community. Creative programmes include Forums, Master Classes by worldrenowned top designers, International Designers’ Conference, Installations and Exhibitions, Degree Show, Secret Tents, Young Tigers, 7 Bintang Awards Gala Dinner, Open-air Street Celebration, and the dazzling KLDW 2009 Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

KLDW 2009 is proud to present and host participants from United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia, Spain, France and Germany, along with artists from Asia such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. Malaysian Masters residing here and abroad has also been invited to host lectures and talks pertaining to their expertise to motivate the new generation. Malaysians will now have the perfect platform to engage, learn, enlighten, contribute, or simply be inspired with this creative movement.

Entitled “Show + Shine”, KLDW 2009 serves as platform for all creative-based inputs and outputs, to centralise, encourage, maximize and upgrade the quality of design thus creating a pathway into an international market and connections in the design industry. Apart from the huge potential of commercial rewards, this exercise will undoubtedly shape the new culture of good design habits in Malaysia, and will also help in profiling our existing home-grown talents to the eyes of the world.

The aimed success of KLDW 2009 will certainly put KL on the map with every other design cities of the world, equalizing it with comparable international standard in design as well as promoting tourism through design. Malaysia will now have an additional vehicle for its Tourism Malaysia plan. This prestigious festival is already attracting design afficionados from all over the world who are seeking to expand and share their knowledge, including students, academicians, professionals and basically those who embrace art and design. Their visit is almost certain to bring not only growth on our Creative Economy, but also the Tourism Economy as well.

With the abundance of creative talents and output, it is high time for Malaysia to make the Creative Economy as a national strategy in highlighting the country on the map of the world. Perhaps for the duration of 10 days, KLDW 2009 will make an impact so strong that it can inspire more creative thoughts and works from within the ourselves. And as Malaysia is moving forward in its advancement of the technology and sciences, the current and future generations will benefit greatly from this exposure.

KLDW is a dream, a dream for us to entertain, to engage, and to enlighten in building a new design identity for our nation. Because if not now, when? If not here, where? If not us, who? The KLDW 2009 is a project for the love of design, from us to all Malaysians. Your involvement in this project, be it a contribution, a participation, or just a mere admiration, will not only be for this project, but also to the nation as a whole, and thus will be tremendously appreciated. Because only with your collective support that this dream can scream.