These Singapore Designers Are Combining Design and Tech For A Sustainable Future
Seven Singapore designers will be showing at this year's Milan Design Week 2024 as part of the Future Impact 2 showcase by DesignSingapore Council.
By Keng Yang Shuen,
Milan Design Week (MDW) is one of the biggest design events on the international calendar – it's a place where design and fashion heavyweights showcase their latest works, and emerging designers from around the world are spotlighted. More than 300,000 people visit every year.
Similarly, Singapore is making its mark at MDW. Last year, national design agency DesignSingapore Council hosted a group show called Future Impact, exhibiting the works of Singaporean designers such as Tiffany Loy and Nathan Yong.
This year, Future Impact returns with a sophomore edition from April 16 to 21 at the iconic La Rotonda Del Pellegrini building during MDW 2024, curated by Tony Chambers and Maria Cristina Didero.
Seven of Singapore's most innovative designers are taking part: Christian+Jade, David Lee, Faezah Shaharuddin, Genevieve Ang and Interactive Materials Lab, Zavier Wong, as well as two returning names from last year's batch, Tiffany Loy and Gabriel Tan.
A common theme among all of them is using new technologies to change how things are produced, with the aim of preserving the planet through functional design.
Here, we delve into what to expect from each designer.
Design duo Christian+Jade (comprising Singaporean designer Jade Chan, left, and Danish designer Christian Hammer Juhl, right) have created the Para Stool. Crafted from the Para rubber tree commonly found in Singapore and Southeast Asia, the stool repurposes rubber wood, which is typically discarded after a 30-year lifespan of rubber cultivation. The aim? Christian+Jade aim to showcase the beauty and quality of rubber while bridging the gap between preconceptions of the material and its origin as a living tree.
In a departure from the prevailing trend of overly ornate design, artist and designer David Lee presents the Monolith chair and table, crafted from a single piece of material that undergoes laser-cutting and bending to achieve its final form. This innovative design signifies a revival of traditional production and manufacturing techniques, resulting in reduced waste, labour, and material usage.
Multidisciplinary designer Faezah Shaharuddin of Studio Kallang has developed a collection titled "Unlikely Fragments" purported to absorb carbon dioxide. Faezah utilised wood offcuts from her furniture production and combined them with textiles treated with COzTERRA, a groundbreaking formulation developed by Singapore-based material engineers Xinterra. This innovative technology employs artificial intelligence to absorb carbon dioxide, showcasing the fusion of sustainability and advanced materials in design.
Feted Singaporean designer Gabriel Tan is unveiling a series titled Good Gourd – Hybrid Basketry Lamps, comprising vibrant table lamps meticulously handwoven around 3D printed resin structures. These lighting fixtures aim to blend digital manufacturing with traditional craftsmanship, showcasing how technology can support the preservation of heritage techniques by reducing manual labour and making them more accessible to aspiring designers.
Artist and designer Genevieve Ang and the Interactive Materials Lab are collaborating to create Reciproco, a collection of interactive ceramic pieces with the unique ability to transfer heat between objects. These ceramics, activated by touch, are made with recycled glass and feature thermochromic paint that changes colour when heated. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the designs, witnessing the transformative technology firsthand. Through this project, the boundaries between communication devices are challenged, aiming to bridge emotional and physical gaps in our digital communications landscape.
Textile designer Tiffany Loy is collaborating with Italian experts Friul Mosaic on a project titled Mosaic Membrane. This collaboration explores the innovative use of mosaic tiles, transforming them into skin-like, three-dimensional forms that can double as furniture pieces. By utilising off-cut stone, an inherently sustainable material, Loy enhances sustainability by hollowing out the tiles' three-dimensional structure, minimising material usage, and celebrating the versatility of both textile and mosaic materials.
Singaporean designer Zavier Wong's Manifold Steel – Wall Piece No.1 is a unique shelf resembling artwork, crafted from thin metal sheets that were cut, folded, welded, and hand-finished. Wong utilises algorithmic and generative design tools, alongside artificial intelligence, to create complexity while minimising material usage and reliance on labour-intensive production methods.