smow blog compact: D’Days Paris 2015

From June 1st until June 7th the 15th D’Days Paris will be staged under the theme “Experience”

Which is hopefully something one has gathered sufficient of after 14 festivals.

Featuring contributions from some 100+ creatives the principle focus of D’Days Paris 2015 is, as ever, in-store presentations including, for example, a vapour installation from Krux Amsterdam in the Boffi flagship store, a special presentation of Kartell‘s latest products in a scenography designed by Ferruccio Laviani in the company’s store on the Boulevard Saint-Germain while a few doors away Knoll celebrate Harry Bertoia‘s centenary .

In addition D’Days Paris 2015 promises a programme of exhibitions and presentations wide enough to appeal to most everybody, including, for example, a showcase of works by Muller Van Severen at Gallery Valerie Traan, an exploration of urban camping solutions by ten design studios at Berges de Seine, the Monolithe sound and light installation by students from the Ecole Supérieure d’Art et Design de Saint-Etienne and the Dutch Invertuals Body Language showcase as recently premièred in Milan – and an event which marks the collective’s first venture outwith Eindhoven/Milan.

Away from exhibitions per se D’Days Paris 2015 also includes an “International Design Forum” featuring a two day professional conference and a series of hands on experiences for lays around the central theme of “Think Life”.

Events such as D’Days Paris are becoming ever more popular as cities, or in the case of London’s Clerkenwell Design Week, urban municipalities, attempt to use “design” to undertake a little location marketing – every city needing a marathon, a film festival and a design festival in order to create the necessary youthful sophisticated urbane flair. Or “attract well-heeled tourists” to use the technical marketing term.

Which isn’t necessarily bad.

Can obviously be very bad when the festival is more geared towards lifestyle than design.

And while D’Days Paris does have the odd event that is a little too far removed from design for our liking, on the whole the programme offers enough edgy challenge to compensate for the softer edges. And for more than enough light distraction in Paris in springtime.

Further information including the complete D’Days Paris 2015 programme can be found at www.ddays.net/en

D’Days Paris 2015