Watch the Keynote Lecture on our Facebook Page or YouTube channel, Saturday 27 February 2021 at 15.00 – 17.00 WIB (GMT+7). Click the "Set Reminder" button on the video player area to get notified once the stream goes live or click the button below to join the live chat!

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Initiated in 2020 by Museum MACAN and BWI, Design Up Close is a program series dedicated to the practice and theory of design. Creating a bridge between global designers and local design issues, as well as building platforms and communities to discuss and shape the design industry as a whole. The program consists of a keynote presentation paired with a mentoring and open review program.

Over 2020, Design Up Close have delivered 4 mentoring and open review sessions on 4 topics: Wellness, Design and Contemporary Lifestyle, Material and Sustainability, and Mastering Space, also keynote presentation of Wellness and Design and Contemporary Lifestyle.

Crafting Futures supports the future of craft around the globe. This British Council program strengthens economic, social and cultural development through learning and access. Crafting futures’ projects support practices and people, through research, collaboration and education.

Through international collaboration, Crafting Futures creates new networks and opportunities for shared learning between UK and other countries around the globe. The program supports research and education in craft, ensuring our projects are relevant and the designer and artisan’s access to knowledge and expertise, new markets and new audiences, ensuring the value of crat is appreciated more broadly and knowledge can continue to be shared within the sector.

With increasing global interest on climate change and consumptive economic models in a post- globalised world, the world is looking for alternative approaches to crafts, addressing sustainability across environment, economic and culture through crafts, and explore new economic models, systems and ways of collaborating.

The growing sector around repurposing materials and new materials development have garnered quite a lot of interest — designers and artists in Indonesia are interested about it, and it is an area where the UK has an abundance of leadership and best practice on, yet still have room for learning about alternative ways.

Design Up Close is collaborating with British Council’s Crafting Futures programs, exploring the theme of “Craft Focus: Material Exploration and Development”.

On the previous Design Up Close: Mentoring and Open Review on Material and Sustainability, we discussed about how the process of understanding and selecting the right materials with the right design will not only create new meaning, but also prompting positive social, environmental, as well as economic and political changes. A correct and careful design and material exploration requires goodwill, commitment and integrity of the individuals behind it.

This keynote presentation will highlight the exploration of materials: repurposing the existing materials and developing new materials. Having early awareness on environmental issues, designers in the United Kingdom have been practicing and have ongoing research on material and sustainability. Some communities have done research and exploration on utilizing waste, of which the knowledge has then been passed globally to the communities across continents.

In the mid-2020, the Indonesian government implemented the “no plastic bag” policy, which is a start to raise awareness of environmental issues. Prior to this implementation, many Indonesian creative professionals have started their approach in developing sustainable and environmentally friendly designs. Some worked together with the local craftsmen to further develop the existing materials, some conducted research on developing new materials.

Repurposing existing materials and creating new materials requires wisdom from the past, as well as the support of modern technology. As designers, how well do we know the resources around us? How far can we develop those resources? How do we bring together the traditional and modern methods to develop the materials?

This session will be presented online and in English. Click the button below to submit your question on craft and materials. Your question will be answered during the session.

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Nicholas Gant
Founder, Community21

Nicholas Gant is an award-winning designer, published author and academic in fields of social and sustainable design. He is the founder of design agency Community21 and developed the Masters in Sustainable Design program both based within the University of Brighton, UK. Nick’s work explores both the scientific and cultural behaviour of matter and matter of behaviour and the interrelationship between the technical transformation of materials and waste as well as the human condition and material culture. He routinely provides workshops and research talks relating to Circular Economy principles and our relationships to materials internationally.

Santi Alaysius and Hamphrey Tedja
Domisilium Studio

Domisilium Studio is an Indonesia-based interior design firm with a wide range of expertise in hospitality and commercial projects. It is founded by Santi Alaysius and Hamphrey Tedja in 2009. Santi and Hamphrey also co-founded DMDIO, which focuses on product and exhibition design, and Fredhelligh, a retail company that focuses on sustainable products, made with Indonesian natural sources by local craftsmen and artisan.