Window displays will showcase best of young design talent
Showcasing cutting edge projects will move to a whole new level in Galway when twelve transparent units are erected across the city – to display the best of innovation from a host of up-and-coming designers.
The ‘Galway Design Box’ project is an initiative being launched by GMIT Letterfrack, as part of Irish Design 2015.
This is a multi-body collaboration programme aiming to create jobs in the design sector, whilst also promoting and celebrating Irish design – and designers – through events and activities both at home and abroad. And for its part, GMIT Letterfrack (the National Centre of Excellence for Furniture Design and Wood Technology) is launching the ‘Galway Design Box’ project.
There are twelve design boxes – known appropriately as the Twelve Bens, seven of which will be on permanent display in prominent locations around Galway. The other ‘Bens’ will be commissioned to locations in the future.
The Twelve Bens are inspired by the Connemara mountain range – or as the Galway Design Box project put it: “Mountains are a dominant feature of our landscape...they dominate the landscape as Galway Design aspires to dominate the cityscape”.
Each design box (1175 x 1175 x 2210mm) will contain a single exhibit or, alternatively, a collection of complementary exhibits (depending on their scale).
Individual boxes will have their own character, name and colour.
The seven enlisted for showcase in Galway, include the following; Binn Bhan, Binn Chorr, Binn Dubh, Binn Bhraoin, Binn Doire Chlair, Binn Gabhar and Binn Goora.
Original works from Irish designers will be encased in a ‘monolith’ style display box protruding from the landscape. Exhibits will rotate on a platform within the casing.
Galway Design Boxes will be a semi-permanent fixture, residing for four months at their specified locations.
“We aspired to produce something cool that would pass the test of time; a showcase to acknowledge Galway design and designers,” said a GMIT spokesperson.
Design categories include ceramics, fashion, furniture, industrial design, jewellery, medical devices, millinery and textiles amidst others. Designers, interested in exhibiting their work are encouraged to do so, by applying to the Galway Design Box website.
The first set of contributors to the Galway Design Box will be presented with a ‘Binn Beag’, a representation of the designer’s monolith display box.
Locations for exhibition include the Galway Museum, Eyre Square Shopping Centre, UCHG, and the County Council Offices – with plans for further boxes at GMIT, NUIG, Galway Shopping Centre and the Bus Station.
The official launch of the Galway Design Box will take place during Design Week 2015 at the beginning of next month.
■ For further information visit www.galwaydesignbox.com