DEMYSTIFYING design
With striking green structures on St Mark’s Road and yards of fabric woven around the town hall, Bengaluru ByDesign is taking over the city from November 23 to December 3.
The goal? Co-founders Suprita Moorthy, 36, and Priyanka Shah Bhandary, 33, set out to make design more inclusive. “We want to demystify the idea that design is for everyone,” they say in unison. “Most design events are niche and often cater to the community only,” adds Moorthy.
With a background at Sotheby’s Australia and The Victoria and Albert Theatre Museum, London, Moorthy has been the Programme Director at India Design Forum since 2012. Bhandary worked in branding and design, getting together with Moorthy to realise their common vision of an international design platform in Bengaluru.
“All the programming comes from the basic tenets we set out for the event early on—impacting public, business and education,” says Moorthy. Hence, the schedule includes everything from public installations and lectures to workshops and challenges. From the venues to the sponsors, the focus on design is clear. Branding exercises too will be in the form of installations and interactive workshops.
For the near future, Moorthy and Bhandary want to put their energies into creating a platform that brings in international participation. “We don’t want to set ourselves apart for now. In the future, we want it to be a festival that integrates local design traditions,” says Moorthy.
—Prachi Sibal