A bevy of brains on show

One of the prerequisites of attending all the events associated with the annual Design Indaba is that you do not sleep, and this year South Africa’s foremost creativity festival is turning 25 — so start stocking up on the caffeine. This year’s theme is Think Tank: Do Tank, which references the uncanny ability that some of the world’s best thinkers have to turn their ideas into reality.

Although the DI has already made a name for itself as the best conference in the world by, among other things, actively pursuing change and action and seeding over 200 impact-driven projects into the public square, it is the great speakers at the DI Conference who keep the design-savvy booking their tickets year after year.

Design Indaba 2020 will be a three-day multi-sensory, thought-provoking and expansive experience that includes a series of captivating talks by day and festival by night, featuring live music, theatre, exhibitions and master classes.

Bas Timmer has designed an item of clothing that he hopes will bring dignity to members of vulnerable communities and provide work opportunities for the unemployed and for refugees. His Sheltersuit, pictured above right, is an attempt to fuse fashion and philanthropy. Honey & Bunny create deconstructive performance art to challenge closely held beliefs. From designing edible goods — essentially creating “eat art” performances to directing films and writing books, they push audiences to rethink cultural traditions and taboos around food. Ibrahim Mahana, right, makes enormous installations that represent the fabric of Ghanaian life, while making a post-colonial statement.

Kinya Tagawa has a big idea for the next decade. His mission is to personalise data to solve problems. Some of his work has already convinced governments to change some of their policies. Natsai Audrey Chieza explores the use of synthetic biology in sustainable design, from dying textiles with microbes rather than toxic chemicals to using algae as a building material. Nhlanhla Mahlangu is an actor who chants biography and sings his research.

The above are just a taste of what the DI will be bringing to Cape Town and via its simulcast service to Potchefstroom, Nairobi, Durban, Johannesburg and Namibia.

The Design Indaba is one of the year’s most exciting highlights and takes place in Cape Town at the Artscape Theatre from February 26 to 29, designindaba.com