Originally published by Cluster, written by Cluster

It’s quite tricky recommending design events of late as there are so many, so similar and so often! Exhibitions, events, dates with designers, product presentations, the latest design creation, etc., etc, the so-called “Design Overdose” described by Virginio Briatore in the last issue of Cluster. However, the Biennale Internationale Design in Saint Ètienne, 15 -30 November 2008 looks promising and purposeful. The action packed program, due to take place at the Cité du Design exhibition venue, a former weapons factory in Saint Etienne, appears to defy the idea that the importance of design lies in the consumer product and slightly counteracts the recent rhetoric surrounding the prominent role of the designer on the wake of an imminent future catastrophe.
Described by the mayor of Saint Etienne, Maurice Vincent, in his editorial as “an event with many meanings” he goes on to say “the stands, workshops, debates and events at the 2008 Biennial will be closely linked to developments in society and in the world, whether they are beneficial or involve certain risks.”
The optimistic approach is backed by the event’s Curator Elsa Francès who weaves three judicious questions into the main framework of the event:
How can design help to develop our lifestyles?
How can design work with research and innovation?
How can design now become a tool for economic development?
A team of 14 serious professionals as curators leads us to believe the quality of the proposals will be high.
It’s most encouraging to witness such strong trust in the School through the involvement of students, education programmes and institutes – it is in fact students from the Ècole Supèriore d’Art et Design de Saint Ètienne (ESADSE) who designed the visual identity for the event by participating in a workshop – a fundamental way of assessing creativity processes prior to market restrictions and evaluation.

Légendes City Eco lab – Relevé laser du Furan sous la place Dorian à Saint- Étienne. © Ville de Saint- Étienne

Among the many exhibitions is Eco City Lab by John Thackara an event “a market for nomadic projects” dealing with experiments from all over the world. It consists mostly of small-scale projects that seek to find practical ways of improving everyday life concerning food, energy, water, mobility, education and responsible economics.

On the subject of City and the living environment are L’appartement Gèant curated by Michel Philippon who seeks to bring the public face-to-face with prospective situations on current and future customs, lifestyles and behavioural changes and Sugoroku by Catherine Beaugrand an “urban gaming” event giving visitors the opportunity to explore a number of historical neighbourhoods in Saint Etienne, by collecting virtual objects from real places with the use of instruments such as mobiles, GPS, Internet and printed maps.
Design and Shop by curator Noèmie Bonnet-Saint-Georges is an entertaining proposal that explores design by taking a trip through the shops in the City, that will be exhibiting works of designers through the presentation of objects, installations and graphical works. Allowing retailers, designers and the general public to meet in an unexpected and stimulating context.

Exo-Organs: Les Exo-Organes, Kidney and Stomach, Roxane Andrès, © R. Andrès, 2007

Thankfully medical design has also found its place in the line-up with Dedans, Dehors, Autour, états du Corps by the curators Marc Partouche and Roxane Andres that illustrates the complexity and importance of design, from research to application, in the medical world, often a missing element in design manifestations but at the core of an everyday social debate. The exhibition will use a variety of media and scales allowing the public to walk through a “sensitive, dynamic and technological world, which reveals a reality and carries an essential question about the place and future of human beings”.
A welcome presence at a design event is the exhibition devoted to free software and raising its awareness The Garage by Gilles Roussi of ESADSE. A non-profit association of students will act as garage mechanics, making space for idea exchanging, exploration of operating systems and the hacker philosophy.

Légendes 2036 – Garth Walker, Galerie Anatole, © Garth Walker

These are just a few of the colourful proposals on the agenda, for the full programme visit http://biennalesaint-etienne.citedudesign.com/
An ambitious outline for the 10th year anniversary of the Biennale Internationale Design lasting 15 days at Saint Etienne – maybe the French do it better! We shall see.