Organised by “thnklb” and the Malaysian Timber Industry Board, KLDF will transform downtown KL into a Creative and Cultural District filled with forums, workshops, exhibitions, and performances.
From Instagram-worthy art installations to roundtables with international speakers, the event is designed to bring together professionals, enthusiasts, and the public alike.
“We hope to educate the public about design, empower design communities and professionals, and bring all Malaysian design associations together,” festival co-founder and director Muhammad Razif Nasruddin told FMT Lifestyle.
“For the longest time, we have been working in silos,” he said.
The event is also aimed at showing the powers that be “that these are the people on the ground who matter, and that this is the future they need to be investing in”, he added.
Razif said the festival serves as a catalyst for cultivating and developing Malaysia’s design landscape, as the industry thrives when different disciplines such as architecture, interior design, fashion, and graphic design speak a common language.
The goings-on will unfold at four major locations – The Back Ground REXKL, The Godown Arts Centre, Rumah Tangsi, and Muzium Telekom. It attracted nearly 2,000 people last year – a number that is expected to grow five-fold this time around.
To reach a wider audience, the event will feature free public activities as well as a ticketed industry conference and dialogue.
Want to know how design affects every part of your life? Head over to Muzium Telekom for the Domestic Culture Exhibition, and get ready for an immersive projection-mapping experience complete with motion sensors by new media art collective Filamen.
Cinephiles can look forward to nightly screenings of a carefully curated selection of design and art films, including from Germany, Canada and Finland, at Rumah Tangsi.
“Star Wars” fans will especially appreciate the 1927 German sci-fi film “Metropolis” on Oct 8. This futuristic film by Fritz Lang is believed to have greatly influenced George Lucas’ visual design of his galaxy far, far away.
The festival will also infuse a touch of contemporary art into its essence by partnering with CIMB Artober Art & Soul, an art fair set to unfold at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) from Oct 6-8.
For industry professionals, the highlight will be a two-day conference at Rumah Tangsi, where leading design practitioners, academics and industry players will share what works – and what doesn’t – in building new design ideas and knowledge.
One speaker to look out for is Bostami Ahmad, the son of Felda settlers in Pahang, who shot to international fame as a versatile design expert.
His notable projects include Proton Tuah, Proton Iriz and Proton Perdana, and a spacecraft for the Google Lunar XPrize Moon Mission. He was mentored by Filippo Perrini, Lamborghini’s chief designer.
Another highlight is the Asean Design Dialogue on Oct 7. Leading global practitioners and experts will discuss regional and local issues surrounding design appreciation, identity, economics, and the business aspects of the profession.
Finally, the festival also touts the Emerging Designers Programme, launched to support up-and-coming designers and provide them with industry mentoring and a platform.
For more information about KLDF 2023, click here.