Jerusalem Design Week, the flagship event of the Hansen House Centre for Design, Media, and Technology, returns for its 12th edition from June 22nd to 29th, 2023. As Israel’s leading design event, it promises to deliver a captivating experience with a diverse range of exhibitions, installations, and projects featuring both Israeli and international designers.
Under the theme of “Lies and Falsehoods”, Jerusalem Design Week 2023 aims to explore the proliferation of deception and misinformation in the digital age. The era of fake news, deep fake videos, and disinformation challenges the concepts of trust, authenticity, and truth. Illusions and falsehoods have become ingrained in both the digital and analogue realms, leaving us uncertain about the value of truth. The event seeks to celebrate the role of designers in this context, examining the importance of illusion, transparency, and responsibility.
For a week, the Hansen House will be transformed into a vibrant hub, showcasing numerous installations, performances, exhibitions, and projects across various design disciplines. International and local design and architecture groups will create immersive spaces, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction. HQ Architects will cast an imposing shadow on the façade, creating a deceptive effect. Meats Elisava will utilise light projections and fog to create an ethereal space, and Nohlab will use animation and sound to transport visitors to a parallel world. Other highlights include textile designer Tamar Nix’s cloud-filled space, a synthetic garden by Studio Ma, and a performative print workshop by HolyLand Civilians.
In addition to immersive experiences, Jerusalem Design Week features unique exhibitions and collaborations between creatives and cultural institutions. One collaboration with the Museum of Natural History explores taxidermy and the human-nature relationship, while another exhibition examines how objects and consumer goods propagate social messages. Graphic design group Typomania presents an exhibition of posters responding to the theme of truths and lies using the colours black and white. The academies and research spaces of Hansen House will operate as seductive window displays, showcasing manipulations, magic tricks, and more.
The “Matchmaker” project focuses on Jerusalemite urban myths, with designers, tour guides, and storytellers collaborating to create new souvenirs for iconic buildings in the city. This project aims to connect people, places, and stories in unexpected and creative ways.
Jerusalem Design Week is committed to supporting non-commercial design projects and acquiring public resources to foster innovation. The event features a vast array of projects, installations, exhibitions, and performances that collectively form the immersive and thought-provoking experience that is Jerusalem Design Week.