Design Indaba

Next to the DutchMatch we are in Kaapstad to go to the international Design Indaba. We have mixed feelings about this event. The 3 days long series of lectures is very interesting, but far from international: it’s a pure Caucasian event. Where are the Asian, African, and Latin American designers? Not among the speakers and hardly among the listeners. Okay, finally the organisation brings in an Afro-American, and who is he? The clown who does the finale, a very good one (recommended by Brian Eno, yeah, we saw him lecturing on Art), but still...
Furthermore, it’s perverse to see too big mountains of super luxury food and drinks. Especially knowing Khayaletshia, Kaapse Vlakte is around the corner. Okay, they threw in the ‘conscientious’ closing day, with lectures of Zapiro (now run to a bookstore and buy whatever you can from the hand of this brave, sharply analysing mind) and various other ‘design if you give a damn’ speakers.