The most anticipated contemporary design exhibition in spring is back!

In 2024, the transformation of domestic design brands in China is entering a new era. How can the distance between contemporary design and the public be brought closer?Anthropologist Xiang Biao brought the concept of "nearby" into the vision of social media and ordinary people. Rebuilding the vicinity and seeing oneself is not only a direct and concrete emotional connection, but also an ability about life. To gaze at the boundless wilderness, and to gaze at the path beneath one's feet. The 53rd China Home Expo (Guangzhou) Contemporary Design Exhibition will happily return in March when the flowers bloom, aiming to be vast and meticulous, and to enter the industry gap with a more focused perspective, seeing the beauty of life and design.

As the theme of this contemporary design exhibition is "Design · JI". JI is both a gathering and an ultimate, which not only conveys the pursuit and confidence in design leadership, but also embodies the inclusive attitude of the Home Expo. Taking "home" as the starting point, covering from individual life to industry links, from brand aggregation and consolidation to trend leadership... Abundant content spreads layer by layer like ripples, covering the entire design industry at both ends. With a scale of 40000 square meters, 57 commercial design brands and 8 themed special exhibitions, the exhibition is traversed by an "n" - shaped flow line, creating a unique immersive atmosphere and presenting a three-dimensional panoramic view of the contemporary design exhibition area.

In addition to metaphysical cutting-edge ideas, the Contemporary Design Exhibition aims to serve as a driving force for problem-solving, focusing on the construction of the ecological chain between design and the front-end and back-end industries. This time, the major independent curation sections take a diverse perspective as a starting point, threading needles and wires between the "form" and "reality" of design, helping to connect manufacturing and creation. When design forces and thinking from all walks of life converge, we will inevitably be able to envision the future of contemporary Chinese design.

In the upcoming multi-dimensional design "brainstorming" feast, there is not only an international forward-looking perspective that guides design, avant-garde practices related to innovative technologies and materials, insights into the latest trends in design and consumer behavior... More importantly, this is a two-way exploration of eliminating the "information gap": it is not only a direct link to build a "good creative" landing for global emerging design talents, but also, It is also a way for local manufacturers of cutting-edge technology to connect with the latest international perspectives and demand trends.Whether it is the design Dim sum sum of building overseas bridges from the perspective of cutting-edge design, or the CMF Trend LAB, the theme special exhibition of declassifying design trends from a global perspective, you can see China and the world moving forward in this grand event.

How can design empower China's manufacturing industry in the context of global supply chain restructuring? What downstream supply chains do we need to support the world's most cutting-edge design ideas? Design Dim sum, like a sharp knife, points directly at the communication barrier between design and manufacturing, and interprets the understanding and insight of the industry status behind the idea of curation from an international perspective.

Originated from Benwu Studio, which was founded in 2012, the founder Wang Hongchao and You Peng acted as curators to design Dim sum. The name is not only taken from the Cantonese "Dim sum", but also means that this is a communication and brain storm with the world's top creative people.

The special exhibition will collaborate with 14+emerging overseas designers/studios, spanning multiple regions across Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East, to present innovative ideas on sustainable materials, interdisciplinary design practices, and more. When designing Dim sum, we hope to introduce cutting-edge design vision, but also touch on the core issue of the design industry: how to implement a good idea.Therefore, in addition to the exhibition of works, "communication" has become one of the core modules of special exhibitions. Design Dim sum specially invited art curator and designer Maurice Li, and famous Dutch designer Jacob de baan as lecturers, together with the chief curator Wang Hongchao, to plan a three-day design summit forum, which will discuss in depth with global design elites how to build a manufacturing ecological bridge "behind creativity".In addition to the forum, two "Dim sum dinners" will also become the focus of this section. At that time, emerging designers, well-known brand managers, and manufacturing elites at home and abroad will have in-depth exchanges on how cutting-edge design and cutting-edge manufacturing can collaborate, accurately exploring the advantages and competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing on the international stage.

There is room for improvement, which means unlimited potential. The design of Dim sum hopes to build a "zero distance" communication bridge between global design elites and Chinese manufacturing based on the industrial momentum linked by the China Family Fair (Guangzhou) while introducing cutting-edge design vision.

Since its establishment, CMF Trend LAB has continued its focus and in-depth research on the future trends of CMF (color, materials, and surface treatment), covering fields such as process technology, cultural aesthetics, lifestyle, and user behavior, presenting audiences with a forward-looking and innovative design trend exhibition, revealing new trends in the future. In 2024, CMF Trend LAB will continue to create a super curation unit for the four major themes of annual trends, deeply interpreting the application and implementation of AI technology revolution and sustainable material practices in the design field.

Since its establishment, CMF Trend LAB has continued its focus and in-depth research on the future trends of CMF (color, materials, and surface treatment), covering fields such as process technology, cultural aesthetics, lifestyle, and user behavior, presenting audiences with a forward-looking and innovative design trend exhibition, revealing new trends in the future. In 2024, CMF Trend LAB will continue to create a super curation unit for the four major themes of annual trends, deeply interpreting the application and implementation of AI technology revolution and sustainable material practices in the design field.

"AI Thinking": Presented by renowned industrial designer YANG DESIGN and YANG HOUSE founder Yang Mingjie. Using design as a carrier, this paper presents the application of innovative materials and new technological means such as parameterized texture, AI generation, and intelligent manufacturing (3D printing, CNC machining, modular production). It explores important issues such as creative thinking and how designers can collaborate with AI with the booming development of content generation AI technology, and continues to broaden the boundaries of design dialogue.

"In an instant": created by internationally renowned British designer Michael Young, with his years of cross-border design experience and profound understanding of Eastern and Western cultures, it brings his insights into time, life, and beauty. Special exhibition explores the possibilities of smart living and recycled materials. Innovative technology experiments focused on materials lead to the future of "home" and achieve intelligent upgrading of life.

"Entering the Pit": Huang Xiaojing, the editor in chief of the "China Design Trend Report", uses insights into the consumption behavior trends of young people as a starting point to showcase various novel and lovely life pleasures. Green plant creations, hand printed fabrics, editable furniture... Contemporary young people take themselves as the starting point and invest in the hobby of "burning money" for their ideal persona, projecting their inner imaginations in their homes. What kind of life do you really want to live? The emergence of new lifestyles such as Buddhism, outdoor activities, and tropical plant hobbies has quietly leveraged the spatial pattern of home furnishings.

"Entering the Pit": Huang Xiaojing, the editor in chief of the "China Design Trend Report", uses insights into the consumption behavior trends of young people as a starting point to showcase various novel and lovely life pleasures. Green plant creations, hand printed fabrics, editable furniture... Contemporary young people take themselves as the starting point and invest in the hobby of "burning money" for their ideal persona, projecting their inner imaginations in their homes. What kind of life do you really want to live? The emergence of new lifestyles such as Buddhism, outdoor activities, and tropical plant hobbies has quietly leveraged the spatial pattern of home furnishings.

Design is not just a visual expression, but also born to create a kind of life. It needs to empathize with everyone's longing for beauty. In addition to looking forward, good design must also be meticulous, rooted in life, and awaken the sense of beauty from ordinary daily life. In March, Guangzhou was full of spring and made its debut at the meaning design exhibition of the Guangzhou Home Expo. With "lifestyle" as the narrative, it brought the region a prosperous appearance and spiritual energy of "purple air coming from the east" after the spring breeze blew.

Just like the pencil head image abstracted as a small triangle in the logo, the meaning of the design is to feel the pulse of life with care, capture those subtle emotions and needs, and constantly depict them in the design. Since its establishment in 2015, it has been held for 8 consecutive sessions. Although the themes are different each year, it still cannot be separated from "youth". Along the way, the Yi Design Exhibition has witnessed the transformation and growth of countless young Chinese designers.

Life cannot be separated from every concrete and vivid person. Every story at the meaning design exhibition showcases the infinite vitality behind designers and brands. As curator Xiao Jie once said, "Every year at the exhibition, we all want to do something different, and to become completely different, we must abandon all the old things and start over."

Compared to his full name, Zhu Xiaojie prefers to use the term "Xiaojie" as a friend to understand the relationship between curators, designers, and audiences. This is in line with the practicality and friendliness of the meaning design exhibition. In Xiao Jie's eyes, "good design is good business". Design is not just a castle in the air, but rather needs to enter the view of consumers in a language that can be understood by "life". He is willing to be a mediator between the dual context of the designer and the audience.

The "meaning" of this spring limited exhibition in Guangzhou will be based on home lifestyle, with a focus on conveying the empathy and care of design for the subtle aspects of daily life, making good designs recognized in the industry become well understood by the public, and ultimately transform into good business.Firstly, it is to make life inspiration "interesting". This exhibition is expected to showcase the works of over 20 brands and designers. 

In addition to home life in different cultural media such as stone, wood, paint, leather, and copper in China, home product designs from Denmark will also be introduced to achieve a diverse collision of Chinese and Western life interests.Secondly, make watching exhibitions interesting. In terms of travel experience, the special exhibition incorporates many interactive sections. 

In addition to the exhibition of traditional works, the central "Design Market" collects various small designs that can be easily taken away, making the atmosphere more relaxed and leisurely; Tired of strolling, I made plans to sit down with friends for a while at "Tea Talk" to chat and have a cup of tea. Unconsciously, a design spark collided.

Not only the Chinese style "good life", but also the more diverse overseas aesthetic factors in contemporary design exhibitions will add brightness and color to the inspiration of "home". In the "Beauty and Harmony" exhibition area, experience "When Eastern Aesthetics Meets French Elegance". The "Huacai and Fengzhan" directly opposite will showcase more than 10 Japanese lifestyle brands and invite well-known Japanese designers to participate, opening a dialogue and cultural exchange between China and Japan in design.In addition, the forum area will hold a Sino Dutch exchange salon with the theme of "Looking Through the Mirror - A New Pattern of Product Design". Marcel Wanders, a Dutch national treasure level designer and Moooi brand manager, will be invited to have a dialogue with Chinese original home brand managers Steven Yeung, Li Junpeng, and designer Mao Hua, providing a new perspective for the development of local young design brands.

Exhibition time: March 18-21, 2024. Contact anyone who needs to attend