Festival Highlights in Aberdeen

During the main Festival period, 17 May - 3 June, Aberdeen was brimming with design-minded walks, talks, tours, exhibitions and happenings.

Aberdeen Art Gallery is host to a gorgeous headliner of the Six Cities Design Festival, Extreme North – Twelve Scenes From the Outer Edge of Europe, on view until 12 August. This exhibition, by Norsk Form and the Norwegian Design Council, features innovative products and architecture designed for optimum functionality in the harsh climates of the far north. Combined with a series of exhibition-themed workshops, Extreme North gracefully conveys how much more there is to good design than strong visual appeal.

The Shop in Aberdeen was an interesting experiment in selling the idea of retail experience without actually selling any retail. In a shop on Upperkirkgate, top designers Steff Norwood and George Gray brought their examination of window dressing, display, lighting and graphics to this Festival exhibition. Adaptation at Peacock Visual Arts examined the impact that alterations on and interventions with everyday designs can have. A group of international contemporary artists had work on display both in and out of the gallery in this exhibition.

Other Aberdeen highlights included The Monkey Puzzle Pavilion, a temporary structure at Castlegate designed by architect and professor Jonathan Woolf. The Pavilion acted as the Festival Information point, housing a steady stream of activity. School groups filled the Pavilion to remodel their city with plasticine at Claystation, passers-by popped in to catch screenings and design-enthusiasts filled the house for talks.

The Six Cities Design Festival in Aberdeen also delivered two particularly amazing evening talks. Our Designer Double Bill talk featuring Charles Holland from the London-based design firm, FAT, and Alan Pert, director of the Scottish design firm, NORD, brought together the best of design talent. Josephine Green, Director of Trends and Strategy at Phillips Design, gave a fascinating talk about the future of design at Kings College Centre.

While the main Festival period has drawn to a close, the fun is not over yet. Stay tuned for upcoming Design into Business and Learning events happening throughout the year in Aberdeen. Click here to register for updates.

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Photography by Mike Davindson

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Designer Double Bills:
In May of 2007, The Six Cities Design Festival hosted a series of talks entitled Designer Double Bills that combined the best of Scottish and International design talent...watch online.