The theme of Fremantle Design Week 2024 is ‘transition,’ inviting audiences to rethink the world and design for a positive, healthy future. A wide range of activities including conversations, workshops, tours and exhibitions will showcase local and global talent – all with the “aim to inspire curiosity, open up new perspectives and spark imagination among guests and design peers.”

A key feature of this year’s program is the Planetary Transition exhibition by Los Angeles-based filmmaker and speculative architect Liam Young, marking the first time such an event has been held in Western Australia. Young, known for his visionary work, will present films that blur the lines between design and fiction. His live storytelling performance, Planetary Imaginaries, will take audiences on an immersive journey through speculative future worlds, aiming to inspire reflection on climate action and humanity’s role in shaping the future.

Pippa Hurst, Creative Director of Fremantle Design Week and DesignFreo, emphasises the importance of the festival’s blend of local and international design: “Our program is thoughtfully curated to engage, provoke and captivate,” she says. “It features things that people will find useful and relevant in their own lives. We hope visitors will fall in love with the work of local designers and makers, and some international names they haven’t heard of before – that they’ll learn something new and leave feeling energised.”

The festival’s central hub will be PS Art Space, hosting both the Planetary Transition exhibition and a series of conversations with architects, designers and industry leaders. These sessions aim to ignite curiosity and expand perspectives, encouraging new ways of thinking about design and its role in everyday life.

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Another highlight of the event is the group exhibition The Nature of Transition at the Naval Store, curated by Lightly. This exhibition will feature work by designers such as Cindy-Lee Davies, Remington Matters and Georgia Bisley, as well as emerging Noongar artist Daryl Dempster. In collaboration with Lightly, Dempster will present a collection of large canvases symbolising his growth as an artist, and will also host a children’s workshop focused on creativity and the use of found objects.

The festival’s Conversation Series will include a discussion by architect Austin Nichols and occupational therapist Isabelle Nash on designing homes for people with ADHD, drawing on both personal experience and professional expertise. Michael Patroni and Dimmity Walker, principals of spaceagency, will reflect on 40 years of transformative design and architecture in WA, showcasing their work in adaptive reuse and the evolution of spaces beyond their original designs.

Eslewhere, Gradient is an exhibition at Shacks Gallery that will showcase commissioned furniture by innovative WA designers. The pieces will explore the theme of change, blending utility with artistic expression and reflecting the festival’s broader theme of transition.

“Fremantle Design Week is driven by a strong belief that good design is for everyone. The festival has something for all – we’ve got a fashion catwalk show, a PechaKutcha night, an incredibly good design film festival and a hands-on kids’ workshop. It’s a celebration where anyone can find their spark of inspiration,” adds Hurst.

Fremantle Design Week is presented by DesignFreo, a group founded in 2020 with a mission to strengthen Fremantle’s local design community and promote the region’s creativity across all disciplines. The 2024 editions runs from October 18th to 25^th.

Fremantle Design Week
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