Sydney Design 09

Australia's longest-running design festival demonstrates how easy it is to live sustainably, without pulling wool over your eyes.

Editorial Review

When: 1 - 16 August, 2009
Where: Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

If you chance upon a giant knitted spectacle in Taylor Square in August, fear not. It's just the latest feat by self-proclaimed 'guerrilla knitter' Denise Litchfield, doing her part for Sydney Design 09. The local artist is part of a global movement of knitters taking their work to the streets, adorning trees, vehicles and streetlights with their woollen wonders.

Litchfield's work is but a stitch in the rich tapestry that is Sydney Design, Australia's longest-running design festival, which lures artists and designers from around the world to add creative colour to Sydney's scene, promoting innovative thinking and sustainable living. The festival boasts a rich program of markets, exhibitions, workshops and talks, taking place in more than 35 locations around Sydney.

The festival's premier venue is the Powerhouse Museum, where visitors can check out work by the Australian International Design Awards finalists. Products this year include a transportable sink, a foldable bike, a gas cylinder made from all-recyclable materials and a power-heated wetsuit. It is also home to Eat Green Design, a purpose-built restaurant featuring a host of speakers and a range of meals centred on sustainable living.

Sustainability really is the key for Sydney Design 09. Even Litchfield's knitted installations have a nobler agenda than prettying up Paddington: after the festival, they will be turned into blankets for local charities.

Kilian David