Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/313770
26 THIS WEEK CULTURE | TV | FILM CINEMA LISTINGS FOOD | WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK HAVING kicked off on Saturday, this year's edition of Malta Design Week (MDW) will be taking over Fort St Elmo in Valletta until May 24 with a varied programme of events. MDW is biennial event present- ed by 808 – an NGO also respon- sible for a year-round programme of design-related initiatives. 808 is a voluntary group of profession- als, hailing from diverse design, marketing and arts backgrounds, with a shared commitment to es- tablish MDW at the forefront of Maltese creativity and innovation. Its mission is to facilitate, promote and celebrate the development of Malta's design industry on both a cultural and commercial platform, by connecting designers and mak- ers with industry and creating a culture of sharing expertise. The resounding success of the inaugural MDW 2011 – attended by some 30,000 visitors – signal- ed Malta's readiness for a regular design event; to shine a spotlight on the region and establish ongo- ing dialogue and participation in a broader international context. The long-term goal for MDW is to affirm Malta's reputation as a hub for Mediterranean creativity, and to sustain itself as a biennial design festival of international repute. This year's theme: Micronation Micronations are born through declaration: an expression and desire to separate and exist inde- pendently; to auto-annex oneself from a precedent in the pursuit of functioning autonomously through a set of standards inher- ent to the very space itself. These principles are also intrin- sic to good design. Outstanding design abandons the conventions of its predecessors and establishes a new set of rules, existing in its own scale of measure. Housed within fort St Elmo, at the tip of Valletta – a space designed to be able to function independ- ently in case of siege – MDW2014 will be creating a space where de- sign can survive and thrive. Visi- tors will be stepping into a self- governing space where innovation and creation are the constitutional basis upon which the country functions. Our micronation will be a place to experiment and innovate, incu- bate and produce. For more information and a full programme, log on to maltadesignweek.com/ Malta Design Week creates a 'micro -nation' 'Malta Tube Map' by Jonn Galea (also bottom) Alice Rawsthorn Vitra Miniatures Tailor Made/Flow John Tarry