Industry exhibition designEX will host The Other Hemisphere 2014 exhibition in May in Sydney, seeking to raise the profile of Australian and New Zealand design talent.

The event organisers say the growing number of local Australian designers makes it more crucial to showcase their ability on an international stage.  They cite figures from the Australia Design Institute showing the number of Australian designers in comparison to the growth rate of the Australian population is rapidly increasing.

At present, the institute says there are approximately 160,000 potential designers in Australia, of which only half have an Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) listed design occupation. 

For The Other Hemisphere, designers were to push the boundaries and respond to the theme ‘simplified’ with a clever and sustainable concept.

Designers from a wide range of backgrounds have been encouraged to contribute, from product and furniture designers, architects, interior designers, fashion designers, ceramicists, jewellers, engineers, food designers, landscapers and others.

Curator of the exhibition, Sarah K, says: “There is a great curiosity internationally about Australian design…There are opportunities for those interested in finding a market for their product internationally, for those interested in pitching their products to international manufacturers, and of course the online and print media attention.”

As principal partner, designEX will host The Other Hemisphere 2014 exhibition in May in Sydney, presenting a collection of contemporary Australian and New Zealand designers that will also exhibit at Ventura Lambrate in Milan in April 2014.

In addition, designEX will also present a snapshot exhibition of works brought directly from Ventura Lambrate, aiming to enable the exchange of bright ideas and creativity.

“Putting the Other Hemisphere on in Sydney at designEX is a very important part of this project. Not everyone in Australia has the opportunity to make the trip to Milan, so to be able to see the exhibition in person at home, staged in a similar way, and at our own peak design event is a privilege,” says Sarah K, “however, “it is the designer’s participation, and the ensuing recognition of their work, that builds a confidence that I think has its greatest impact at home. 

"The design industry is a very exciting one in both Australia and New Zealand right now and in the end if we are strengthening our industry at home through these adventures abroad then I see that as a good result.”

Exhibition Manager, Kobe Johns, said there is great potential for local talent abroad and exhibitions such as designEX provide the right platform for this talent to foster. 

“The world looks towards the Australian design community for opportunities, influence and inspiration and designEX provides the platform to witness first-hand the latest innovations and meet the people behind them,” said Johns.

designEX announced last year that internationally renowned trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort will be keynote speaker and present her 2016 trend forecast on the first day of the exhibition. 

Margriet Vollenberg and Margo Konings of Dutch practice Organisation In Design have joined Sarah K in curating The Other Hemisphere 2014 exhibition in Milan and will also join the speaker series to discuss their Australian and New Zealand design exhibition being presenting at Ventura Lambrate.