2024 Kinmen Target Design Award Gathers Design Leaders Worldwide in Its Grand Exhibition

The event was officially launched by Lu Kun-Ho, Director General of the Bureau, who personally attended the opening ceremony. This year, the exhibition brought together 12 renowned design associations from around the world, jury panelists from all stages of the selection process, and participating teams of students and educators. This vibrant exchange of culture and creativity marked a significant milestone in Kinmen's efforts to promote the internationalization of its creative industry.

The Kinmen Target Design Award is honored to welcome representatives from prestigious design associations worldwide, showcasing the depth and diversity of global design excellence. Among them are The One Club for Creativity (ADC), with an illustrious history of 104 years, and the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA), representing 26 EU countries. Other participants include Thailand's Creative Economy Agency (CEA), India's Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) with 125 years of design development, and the Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition (CIIPE), recognized as one of the world's five major poster exhibitions. Joining them are Good Design Australia (GDA), which has celebrated design innovation for 60 years; Indonesia's Indonesia Design Development Center (IDDC), focused on fostering innovative organizations; and the International Poster Biennial in Mexico (IPBM), one of the top three biennials globally. Also participating are the Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP), known for organizing the globally renowned Good Design Award for six decades; the Macau Designers Association (MDA), committed to promoting the design industry in Macau; and the Pan-Afrikan Design Institute (PADI), uniting 24 African nations in design collaboration. Further enriching the lineup are The Design Alliance Asia (tDA Asia), connecting 13 Asian countries and regions, and the World Design Organization (WDO), representing over 160 member organizations across 50 countries and emphasizing design's transformative impact on the global economy and society. This extraordinary assembly underscores Kinmen's commitment to fostering international collaboration and its ambition to establish itself as a global hub for creative excellence.

At the opening ceremony, Director General Lu Kun-Ho remarked, "It is a great honor to invite esteemed international design masters, whose invaluable insights help broaden designers' horizons and enrich the diversity of their creations. Design is not merely an aesthetic expression but also a powerful catalyst for cultural transmission and innovation. Through the Kinmen Target Design Award, which serves as a vital platform for showcasing Kinmen's cultural vitality, designers have the opportunity to engage with global design leaders. This exchange fosters creativity and opens doors to more international collaborations, further enhancing Kinmen's presence on the world stage."

The Kinmen Target Design Award encourages students to draw inspiration from the unique people, culture, history, geography, and industries of the Kinmen islands. By integrating these elements with design thinking and strategic planning, participants reinterpret the essence of Kinmen's cultural heritage through hands-on design practice. This year, the competition attracted enthusiastic participation from 28 universities across Taiwan, receiving a record-breaking 208 submissions during the proposal stage. After rigorous evaluation by the jury, 32 outstanding proposals were selected in the first stage, the "Planning Proposal." In the second stage, the "Design Competition," 16 exceptional works were chosen to represent the Cultural Affairs Bureau. These designs will compete in 85 design contests both domestically and internationally, striving for the highest honors in the global design arena.

The success of the opening ceremony not only highlights the creative potential of the new generation of designers but also underscores the profound cultural heritage of Kinmen. Looking ahead, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Kinmen County is committed to deepening the development of the cultural and creative industries while fostering international connections for local design talents. Through continued global exchanges and collaborations, Kinmen is poised to become a vibrant creative hub that garners attention from the international design community, pushing its cultural and design industries to new heights.

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