Hasta La Ideas

‘Same, Same but Different’ DMY design Awards, 2009, © Rosa Merk, courtesy DMY Berlin

The delusion of an unsustainable economic system, along with the time required to forge a new one – based on innovation – and the scarcity of resources, have changed the leading trends in design: public space, recycling, re-use and open source technologies dominated the creative sphere of design at the international DMY Design Festival in Berlin.

DMY started out in 2003 when 20 friends got together to show each other their works and exchange ideas; 7 years down the line, it has grown into an international design festival, contemporary design platform and representative of Berlin as the city of design (UNESCO), connected to an international network of creative cities.

Renowned as a ‘trend barometer’ in the design industry, the DMY design festival has succeeded in maintaining the creative flair and informal atmosphere of its original format while becoming a multifaceted event with global appeal.

Berlin provides an ideal setting for a design festival, and, by capitalizing on empty spaces and underused urban areas, it has succeeded in giving creativity an active role within the city in terms of culture and economy, as well as attributing special importance to the existing characteristics of urban spaces. 20% of Berlin’s population is under the age of 25 and one tenth of the working population is involved in the creative economy, which accounts for over 21% of its GDP, making the German capital one of Europe’s most creative hubs. Described by foreign residents as an ‘open city’ Berlin’s creative scene has been attracting designers and artists for years. The festival jury of the DMY Awards was in fact composed of foreign designers and curators who have chosen to live and work in Berlin (Jurgen Bey, Hurgen Meyer H., Ines Kaag).

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