This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Design Festa – Volume 29, a bi-annual art exhibition featuring artists from all over the world. The event was huge, with over 2600 booths and over 8,500 artists from 70 countries. Design Festa, which has been running since 1994, is a two-day chaotic event housing every kind of art imaginable. Painters, illustrators, sculptors, photographers, jewelry, fashion, accessories, dolls, live music and theatre performances – you name it, it’s there.
I arrived around noon at Tokyo Big Sight for my first experience with Design Festa and I wish I had gone earlier. The space was massive and with thousands of exhibits and performances to experience, you really need the whole day – possibly two. The exhibits ranged from totally kawaii (cute), to dark and gothic, to jaw-dropping beautiful, to just plain weird.
After around 2 pm, the event was packed and it became difficult to move with any speed through the aisles. Overall, it was a really interesting and cool experience with some phenomenal artists. I plan to return and participate in the October vol. 30. event. For more information, visit Design Festa online.
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