Celebrate Suzhou Design Week, explore a globe-trotting exhibition of Melbourne inventions, and tune into a virtual forum about urban placemaking and parks as 2022 unfolds.
Despite the current travel challenges, we are working hard to nurture global collaboration and showcase the best of Melbourne on the world stage.
Late last year, we presented a dynamic Melbourne Guest City Program at Suzhou International Design Week to illuminate ‘the Melbourne experience’ and foster engagement with China’s design and creative sectors.
The program featured the BlackBOX exhibition of iconic Melbourne inventions like the black box flight recorder and bionic ear, a digital fashion runway, an ‘Experience Melbourne’ pop-up showcase, youth mural displays, and a Victoria-Suzhou liveability forum streamed by more than 16,000 people.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said Suzhou Design Week was a tremendous platform for collaborations between Suzhou and international creative cities.
‘We are so proud to call Suzhou our partner city – with many areas of shared interest that leverage the 42-year Victoria and Jiangsu sister-state relationship,’ the Lord Mayor said.
‘Suzhou is the economic powerhouse of China, leading the transformation in creative and design industries. This is a passion we share.
‘We look forward to leveraging our cities’ collective creative energy to expedite a prosperous post-pandemic world.’
Looking to the future, we will continue to facilitate exchange between businesses and artists in Melbourne and Suzhou, and hopefully bring an exhibition of intricate Su embroidery to Australia, when restrictions allow.
In March, we will deliver a follow-up virtual forum about placemaking and parks management in the COVID context, and BlackBOX will exhibit in Chengdu, before heading home for Melbourne Knowledge Week in May.
Stay tuned to Melbourne magazine or follow us on WeChat for updates on these events and opportunities.
To read more about international engagement amid the pandemic, visit Eleven ways to start local and go global.
We delivered the Melbourne Guest City program at Suzhou Design Week in partnership with the Victorian Government including Creative Victoria, Global Victoria, Visit Victoria, the Melbourne Convention Bureau and Monash University.
