Anne Zhang

MORE than 250 officials and design professionals from Shenzhen and Hong Kong celebrated the opening of the first Shenzhen-Hong Kong Design Biennale Saturday at Dalang Fashion Valley in Longhua New Area.

Saturday’s opening ceremony featured a visual communication design exhibition at Dalang Fashion Valley, an interactive fashion show at OCT Art and Design Gallery in Nanshan District, and a design-themed Pecha Kucha (a presentation format where presenters show 20 images for 20 seconds each) at OCT Bay.

“The biennale denotes a signature event for the design industry in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen,” said Jerry Liu Wing-leung, director of Create Hong Kong.

“It provides designers, design companies and academic institutions in Hong Kong and Shenzhen with a platform for liaisons and exchanges, so that designers of the two places can inspire one another and explore opportunities for cooperation in the future,” Liu said.

Shirley Feng, secretary general of the Shenzhen design association, said pairing enterprises with designers is one of the most important events at the biennale.

Ten designers or design companies are paired with 10 enterprises from both places. For example, Alan Yip, a Hong Kong-based, internationally known designer, will work with Shenzhen Hausgebrauch Lifestyle Co., while Shenzhen Rone Industrial Design Co. will cooperate with Artech Graphics, a Hong Kong packaging company.

Andrea Wang, a Shenzhen-based designer who won the 2012 Red Dot Design Award and founded Shenzhen Sununa Industrial Design Co., said his company will help Hong Kong-based Luk Ka Paper Industrial make innovations in the designs of its paper products.

Luk Ka Paper’s design director, Aping Hong, said his company will try to upgrade its technology to meet the requirements of its new designers.

“If Sununa’s design is good and has commercial value, we will consider long-term cooperation,” Hong said.

The biennale features eight exhibitions and eight public events, which will be held across the city, including at OCT Art and Design Gallery, OCT Bay and OCT Loft in Nanshan District and Dalang Fashion Valley in Longhua New Area.

The upcoming exhibitions include a space-themed installation, a new media and technology screening, a Shenzhen-Hong Kong crossover design exhibition and a showcase of creative products.

The biennale is co-organized by Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession Association and Hong Kong Federation of Design Associations and co-sponsored by Shenzhen Longhua New Area Government and Create Hong Kong. It will conclude November 1.