BRUSSELS.- Launched in 2006 within the framework of the Fashion and Design year, the Design September festival brings together more than 80 events concerned with design. Furniture, objects, industrial products, graphic design, architecture: the spectrum of applications of this industrial discipline is enormous. And affects a broad public. For the fourth consecutive year, a crowd of associations, institutions and other independent organisations have tuned up their violins to offer, between the 9th of September and 1st of October 2010, a rich and diversified programme: exhibitions, conferences, private showings, film screenings, debates, visits to designers’ studios, flea market, city tours, pecha kucha, and so on.

While championing its special features and giving preference to Belgian players, Design September is wide open to the international dimension. This year the festival once again prides itself on welcoming a broad panel of internationally recognised designers: Michele de Lucchi, Harri Koskinen and two oh the Dutch Design avant-garde (Ineke Hans and Kiki Van Eijk) will thus take over from Tom Dixon, Front Design, Mathieu Lehanneur, BarberOsgerby, Ron Arad, Patrick Jouin, David Trubridge, the Bouroullec brothers, Alberto Meda, the 5.5 Designers, Brendan McFarlane, Maarten Baas, Jurgen Bey, Ora Ito or Karim Rashid.

This diversity of events provides evidence of the creative dynamism of a city that is unfortunately lacking a museum entirely devoted to design. However, following the example of the majority of metropolises (Paris, London, Milan, Amsterdam, Berlin, Tokyo, Singapore), Brussels as well will thrill for a month to the rhythm of design. A unifying force, this annual event offers a resonance chamber for creativity and for initiatives launched by the design sector in Brussels. In this way the capital of Europe is developing a tradition of avant-garde research and development that it has carried within it since the industrial age, while depending upon its friendly and human image and identity.