design /delight: A PLATFORM FOR CONTEMPORARY DESIGN
PARTNER CONTENT
During Shanghai Art Week, the city’s cultural landscape was shaped by the second edition of design /delight, an emerging platform dedicated to contemporary collectible design and functional art. This year’s event brought together nearly 40 design galleries, creative studios, brands and independent designers – many of whom were showing in China for the first time.
Launched in 2024 as part of West Bund Art & Design, one of China’s leading art fairs, design /delight has quickly carved out its own identity. Positioned at the intersection of design, art and craftsmanship, the platform presents itself as an intimate, research-oriented space that favours curated narratives and dialogue. Against the backdrop of the ever-evolving West Bund cultural district, this edition transformed the post-industrial spaces of the West Bund Art Center into an immersive landscape of limited-edition works, bespoke collections and site-specific installations. The scenography set the tone for days of exchange and discovery.
“Collecting design is ultimately about curating life — not simply filling a room, but lighting it up, shaping how we inhabit space, find rhythm, and define who we are,” says Lune Lu, the founder of design /delight.
The program unfolded across three sections. The Main section – which included Ark Journal’s gallery, Ark Kollekt, alongside a selection of international exhibitors – served as the platform’s creative core, spotlighting forward-thinking voices from around the world. The curated initiative form:a (form: Asia) placed Asian designers in dialogue with global practices. Its inaugural exhibition, Tactile Futures, gathered 14 designers and studios from China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea to explore contemporary craftsmanship and material innovation.
A third section, debut, introduced young practices established within the last five years, offering them a platform to present new collections and chart potential future directions for contemporary design.
The event reaffirmed Shanghai’s expanding role as a hub for international design exchange, grounding its presence in material curiosity, cross-disciplinarity and open dialogue.
(1) Installation view of design /delight 2025
(2) Ark Kollekt, Installation view of design /delight 2025 © BIJISPACE
(3) C2 Gallery, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(4) Zhongyu Zhang, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(5) random clichés, Installation view of design /delight 2025 © Riven Zhang
(6) Swirl Up, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(7) Verre d’Onge, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(8) Installation view of design /delight 20205
SPATIAL GESTURES
The wearable objects Yuta Ishihara makes under the moniker Shihara play tricks on us. “The hardware is in focus, incorporated into the design itself,” says Ishihara.
LAKE COME DESIGN FESTIVAL 2025
The city of Como once again hosted the seventh edition of the Lake Como Design Festival, under the theme Fragments. The festival invited visitors to reflect on fragmentation not as a sign of rupture, but as a catalyst for creative rebirth, for the preservation of memory, and for a regenerative approach to design.
HOME TBILISI – NATA JANBERIDZE
In her Tbilisi home and studio, the co-founder of Rooms Studio Nata Janberidze shapes Georgian architecture and design.
design /delight: A PLATFORM FOR CONTEMPORARY DESIGN
PARTNER CONTENT
During Shanghai Art Week, the city’s cultural landscape was shaped by the second edition of design /delight, an emerging platform dedicated to contemporary collectible design and functional art. This year’s event brought together nearly 40 design galleries, creative studios, brands and independent designers – many of whom were showing in China for the first time.
Launched in 2024 as part of West Bund Art & Design, one of China’s leading art fairs, design /delight has quickly carved out its own identity. Positioned at the intersection of design, art and craftsmanship, the platform presents itself as an intimate, research-oriented space that favours curated narratives and dialogue. Against the backdrop of the ever-evolving West Bund cultural district, this edition transformed the post-industrial spaces of the West Bund Art Center into an immersive landscape of limited-edition works, bespoke collections and site-specific installations. The scenography set the tone for days of exchange and discovery.
“Collecting design is ultimately about curating life — not simply filling a room, but lighting it up, shaping how we inhabit space, find rhythm, and define who we are,” says Lune Lu, the founder of design /delight.
The program unfolded across three sections. The Main section – which included Ark Journal’s gallery, Ark Kollekt, alongside a selection of international exhibitors – served as the platform’s creative core, spotlighting forward-thinking voices from around the world. The curated initiative form:a (form: Asia) placed Asian designers in dialogue with global practices. Its inaugural exhibition, Tactile Futures, gathered 14 designers and studios from China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea to explore contemporary craftsmanship and material innovation.
A third section, debut, introduced young practices established within the last five years, offering them a platform to present new collections and chart potential future directions for contemporary design.
The event reaffirmed Shanghai’s expanding role as a hub for international design exchange, grounding its presence in material curiosity, cross-disciplinarity and open dialogue.
(1) Installation view of design /delight 2025
(2) Ark Kollekt, Installation view of design /delight 2025 © BIJISPACE
(3) C2 Gallery, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(4) Zhongyu Zhang, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(5) random clichés, Installation view of design /delight 2025 © Riven Zhang
(6) Swirl Up, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(7) Verre d’Onge, Installation view of design /delight 2025
(8) Installation view of design /delight 20205