The International Design Congress (IDC) proposed the theme “Eeum: Design Connects, the 2015 event will showcase the cultural and economic values of Korean design and promote exchange among world class design professionals.” The Korean term Eeum literally translates to "joint", "connector" or "bridge." The concept is inspired by the traditional Korean quilt system "jogakbo" where design functions as a common thread. The conference lived up to it's theme, with speakers spanning Architecture, Industrial, Graphic, and Interactive Design disciplines. An academic program featured 24 universities from around the world, and yours truly was fortunate to have been invited to present new programming from Lesley Univerity.
A good design conference should always end with a big bang — and the IDC did not disappoint. Lead by the students of Ahn Sang-soo, founder of the Paju Typography Institute (PaTI), each conference attendee was silently lead by a queue of students costumed in black and white avant-garde attire. Upon entering the ballroom, each participant was presented with a black and white mask to wear, while VJs spun a range of (loud) music. Abstract sculptural installations around makeshift dance floor further set the tone for the event.
Here's an interview with Ahn Sang-soo (PaTI) and Torsten Blume: http://www.ico-d.org/connect/features/post/2016.php