The first edition of Rabat Design Week 2023 is scheduled to be held between May 10 and 20 with prominent international guests to celebrate African design and culture.
Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohamed VI, and as part of the ongoing celebrations of the “Rabat, Capital of African Culture 2022-2023,” the event is organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication in collaboration with the Commissioner of the first edition of Rabat Design Week (RDW) and Special Envoy for the Mena and Africa Region of the President of the World Design Organization (WDO), Moroccan international designer Hicham Lahlou.
Rabat Design Week 2023 will feature two major events that will bring together international actors in design and culture.
The first event is the new “World Design Organization, 65 years of history…” exhibition at the “Espace Expressions” gallery of the CDG Foundation between May 11 and 20, noting that the opening will take place on May 10 at 7 pm. (on invitation), in the presence of the President of the World Design Organization (WDO), David Kusuma (US), WDO’s first African president (2015-2017), Prof. Mugendi M’Rithaa (Kenya), and several prominent personalities in world design, such as Anne Asencio (France), Pier Paolo Perrucio (Italy) and Bertrand Derôme (Canada).
The exhibition follows the history of the WDO since its inception between 1950 and 1957, highlighting the nine editions of “World Design Capital” (2008-2024), the next edition of which will be held in Tijuana-San Diego (US-Mexico).
The second event, scheduled for May 11, is an international conference entitled “World Design Talks,” which will be held in partnership with the World Design Organization (WDO), bringing together international design experts and professionals.
A “Morocco Design Awards” and “Africa Design Award” ceremony is also planned for May 11, rewarding the best achievements in the design field at both the national and continental levels.
The event will bring together several members of the Moroccan and international design community, including the Zurich-based Nigerian designer Charles Job and other design enthusiasts. These meetings will provide an opportunity to connect the design and culture communities and showcase African creativity and know-how.
This historic event positions Morocco at the center of world design and highlights the richness of African culture, subsequently strengthening Rabat’s cultural and artistic identity as the Capital of African Culture.
Rabat Design Week (RDW) 2023 is a unique opportunity for professionals, design enthusiasts, and the general public to exchange expertise and celebrate African culture’s richness and diversity. This major event will strengthen the international influence of Rabat as the African Capital of Culture and promote creativity and innovation in the field of design at a global level.