Jerusalem Design Week 2018: Radical Conservation as a Design Ethos

The Jerusalem Design Week's third international edition, overseen by Tal Erez and Anat Safran, wrapped up with an emphasis on conservation as a transformative approach to change. Funded entirely by public means, aside from technical sponsors, the event showcased commissioned pieces instead of industrial or niche designs. Notable exhibitions included 'Pro Jerusalem 100 years of preservation,' curated by Alexandra Topaz, Hadar Porat, and Keren Kinberg, which analyzed the British protectorate's influence on Jerusalem's visual identity through works by Oded Ben Yehuda, Grotesca Design, Rami Tareef, and others. The primary exhibition, 'The Human Conservation Project,' delved into speculative futures influenced by virtual reality, featuring pieces like Lucy McRae's 'Future Day Spa' and Noga Shimshon's 'Breaded Escalope.' The event highlighted Israel's commitment to innovative preservation strategies.