The Design Biennial Boston was initiated in 2008 as part of pinkcomma gallery’s efforts to initiate discourse among emerging designers and the public in Boston. The third installment appeared in 2012–13 at BSA Space, a gallery where the Biennial could reach a broader audience and benefit from institutional support. This event included an exhibition and archival book focused on the nineteen winners of all three Biennials. The exhibition housed site-specific installations by the four winners of the 2012 Biennial as well as an archival component of the show that mapped the overlapping interests of the larger grouping of practices over the past decade.

The team conducted a survey of all winners, exploring the changing nature of designers who live and work in Boston. Activist in nature, the exhibition combined archival methods of display with techniques to encourage audience engagement. The book and exhibition attest to the potential for homegrown critical and experimental design in a city where such activities have often been limited to academic institutions.

Read the full case study with juror comments here: [http://www.aiga.org/case-study-design-beinnial-boston/]

“The installation is a creative use of space that showcases the work in a way that’s interesting to both designers and non-industry attendees. I love the way they packed a ton of information into a space that appears clean. The attendees have the choice to browse the inventive archival cards or go deeper for a more in-depth look at the work.” —Kate Aronowitz