Lisbon, Portugal

offf is off to a fine start… an impressive stage setup, thousands of excited attendees in queues… and an inspiring opening keynote by Neville Brody. Sweltering heat inside the massive hall (appropriate perhaps, as the venue was formerly a foundry)—though a sunny and pleasant 25 degrees outside, with Ev spending part of the day catching up on sleep on the beach in Oeiras. Should be a fun few days…. Neville’s closing thought (which is bound to set the tone for this event):

“For the first time in history we live in a place where the future looks worse than the past…,” ergo his admonition for designers to “move to an empowered place beyond both fear and hope.”

Images: the massive Hanger K which holds 4000; the hyper-energetic OFFF crew celebrating completion of the setup; queues on opening day; the convenient re-charge station; the inimitable Brody (photo found online).