Venice Biennale has long been a floating platform for ephemeral dreams sprung to life. It has been one of the world’s foremost cultural institutions for well over a century, with almost 400,000 visitors expected during its five month run in 2016 from May 28 – 27 November.

This year at the Biennale, renowned New York industrial designer Karim Rashid has brought his inimitable eye to an extraordinary collaboration with Abet Laminati, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of decorative laminate. The installation ‘Digital Nature’ is designed to be a fantastic visual space that ‘captures the essence of multisensorial living in our digital age’.

Karim Rashid is a global powerhouse of design. His output is phenomenal – with over 3000 designs in production, over 300 awards under his belt and working in over 40 countries, he is a legend in the design world. A key part of his aesthetic is the democratic and fundamental nature of design, with one of his most famous early pieces being the Garbo trash can for Umbra (which sold seven million units). He has since moved into restaurants and public places and has completed over 50 interior projects.

He is also a fierce proponent of facing the future without fear, and leaving the traditional analogue world of design behind and embracing the digital age.

Karim says of Digital Nature: ‘I want the space to have a pulse, to sing and come alive around you, so that visitors feel inspired and revitalised. People – they aren’t just looking at the space. They are physically immersing themselves inside one of my concepts. Hopefully I am transcending Time, Space, and Existence, bringing people into another experience and inspiring them to live more progressively. It is exhibitions such as this that keep humanity positive and allow us to envision the future’.

Karim Rashid is making a long-anticipated return to Australia in 2016 and will be the keynote at the International Seminar Series at Australia’s No.1 Interiors Event, Decor + Design, 21 – 24 July in Melbourne. This year’s Seminar Series will examine ‘Global-Local’ inspiration and how Australia’s unique voice penetrates into the international world of design.

Tickets are selling out fast to Karim’s keynote on ‘The Future of Design’ at 1.30pm on Friday 22 July. Don’t miss out on seeing one of the design world’s enduring superstars – register now.