Submission: February 20, 2019
Registration: February 20, 2019
Language: English
Location: Concept
Prizes: Please see details below
Type: Open
Young Balkan Designers is a regional talent platform established in 2011 with the goal of identifying, promoting and developing the creative potential of the Balkans in the field of industrial design. The aim of the initiative is to unite the regional design scene, bring it closer the international market and strengthen its creative potential, while at the same time contributing to the restoration of multicultural cooperation in the Balkans.
The topic of the competition – “Circular Design” – aims to motivate young designers to become familiar with the basics of circular economy and explore the possibilities of innovative design approach that promotes the sustainability and circulation of products, materials and services. We invite young designers to think about the production and use of objects and services as a circular process and to apply their skills and locally available resources in solving problems of the local community,addressingat the same time the rising global issues.
The international jury of the competition consists of renown professionals in the field of design theory, circular economy, design and furniture production, education and communication in design, such as renowned design critic Jan Bolen, curator of this year’s Istanbul Design Biennia and Head of the Department of Social Design at Design Academy Eindhoven in Netherlands; LadejaGodinaKosir, recognized as theregional “engine of the circular economy”, the founder of the “Circular Change” platform, co-author of the Slovenian Circular Economy roadmap, and the finalist of the world’s prestigious Circular Leadership Award 2018; Orhan Niksic, co-owner of furniture company “Zanat” from Konjic, responsible for inscription of woodcarving craftsmanshiponto the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; designer tandem VassoAsfi and Loukas Angelou from StudioLav based in London and Athens, former laureates of the competition Young Balkan Designers, nowadays established product design studio; as well as the founders of the Young Balkan Designers Platform: industrial designer Nikola Radeljkovic from the Numen / ForUse collective, professor Jelena Matic from the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade, and architect Maja Lalic, president of MikserAssociation and co-founder of the Mikser Festival.
Awards of the first part of the competition include participation in the Talent Exhibition of the Mikser Festival 2019 (30-40 projects) and a Traveling Exhibition of the winning projects atdesign festivals in the region (10-15 projects), while the winners of the second part of the competition will have the opportunity to establish cooperation with the leading regional furniture manufacturers (3-5 designers), while the best among them will show the results of this cooperation at the Milan Furniture Fair in 2020, at the most famous global talent show “Salone Satellite” (3-5 projects).
The competition is open until 20 February 2019, for all persons born in 1985 * and younger, from the following countries: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia , Serbia and Turkey. Open Call applies to individuals and groups of authors. Each candidate can submit more than one project.
* The age limit is a condition by “Salone Satellite”, the talent zone of the Milan Furniture Fair dedicated to designers up to 35 years old. Authors who now apply for the YBD must be 35 or younger in 2020, when selected winners will exhibit at Salone Satellite.
