Budapest Design Week is held every fall citywide and is open to both the public and the design industry, attracting over 60,000 people annually. This year’s event, the eighth in succession, will take place between September 28th and October 7th.
Design Week 2012
The slogan of the 2012 program is 'Slow Design'. The 2012 program is coming soon.
Design Week 2011
The slogan of the 2011 program is 'Couleur Locale', meaning local colors and shades, focusing on the unique features of the visual culture of Hungary. Design Terminal's newly opened building on Erzsébet Square hosts the festival-opening exhibition.
As part of the program each year the Design Week showcases the works of designers participating in the Hungarian Design Awards. It also welcomes a star designer to present at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest. Several exhibitions, conferences and fashion shows are on the schedule by a wide range of Hungarian and international designers. The Open Studios initiative, one of last year’s most successful programs, is also on the schedule again, with new participants and featured programs for 2011.
Open Studios, a successful initiative by Design Terminal, opens the doors of 14 Hungarian design workshops to the general public. The aim is to introduce the work of featured Hungarian designers through real world examples. While design is no longer in its infancy in Hungary, the organizers find it important to bring awareness to the work processes, the technical background and the tricks of the trade. The Open Studios initiative is also an opportunity for designers to interact with visitors, answer questions, and provide an insight into their daily activities.
This year's guest country is Poland. To present the many shades of contemporary Polish design the Museum of Applied Arts hosts a special design fair, called 'UnPolished - young design from Poland'.
Design Week Gastro brings unique food design projects into the series of events with special Design Week delicacies that are available only during the ten days of the event.
This year also sees the revival of the Design Tour program, which focuses on historical and contemporary glass wonders of downtown Budapest, as well as the retro secrets of social-realist architecture. Tours are led by art historians, taking visitors to venues that are closed to the general public.
In 2011, as part of the tradition, 72 shops, showrooms and designer workshops will offer their products at a 20% discount during the 10-day event.
For full details and event schedule visit Budapest Design Week's official website.
Photos courtesy of Budapest Design Week.
