One of the largest design events in Central Europe, the 25th Designblok festival, was held in Prague from 4-8 October 2023. This year, Hungary was represented for the first time by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (MDDÜ) and the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME), organised by the Liszt Institute Prague, which is 70 years old.
The event was attended by companies, designer brands, manufacturers, art universities, individual designers, institutions, shops, small studios and showrooms from many European countries. The fair was hosted in Prague's premier cultural venues - the impressive National Gallery, the Museum of Applied Arts, the Castle - as well as a number of smaller galleries. The theme of the jubilee season was the travel.
Hungarian designers presented themselves under the brand Budapest Select, created by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency. The aim of the selection is to increase the international recognition of the brands through unified communication, while preserving their individuality. Hungarian ceramists, glass designers and sculptors, well-known both nationally and internationally, have created installations in line with the festival's motto. The silicate works were displayed in individually designed wooden chest. Fifteen artists selected by a jury of experts - Tünde Ruzicska, Debóra Horák, Petra Szondi, Balázs Veres, Lilla Cséfalvay, Csaba Szabó Ádám, Hajnal Gyeviki, Zsuzsanna Deák, Sára Kele, Zsuzsanna Formanek, Bori Segesdi, Kyra László, Anita Monori, Ágnes Smetana, Attila Kertész - were presented to the Prague audience. The exhibition was curated by Gáspár Bonta.
The MOME Design Institut also appeared at the festival. The nine Gerbeaud-inspired serving utensils of the MOME Department of Object Design and the outstanding diploma projects of the Design Department 2023 were on display at the university's stand. The creative process of the students of the Department of Object Design was accompanied by Angéla Góg DLA, artistic director of the ONYX Workshop and Edit Kondor DLA, glass artist and MOME lecturer. The presence of the young Hungarian designers has promoted cooperation between Czech and Hungarian design universities and has helped to raise interest from manufacturers and to develop international internships.
The event was supported by the Aero Vodochody aircraft factory.
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