Since Young Creative Poland's debut exhibition in 2009, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute has promoted Polish design globally at leading design festivals including Salone del Mobile in Milan, Paris’ Maison&Objet, International Furniture Fair Singapore and ICFF in New York City.
Four years on, following two successful Young Creative Poland exhibitions in Milan, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute together with Creative Project Foundation is bringing the spirit and energy of contemporary Polish design back to the Brompton Design District for the London Design Festival, from the16th to the 22nd of September.
Curated by Miśka Miller-Lovegrove, Anna Pietrzyk-Simone, and Kasia Jeżowska, Young Creative Poland 2013 will feature state-of-the-art Polish design including furniture, architectural textiles, home accessories and lighting pieces along with graphic design. For the duration of the festival, Ognisko Polskie (or the Polish Hearth Club) will provide a lively networking platform for visitors to meet Polish designers, learn about the creative landscape in Poland and explore future partnerships.
Highlights of Young Creative Poland: 4 Years On
Aleksandra Gaca employs 3D weaving techniques in her innovative textile work for furniture and interior design. Her Slumber pouffes for Casalis will be on show along with her Architextile panels. The ribbed 3D structure of the panels absorbs sound waves more efficiently than flat textiles, combining the aesthetics of art with the science of noise-reduction.
Zieta Prozessdesign, an interdisciplinary team of architects, designers, engineers and sociologists established by architect Oskar Zięta, will present their pioneering work transforming the use of sheet metal. Their trademarked FiDU technology (Free Inner Pressure Forming) creates remarkable objects from welded metal sheets inflated with air. The latest concept from the studio, 3+ collection, will demonstrate how sheet metal can be used to make furniture that offers users stability and flexibility using a simple system of connectors and structural elements.
Visitors to Young Creative Poland will also get a chance to see Vzór’s faithful production of the iconic RM58 armchair that was designed by Roman Modzelewski in 1958. A prototype of the celebrated armchair is in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum of art and design in London. For the first time in over 50 years, the armchair is being commercially produced, linking visionary design from the 20th-century with the 21st-century consumer.
Maria Jeglińska's works will include Goodie footstool for Ligne Roset and her boldly graphic Natalie & George tea set designed for the Polish porcelain brand Kristoff.
The exhibition will also feature contemporary graphic design across the creative spectrum, with works by Edgar Bąk and the creative team Fontarte, formed by Artur Frankowski and Magdalena Frankowska, and many others.
Book designers working with Polish publishing houses, impressively represented by Przemek Dębowski’s work for Karakter, includes designs for Piotr Rypson’s Against All Odds. Polish Graphic Design 1919–1949. There will also be work from the award-winning team Hipopotam (Aleksandra Mizielińska and Daniel Mizieliński) for Dwie Siostry. Their books, published in 20 countries, include H.O.U.S.E., a stimulating educational book for children about the art of design and construction. The exhibition includes other books by the couple: What Will Become of You?, Maps and the Welcome to Mamoko series.
Further Projects Supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute During London Design Festival 2013
Kosmos Project is going to present Collective Unconscious at Tent London (Old Truman Brewery, Hanbury St, London E1 6QR). Kosmos Project is a Warsaw-based design studio run by Ewa Bochen and Maciej Jelski. Their work is inspired by observations of modern society and the basic social phenomena within them. Collective Unconscious revolves around two Polish rites: the Kupala Night / Noc Kupały and Dziady / Forefathers’ Eve. The former is the ceremony of life, the future, wealth, erotic force; the latter is the mystery of death, the past, recalling ancestors, meditation. Prior to its London presentation, the project was successfully featured during the Salone del Mobile 2013 in Milan.
The Flow Gallery in Notting Hill will be exhibiting Art Food, a new project and exhibition from the Ceramics & Glass programme at the Royal College of Art and the School of Form in Poznań, in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the renowned Polish porcelain manufacturer Ćmielów Porcelain (the Flow Gallery is at 1-5 Needham Road, London, W11 2RP). The 14 pieces on show are specifically designed to enhance the beauty of food. The exhibition made it on the prestigious 20 Must See list of the Wallpaper* magazine for the London Design Festival.
Young Creative Poland: 4 Years On
London Design Festival 2013
16 – 22 September, 11 am to 6 pm
Ognisko Polskie (Polish Hearth Club)
55 Exhibition Road
London SW7 2PN
Full list of the participating designers:
Agnieszka Bar / Beton / Stanisław Czarnocki + Jakub Marzoch / Aleksandra Gaca (Casalis) / Paweł Grobelny / Maria Jeglińska (Ligne Roset & Kristoff) / Jarosław Kozakiewicz / Jan Kochański (Delivie) / Piotr Kuchciński (Noti) / Krzysztof J. Łukasik / Jan Lutyk / Malafor / Bartek Mejor (Vista Alegre) / Bartosz Mucha / Jeremi Nagrabecki / Joanna Rusin / Studio Rygalik (Moroso & Comforty) / To Do / Bashko Trybek / Vzór / Tomasz Walenta (Kristoff) / Zieta Prozessdesign / Mikołaj Wierszyłłowski (Noti) Edgar Bąk / Rafał Benedek / Fontarte / Homework / Karakter / Grzegorz Laszuk / Hipopotam Studio (Dwie Siostry) / Mariusz Waras / Monika Zawadzki
source: press release, ed. AM, 3.09.2013