The Steps Ahead exhibition is a Polish-Hungarian joint initiative by Prof. Michał Stefanowski, head of the Design Faculty at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and Prof. Gyula Ernyey, a pioneer of research and education in the field of history and theory of design in Hungary. The exhibition will be a presentation of product design by contemporary Polish and Hungarian designers, as well as a reflection of the economic potential of both countries.
The curators will show not only the similarities and differences in the design of both countries but also fields in which the most interesting projects were created after the changes in the political and economic systems. These are furniture, transportation, lighting, ceramics and social design, as well as, in Poland, public space, tools and household appliances, and, in Hungary, medical equipment, toys, sports equipment and musical instruments.
Steps Ahead presents nearly 100 designs, using exhibits, large-format photographs and video presentations dedicated to individual projects. These will include Polish designs: the EMU PesaDART train, the FELIX 8X8 airport emergency rescue vehicle, Krystian Kowalski's Trim chair; and Hungarian designs Júlia Némy’s modular ceramic bench, Flexor Csaby G. Szilágyi’s active wheelchair or the Abdominal Music mp3 player for pregnant women designed by Péter Kucser and Gepetto Studio. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue.
In July 2018, the exhibition will be displayed at the Instytut Wzornictwa Przemysłowego (Industrial Design Institute) in Warsaw.
The Steps Ahead exhibition is organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, under its flagship brand Culture.pl, and the Association of Hungarian Artists and Designers, supported by the National Culture Foundation.
Curated by: Prof. Michał Stefanowski and Prof. Gyula Erney
Exhibition design: Studio Robot
Graphic design: Maciek Sobczak