Design Competition - YBD: “Here & Now” Hybrid Solutions for Contemporary, Living, Work, Exchange and Play

Cultural association "Mikser" from Belgrade with the support of "NUNC" furniture manufacturers from Croatia, is launching a special edition of the Young Balkan Designers regional platform competition, opening up a unique opportunity for them to join the "NUNC" company in their mission of reinterpreting the rich tradition and culture of the region into innovative and recognizable products of contemporary design . Young designers are invited to submit their projects no later than midnight on September 27. The International jury consisting of Marva Griffin (Italy), Henriet Val (Netherlands), Nikola Radeljković (Croatia), Jelena Matić (Serbia) and Maja Lalić (Serbia) will decide for the best design.

Open Call: https://ybd.mikser.rs/call/

Application Form: https://ybd.mikser.rs/form/

ABOUT YBD: Young Balkan Designers (YBD) is Mikser organization’s regional talent platform aimed at discovering, developing and promoting creative talents of the Balkan region in the field of sustainable design. The initiative also aims at unifying the regional design scene, bringing it closer to the international audience, strengthening its potential by providing additional education and practice to emerging designers, while at the same time contributing to the restoration of multi-cultural cooperation in the Balkan region.

ABOUT NUNC: Nunc (now) is a furniture manufacturer from Slavonia, Croatia. It debuted on international design scene in 2019 at the furniture fair in Cologne Germany, and it has been growing and conquering international markets ever since. Nunc’s witty and refreshing approach to design of everyday objects comes from collaboration with emerging designers from the entire region, many of which have debuted on the regional and international scene via Young Balkan Designers platform. The company visionaries and Mikser curators teamed up in launching a special edition of Young Balkan Designers competition, creating a unique opportunity for the next generation of Balkan designers to join Nunc on its mission to reinterpret the region’s rich tradition and culture into innovative and recognizable contemporary design products.

COMPETITION THEME: “HERE AND NOW” May you live in interesting times. We do. Technological breakthrough opens new possibilities of remote working and flexible working arrangements that also affect configuration of our personal and communal spaces. On the other hand, the global health crisis gave us time to reflect on our personal values and aspirations, leading to mass self-reflection on the ways we want to spend most of our day – where, when, with whom and why. Theme “Here and Now – Hybrid Solutions for Contemporary Living, Work, Exchange and Play” calls for sustainable, smart, flexible design solutions for ever-changing environments and circumstances we live in nowadays. We challenge young designers to explore new furniture and space functions for in-between and overlapping areas of everyday worlds: home, work, school, public spaces, fun, intimate and communal zones, urban and rural environments, static and moving experiences. Submitted projects should be able to offer multiple functions and experiences to its users, support diverse living scenarios, hybrid and nomadic work models, enable easy creation of “third spaces”, transform any place into a play room or informal education set-up and much more. We encourage young designers to concoct new or revisit their existing design ideas, by looking into cross-over, hybrid functions of furniture pieces, modular systems or other utility objects, from perspectives of diverse users (grown-ups, children, different genders, elderly, people with disabilities, etc.), various time scenarios (by night, by day, seasonal, etc.), alternating environments and social contexts (outdoor, indoor, private, public), etc.

JURY: Marva Griffin, curator, Salone Satellite, Milan Furniture Fair, Italy Henriette Waal, industrial designer, professor at Eindhoven Design Academy, Netherlands/Director of Experminental Research, Atelier Luma, Experimental Program, France Nikola Radeljkovic, designer, Numen/For Use, Croatia Jelena Matic, product designer, professor at Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia Maja Lalic, architects, founder of Mikser Association, Serbia

COMPETITION SUBJECT: Design concepts, products – furniture items and systems, lighting, interior elements, everyday objects, outdoor elements, toys and tools, home accessories and textiles, innovative design and production scenarios that support and enable mobility, multifunctionality, transformability and adaptation of spatial elements to diverse functions, time and use scenarios.

CRITERIA: Criteria appreciated by the Jury: innovative features of the project that enhance the quality of everyday life; ability to address needs of diverse users; multifunctionality; potentials for circularity of product or its elements; ergonomics; rational production and transportation costs; innovative use of materials available locally; implementation of local knowledge and techniques; environmentally friendly production process, innovative use of recycled materials; relevancy in relation to local / global environmental and social challenges.

GENERAL TERMS: The competition is open to creators up to 40 years of age, who live or work in the Balkans, have Balkan origin, or appreciate Balkan culture. Applicants may be individuals or groups of authors. Each applicant may submit more than one entry.

DEADLINE AND PROJECT SUBMISSION: Applicants can submit their projects until 27 September 2023 at 23.59 via online form at https://ybd.mikser.rs/form/

AWARDS: The Jury will select the Competition winners for:

• I Round Winners: Participation in YBD for NUNC Exhibition of proposals in Belgrade (Faculty of Forestry, side program of Belgrade Furniture Fair)
• II Round Winners: Product Development for NUNC w/ company product development team
• Successful Prototypes: Presentation of prototypes at Milan International Furniture Fair 2024 (Nunc Booth) and Mikser Festival 2024 in Belgrade

WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT:

I Round Winners for The Exhibition Selection Category will be announced on 2 October 2023 online at mikser.rs (Jury decision)

II Round Winners for Product Development Category will be announced on 11 October 2023 at the YBD for NUNC Exhibition Opening in Belgrade, during Belgrade Furniture Fair (Curatorial and Product Development Teams’ decision)

Final selection of successful prototypes for presentations at Milano Furniture Fair 2024 and Mikser Festival 2024 will be made in February 2024.