360 Design Budapest Exhibition and Program Series Opens

The 360 Design Budapest regional design exhibition and program series opened on Tuesday at the Adria Palace in Budapest, where more than 60 well-known and emerging Hungarian and regional designers will be showcasing their work until Sunday.

In addition to Hungarian and regional designers, the 360 Design Budapest series, launched in 2020, by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency, aims to raise the profile of Hungarian designers and artists, promote sales, and bring Hungarian designers and artists to the international market, said the Deputy General Director of the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency at the opening of the exhibition.

Anita Forintos-Szűcs noted that the 360 Design Budapest exhibition had received several domestic and international awards since its inception, including the Red Dot award, an international design recognition.

This year, the jury selected more than 60 designers and artists from among 70 applicants, whose more than 200 works will be on display at the exhibition,

she added.

She stressed that the program is intended to attract tourists from all over Europe and to showcase the rich diversity of Central European regional designers and artists in the creative industries. This year, for the first time, the event will be hosted by the Adria Palace, which has a history of more than a century, and will further strengthen the concept of bringing together past and present, as well as preserving and renewing Hungarian cultural heritage.

This year’s 360 Design Budapest exhibition will feature exclusive guided tours, DJs, and for the first time, accompanying programs to raise awareness of the role of design in everyday life,

said Forintos-Szűcs.

One of the guests will be the prominent figure of contemporary design, curator, and expert Rossana Orlandi, who will be present at several events to meet members of the profession and the public. This year, there will also be programs for Generation Z: The creative founders of Italian design brand 6AM Glassworks, Edoardo Pandolfo and Francesco Palu, will talk about the fusion of craftsmanship and a modern approach to design, she explained.

Attila Ledényi, founding director of Art Market Budapest, said that

the material of the current 360 Design Budapest illustrates “how the boundaries between fine art and design have become blurred and that fine art is now also reflected in the context of design.”

Art Market has been working with the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency for two years, partly with the aim of successfully expanding the market for fine art to an audience receptive to design. He also noted that the joint professional day on Thursday will focus on the added value of design and art in architecture, real estate investment, and development.

Gáspár Bonta, the curator of the exhibition, emphasized that the focus of the exhibition, the result of ten months of work, is the meeting of past and present. As he added, the exhibition is about change, tradition, and transformation.

This year, special attention has been paid to presenting not only designers but also industrial and fine artists.

Thirteen designers and artists from several countries in the region, including Czech, Austrian, Polish, Ukrainian, and Croatian artists will be represented, the curator said.

Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Máthé Zoltán