Young Serbian Designers

New Serbian design scene

Young Serbian designers will present their creations for the second time at Salone Satellite talent show within the world's largest furniture fair in Milan, Italy. Initiated by the cultural organization Mikser and supported by the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency SIEPA, this exhibition will present 12 outstanding projects, selected by experts' jury, chaired by world renowned designer Konstantin Grčić


By MARKO ANDREJIĆ
from Belgrade, SERBIA


The second selection of young Serbian designers' works was presented to public in mid-March, in Belgrade's gallery O3one. Exhibition named Young Serbian Designers is organized by the association Mikser and the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency - SIEPA, and it lasted from March 18 till 24th. Young Serbian Designers will have its world premiere at the world's largest furniture fair in Milan, from 14th to 19th of April.

Young Serbian Designers is a strategic promotion of a new Serbian design scene, that will be presented for the second time in a talent show Salone Satellite within the world's largest furniture fair in Milan, Italy. Initiated by the cultural organization Mikser and supported by the Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency SIEPA, this exhibition will present 12 outstanding projects, selected by experts' jury, chaired by world renowned designer Konstantin Grčić. Beside creations of Studio Antipod - Ana Kraš, Đorđe Čukanović, Jovan Topalović, Jovana Bogdanović and Miljana Nikolić, elected to be a part of the national stand of YSD's at the Fair in Milan, another 11 projects of young Serbian designers will be represented at the exhibition "International kitchen & bathroom furniture" also in the Talent Zone Salone Satellite.

- The work that I presented is a wooden chair, characterized by the fact that, thanks to elastic belts that are passed through the back and the seat, is adapting to human anatomy. In this way, the chair of simple geometry and sharp, straight lines unexpectedly becomes "soft" and comfortable while using it, visually referring to the keys - explains, in an interview for WAVE magazine, Miljana Nikolić her awarded creation - a chair Play me. Miljana has graduated from the Faculty of Architecture, and currently is Ph.D. at the Faculty of Forestry, Department of wood processing. She adds that this award and this kind of recognition is, above all, encouragement for further work, and a signal that is on the right track:

- A large number of people participated in the contest, and only ten works are selected. I am certainly honored by the fact my chair is between them. Otherwise, young people needs every kind of support, both financial and organizational, and it is too bad that there is no higher number of initiatives that create possibilities for talented young people to begin their careers and present their work to a wider audience.

Milanese furniture Fair was chosen as the event for the presentation of Serbian designers' talent, because it is considered the most visited and the most important international event in the field of industrial design, design of utility objects, industry of furniture, lighting and interior equipment.

- It is very hard to be noticed and attract the attention of buyers and producers at the fair of this size, with so many exhibitors. As this is my first time to exhibit there, participation itself is already an award, although I hope, of course, to receive some business offers. Anyway, I am sure the whole YSD stand will be noticed, as all the works are very interesting - said to us Miljana Nikolić her expectations from the Fair in Milan.

Due to rational use of funds for this project, the design of this year's stand of young Serbian designers, as well as all the promotional material, was created by the participants in the project, led by Ana Kraš, who is also signing this year's logo of Young Serbian Designers and inscriptions on the walls of the stand.

Serbia Investment and Export Promotion Agency SIEPA has recognized the importance of the exhibition Young Serbian Designers as a successful way to discover local talents and a potential source of skilled personnel for domestic and international creative industry. Thus, as a mean of positioning of Serbia on the international economic and cultural scene.

Previous edition of Young Serbian Designers, exhibited at last year's Fair in Milan, was very notable in the international design community, while some exhibits achieved concrete results: easy chair "Arc" was nominated for the award of Milan's Fair - Design Report Award, arm-chair "Baba" ("Grandmother") was purchased by Brazilian furniture manufacturer Decameron, chair "Hug" is just producing in Singapore for the company Foundry, and more than 40 international magazines wrote about YSD selection.

The results of this year's selection Young Serbian Designers on the world's largest design show in Milan will be presented to visitors of the regional festival Mikser, that will be held in Belgrade from May 25-29, 2010.



(Published: 10.04.2010.)