This year’s Lithuanian Design Week, organized by the Lithuanian Design Forum, will take place on October 11-17! Festival invites us to transcend all possible concepts, definitions, and the limits of thinking about design and its essence!
Organizers announces that the theme of this year’s design festival is – symbiosis. This word includes a considerable number of terms (mutualism, parasitism, etc.) and is originally found and used in the biological sciences. Symbiosis is a long-term connection between different species of organisms, the simplest explanation of which would be that the word is derived from the Greek word symbiosis, meaning coexistence. It‘s an astonishing and fascinating example of interspecific interaction found in nature. It is because of symbiosis that various organisms not only survive or reproduce more easily but are also able to evolve to the emergence of new life forms.
Just like any other living organism or process, design is also capable of mutating and adapting to the existing environment and its factors. Designers, creators are able to see the original links between what has already been created and what society needs or not, so as a result, society either has many examples of good or bad design. The goal of the person or group of creators should be to pursue refined values through intuition and innovative, sustainable, new and honest design form and language, as parasitic design has no place in our time – it is just too much.
The Lithuanian Design Forum, which unites country’s design and business, has been responsible for the Design Week festival for 16 years, and this year invites us to look around and examine design more closely. Living between constant reality and virtual reality (reality vs digital world) and as if balancing existential sensations between two-dimensional worlds, questions inevitably arise about what is real and necessary, and what is rejected and unnecessary or even harmful. Design and its environment are no exception.
“One of the most important aspects of today’s design is perhaps a bit boring, but more relevant than ever, its – sustainability. – says Gabija Vanagė, the executive director of the association. – It is not only sustainable materials, but also sustainable thinking, when both the developer and the manufacturer or user of the product think about the necessity and functionality of the object in everyday life. So, what is the symbiosis between Lithuanian design and sustainability or between Lithuanian sustainable use and what Lithuanian designers offer to the market?”
“The idea to organize a design week in Lithuania came back in 2005. In the process, we consulted with the organizers of the Design Weeks in Milan (Italy) and Eindhoven (Netherlands). We differ from them in that the Lithuanian festival covers as many as 6 cities, therefore both world-famous manufacturers and individual developers working in the local market can participate in it. Every year, events and expositions surprise and acquaint the public with the latest works of Lithuanian and foreign designers. We have had guests from all over Europe, we cooperate with embassies and design associations of other countries, we are members of the European Design Association BEDA, therefore the most famous brands participate in “Design Week” and present their products at events. We hope that the good design virus will defeat the bad COVID-19, and the designers will offer many interesting solutions for a rapidly changing lifestyle,” says Vytautas Gurevičius, one of the founders of the Lithuanian Design Forum and organizer of the Lithuanian Design Week.
This year, Design Week introduces the possibility of new, online events. “Seeing that most European design weeks have been absolutely successful in adapting to the pandemic by moving many applications to virtual spaces, we will do the same. – says G. Vanagė. – Participants will have opportunity to continue submitting applications for the Designer Showcase, Exposition, Educational Workshops and Events live formats (the organizer of each event will ensure compliance with the applicable pandemic conditions) as well as to register for online design events. Such decision was conditioned not only by market changes, but also by the desire to give Lithuanian design the opportunity to be seen both at live events and at home from a comfortable sofa. Basically, we want to give designers every opportunity to reach audiences in the way they see best, and this year, the most important thing for them is to choose a form of self-representation during the festival.”
The design festival also decided to revive the Profi event, which was once a traditional part of the festival, in an event format. According to the organizers, this cycle of events is distinguished by the fact that professionals – design studios, interior salons organize events for design and architecture field specialists and professionals, who will be able to participate only by invitation. Profi is a private event during which companies, brands and design studios have a unique opportunity to present themselves and new products.
This year, the Design Week 2021 program, will be complemented by a new event, the international design conference Design Talks, which will be moderated by Justina Klyvienė, Design Thinking Methodology Specialist, founder of the Innovation Laboratory Future Leadership. The awards ceremony of the traditional national prize “GOOD DESIGN” competition and the opening of the nominees’ exhibition will also take place. The acceptance of applications will be announced from June. By default, the commission will be composed of foreign design experts.
Association “Lithuanian Design Forum” invites to fill in the applications of participants from June to September DESIGN WEEK 2021. The deadline for submission of applications is September 10. Organizers urge you not to wait until the last minute and start registering now! Well, a more detailed Design Week 2021 program will be announced in September.
The organizer of the festival is the Lithuanian Design Forum
The sponsors of the festival are the Lithuanian Culture Council
