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Opening of the Exhibition of the Competition “Young Balkan Designers: Here and Now”

More than sixty young people were given the chance to cooperate with the business sector

Cultural organization Mikser from Belgrade, furniture manufacturer Nunc from Slavonia (Croatia) and the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Belgrade are proud to invite you to the opening of the exhibition “Young Balkan Designers: HERE AND NOW” presenting the winners of the first round of the special edition of the Young Balkan Designers regional competition.

The members of the competition Jury, consisting of renowned international and regional design experts, Marva Griffin, Henriet Val, Nikola Radeljković, Jelena Matić, and Maja Lalić, selected 60 projects from 14 countries of the region, to present the full potential of the regional creative scene which will be on display to the Belgrade audience from October 11 to 18 at the Faculty of Forestry. The selected projects successfully responded to the call of the competition under the slogan “Here and now” to provide innovative, sustainable, flexible solutions for spaces where the worlds of living, working, playing and exchange increasingly overlap and dynamically change.

The expert team of the Nunc company will select projects among the exhibited works that will be developed into products in the coming months and presented at the International Furniture Fair in Milan in April 2024, as a part of their regular production program. Nunc owes its witty and refreshing approach to design to the cooperation with emerging designers from all over the region, many of whom made their debut on the international stage through the Young Balkan Designers platform.

This unique example of regional cooperation between the creative, academic, and manufacturing sectors makes up for the lack of institutional support for young talents in further training and employment in the sector, but also significantly contributes to the regional exchange of young professionals and their visibility on the international stage.

The exhibition opens on October 11 at 6 p.m. in the main hall of the Faculty of Forestry, 1 Kneza Višeslava st., Belgrade. On this occasion, a special guided tour through the Arboretum of the Faculty of Forestry will be organized for all interested visitors from 5:00 p.m. (1 hour before the opening of the exhibition).

The exhibition will be open to visitors until October 18, 2023.

Below is the agenda for the opening of the “Young Balkan Designers: Here and Now” exhibition:

17.00   Professional Guided Tour through the Arboretum of the Faculty of Forestry

18.00   Opening Ceremony

18.15   Welcome speech – Nevena Vasiljević, Vice Dean, Faculty of Forestry

18.18   About YBD special competition, cooperation with Nunc – Maja Lalić, Mikser

18.20   Nunc Vision – platform for young designers: Markica Stanušić, Nunc

18.25   About the Jury and the winners of the competition – Maja Lalić, Markica Stanušić

18.28   YBD awards ceremony:

– Awards for participation in the exhibition, prof. Jelena Matić, YBD jury

– Awards for selection for Nunc product, Markica Stanušić, Nunc

18.40   Photo shoot of all participants with plaques and members of the Mikser and Nunc team

18.45   Cocktail / Tour of the exhibition

20.00   End of the event

A First-Round Winners are:

CHAIR C2210, ARHITEKTURA: Aleš and Boštjan Gabrijelčič, Slovenia

LOTUS / TAJETO, Alma Demirović, Bosnia and Herzegovina

MI, Amila Tihić, Bosnia and Herzegovina

COCOON / LOOM, Amina Pilav, Bosnia and Herzegovina

FLORA, Ana Maria Ion, Romania

RUBICO, Anastasija Ilić, Serbia

CONVA, Anđela Ćosić, Serbia

KITE / CINQE / TREN, Anđela Tasković, Serbia

PACTUM-A, Anđelina Radošević, Serbia

OBLAK, Andrea Milić, Serbia

SPELLING, Anna Chang, China

GEOGRID, Asija Mustajbašić, Bosnia and Herzegovina

CR(O)EATION, Barbara Babić and Zvonimir, Medin, Croatia

PERDA / FLIP, PERDA / FLIP, Berin Spahić, Bosnia and HerzegovinaBerin Spahić, Bosna i Hercegovina

TROCHIA LAMP COLLECTION, NO ON DESIGN: Dimitar Vranchev, Yulian Mikov, Bulgaria

CALMFUSION, Djurdja Garčević, Serbia

PINNA, Dora Vučemilović, Croatia

3M, Dunja Kovačević, Serbia

OPNA, Dunja Nenadović , Serbia

MOUNTAIN 3 IN 1, Dunja Selaković, Serbia

KOZLIK, Ekaterina Vagurina, Russia

ZALA, Ena Hukić , Bosnia and Herzegovina

MODO, Fadil Ljubović, Bosnia and Hercegovina

OBIČAN 1.0, Gal Grobovšek, Slovenia

BOOBA, George Bosnas, Greece

TRIVERSA, Ilma Pandžo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

DRAWING TABLE, Ivan Mikulić, Croatia

SNUGG, Ivo Maksimović , Serbia

KILIM, Jelena Gajinović, Serbia

JELLY LIGHT TRAPS, Jovana Liščević, Serbia

LACUNA, Katarina Matulin, Croatia

THE SQUARE OF JELENA VITAS, MAPRO: Kenan Čilić, Rijad Sablja, Lejla Mehanoli, Bosnia and Herzegovina

GNEZDO, Lara Đolović, Anđelija Mazić, Serbia

STAK, Lejla Mehanoli, Bosnia and Herzegovina

KEKO, Lidija Petričević, Bosnia and Herzegovina

1184, Linda Baissero, Croatia

NOMA / SHINE, Lotti Gostic, Slovenia

BIOCANDLE, Maja Halilović, Bosnia and Herzegovina

100LICA, Marija Kojić, Serbia

THE CATERPILLAR LAMP, Marina Maksimovic, Serbia

SOFA PACK, Marko Škrbić, Bosnia and Hercegovina

MEETING POINT, Marta Glavčić, Serbia

OQ BAR CHAIR, Milan Ranković, Serbia

TWIST CHAIR, Nenad Merzel, Serbia

ADAPTA SOFA, Ozden Kose, Turkey

TOYFINITY, Petar Ćosić, Serbia

KADUJA, Pjorkkala: Žan Girandon, Pia Groleger, Luka Pleskovič, Slovenia

CONCEPTO PAPILIO, Sandra Jančić, Croatia

ROTO, Sandra Pantelić, Serbia

MODULE 23, Sara Jesihar, Slovenia

DEATH OF THE SUN / STARK, Selena Vunjerović, Serbia

CLIP, Focal studio: Tijana Kostić, Suzana Jakić, Serbia

TOORAĆ, Valentina Fuzul, Croatia

From the above selection, the Nunc product development team lead by designer Nikola Radeljkovic will select projects that will be developed into NUNC products. The finalists of the Young Balkan Designers competition who will have the opportunity to collaborate professionally with the regional furniture manufacturer and exhibit their product at Milan International Furniture Fair 2024, will be announced at the exhibition opening ceremony at the Faculty of Forestry on October 11, at 6 p.m.