Under the theme Friction, this year’s Zagreb Design Week viewed friction as an integral part of the creative process, a point at which different ideas, perspectives and methods meet to give the initial concept a clearer form.
Held from 8 to 20 September, the festival unfolded in two programme segments. During the first six days, it encompassed a record 30 partner locations across Zagreb, from galleries and creative studios to fashion ateliers, museums and showrooms. The main programme then moved to the restored premises of the Academy of Fine Arts, where international exhibitions, local studios, academic projects, fashion shows and a music programme were presented.
At the centre of the closing programme was the ZGDW AWARD, Croatia’s only international design award. This year’s edition brought together 339 finalist projects from 16 countries, the highest number to date, while the international jury selected three awarded projects in each of the six categories.
In the graphic design category, Ema Stojaković won first prize for Layers of Women’s History. Second place went to Enea Piškor for THE SQUARE, while third place was awarded to the agency Bruketa& for Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb.
Last kilowatt by the studio EP Squared was named the best project in the digital communication and interaction design category. The agency Bruketa& won second prize for A Visual Identity That Never Sleeps, while third place went to the studio DISKO for Fashion Borders.
In product design, Lavazza won with the project Tablì. Lovro Petrović and Marta Pinjušić took second place for TANDEM, while Linda Baissero won third place for in tola!.
Two awards in the interior design category went to Clinica Studio. The project From Wall to Wall: From Embroidered to Virtually Shared Values won first place, while Deep Peaks came third. Second prize was awarded to the studio Sara&Sara for At the Stone Table.
In the textile and fashion design category, Little Wonder won with the project Soft Armour. Ana Piplica took second place for Playground Armor, while Tena Pezdevšek won third place for BOOBIE TRAPS.
Gaja Bumbar won first prize in the social innovation design category for Scrap Squad. G.IRL 25 by Eva Bakrač took second place, while Maša Kralj and Ana Topole received third prize for SEEDKO.
All 339 finalists were presented in a joint exhibition at the Academy, through projects spanning furniture, fashion, books, digital products, software applications and social innovations. This breadth best summed up this year’s theme: friction did not remain merely the title of the festival, but became a way of showing how contemporary design emerges through the meeting of different disciplines, materials and perspectives.
