8 things I loved at Romanian Design Week 2018

8.8 kilometres walking. That was the record for Saturday, when I was trying to see as many exhibitions and events as I could from this 2018 edition of Romanian Design Week 2018. And it wasn’t easy to choose my favourites. Here they are – 7 things I loved; take a closer look!

Romanian Design Week 2018 uncovers itself between 19th of May and 27th of May. This year the main exhibition will showcase over 150 projects of more than 100 designers, design and architecture studios. The exhibition will be hosted by Bucharest Telephone Palace (35 Calea Victoriei).

Do not miss Show Off RDW – Palatul Universul and Cartierul Creativ Hub + Store (Victoria 46) and the 50 connex events all over the city. www.institute.ro

The fashion exhibition – as every year, young designers are part of the Design Week. And they give us a hint of what is going on in the fashion industry. Lana Dumitru, Murmur, Chic Utility, Ioana Ciolacu, Lena Criveanu, Sabina Pop, Smaranda Almășan – you deserve all the applauses. (Click on links to read here some interviews with these talented designers).

The architecture section of the main exhibition is super interesting. Beside the beautiful projects (office places, restaurants and special projects) I had the pleasure to discover here a lot of new and old places from Romania. And I tell you, you could even take notes for the next lunches or dinners – I put on my agenda Funky Resto Bar (by the studio Re-Act Now) and Eat Society venue (by Createlier).

The illustrations – I am a big fan of cartoons and notebooks with a graphic design, the big posters and all. Therefore, I was happy to see at Romanian Design Week 2018 works by Aitch (see an interview with the illustrator here), Mădălina Andronic (I love all the books, the T-shirts, the ceramics…), the posters of Creionetica, the works of Fabrik or Irina Neacșu.

The object design section – You must see the chair selection, the slim and minimalist boat, the furniture. I was happy to see again a selection of my favourites (Agnes Lukacs, Ceramic Sparrow, De Ceramica, Ubikubi, SPOONFOOL). The most catching-eye object? The boat made by DADA studio by Dan Andresan.

Multidisciplinary section – and here I had three favourites, so far. First, Rummy installation by Simina Filat. Then the Marc Borțun setup – TWELVEOSOPHY – 12 wall clocks made out of colored Perspex, their numerals being replaced by 12 letters that forms 12 messages about time and love. The third – the installation made by iele (Iele Chapter Two brought together three international designers in a creative venture to research the potential of adapting discarded sheep wool to the contemporary design market – Julie Thissen developed a versatile wall panel by using an original wool, Noktuku developed an immersive game of sound and tactile learning, Lex van Ramp designed a coat).

The Sweedish exhibition at Victoria 46 – “Swedish Fashion and Design Stories” is the exhibition that presents the last 15 years of Swedish design. Fabulous! (Plus: do not miss the Hub+ Store place here, at Victoria 46, where you can get your own designer objects to take home).

The Assamblage event – The Remains of the Feast – one of the innovative jewellery exhibition. The contemporary jewellery is ment to be a mirror for our consumerist society, that leaves the Earth without resources. King Midas transformed everything he touched into gold; we transform the Earth into an empty space, with only leftovers to see.

One Night Gallery at Odeon Theatre – the Raluca Băraru exhibition. The show’s intent was to collide the material with the virtual, by encouraging the artists to use new digital storytelling tools and for the public to interact in distinct ways with art.

Show Off RDW – at Palatul Universul (Str. Brezoianu 23-25, corp B). Must see> Diploma Selected, o capsule exhibition that put in focus the artistic dialogue between seniors and young alumni.

Photography: www.dreamingof.net

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Be ready for sleepless nights: here comes Romanian Design Week 2018