Adorno presents the Romanian collection within the Virtual Design Destination, an interactive online exhibition curated by Maria Neneciu and Jimmy MacDonald. 

Register to attend the virtual tour and interview with the curator

The theme for this year's first Virtual Design Destination by Adorno is “The New Reality”. Preparations were initiated during the surge of COVID-19 in Europe. The curators of the fourteen participating countries have been asked to reflect on specific experiences, thoughts, and themes from the time of lockdown in the curation and art direction of each of their country collections. They have been working with leading designers from their design scene to develop sub-narratives to the overarching theme.

ROMANIA: TIME FOR CHANGE
Curated by Maria Neneciu & Jimmy MacDonald 

We are witnessing an interesting time in history, that will irreversibly CHANGE the way we relate to objects and spaces; the way we design buildings or imagine flows and interactions; and even the way we think about society as a whole. Therefore, in the future, design and architecture will have to meet other challenges and the role of creativity and innovation will probably increase, as we will need to find better ways to transform challenges into opportunities, resilience into antifragility, as well as to discover and design new, more inclusive, and more environment friendly production processes or products.  The Romanian Collection showcases a series of conceptual design projects signed by emergent young designers whose practices focus on processes and celebrate experiment as an essential part of the creative process.The collection investigates the stages and drivers of CHANGE and how design can contribute to a better future, by deconstructing the creative process. The design practices showcased are very forward looking, focusing on experiment, new forms or materials, as well as on the impact of their objects beyond the end user.Their ability to analyze and use new materials and forms are creatively counteracted by a freedom of expression and intuitive gestures. Therefore, the practices showcased in this collection are drivers of Change, they are innovators and pioneers  who do not shy away from the past or their creative heritage, but know how to embrace it.  

Despite the fact that they come from a design scene where, up until 30 years ago, works were not individually credited and creative contribution was recognized very little, the new generation of Romanian designers masterfully manage to prove the importance of tradition, crafts, collaboration, and creativity, driven, this time, by common beliefs and values. In a better future.

Whether we talk about co/rizom, a project which is trying to develop a universally applicable toolkit for artisans which breaks down essential work processes into basic steps to close knowledge gaps between production, marketing, and sales; the work of Agnes Lukacs, an eco-friendly, visual manifesto of objects made by hempcrete, a biocomposite which was itself born in the context of an increasingly pressing need for change in the way we approach resources; the rugs signed by Dare to Rug, derived from acrylic drawings that explore the connection between light and space; the Weave Cabinet, by Ștefan Păvăluță for DeltaCraft, combining traditional techniques from the Danube Delta with contemporary processing of natural materials; Radu Abraham’s amazing work, which often has an intuitive and personal approach for searching volumes and proportions; the playful compositions and sculptural gestures of UAU Ceramics; or the playful process around THE  drawer, emphasised by Stardust Architects, the projects showcased in the collection are a manifesto for optimism and the power of creativity.

Register here to attend the guided tour of the Virtual Exhibition for the Romanian collection, hosted by curators Maria Neneciu and Jimmy MacDonald 

September 15 / 10:00 AM GMT

MEET THE CURATORS

Maria Neneciu 

With more than thirteen years experience in creative industries as a cultural manager and as a journalist, Maria Neneciu is part of the Romanian Design Week core-team since the event’s beginning – more than eight years ago. Meanwhile, RDW has become an authority in the local design scene and one of the most important multidisciplinary events in the region. Maria is interested in how creativity and cultural industries can become tools for urban development. 

Maria has written about design, architecture and the role of creative and cultural industries for urban and social development, both at BBC Good Homes, some local specialized publications, and the magazine Institute. She now contributes to the Institute's online platform and is part of the creative team of some of the most important projects signed by Institute - the ecosystem for local creative industries in Romania, such as: Romanian Design Week, Diploma or Bucharest Creative Quarter.

Jimmy MacDonald

Commercial Director of Adorno and Founder of London Design Fair - an exhibitions man who knows how to drum up both physical and digital audiences with long standing connections with the design industry, embassies and cultural institutions.

FEATURED DESIGNERS

Radu Abraham / UAU / Agnes Lucaks / Co/rizom / Ștefan Păvăluț / Dare to Rug / Stardust Architecture

SUPPORTED BY

The Romanian Cultural Institute in London / Romanian Design Week / UnicreditBank 

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