The Bayerischer Staatspreis für Nachwuchsdesigner is one of the more interesting international design prizes. Not only because it is biennial and thus steadfastly refuses to play with the "every year new" ethos of the contemporary design industry, nor only because it is exclusively for young designers, but also because in addition to the "usual" categories it also recognises Design Research and Applied Crafts. And thus promotes a pleasingly healthy and positive understanding of the term "Design"
The winners of the 2016 Bayerischer Staatspreis were announced on Monday March 6th at an awards ceremony in Munich.
Inaugurated in 1987 the Bayerischer Staatspreis für Nachwuchsdesigner - Bavarian State Prize for Young Designers - is open to students who have graduated in the previous three years or craftsfolk who have completed their professional training in the previous three years.
For the 2016 edition 157 entries were received from which the jury under the stewardship of Dr Angelika Nollert, Director of Die Neue Sammlung Munich, selected 6 Staatspreis winners, 11 Special Recognitions and a further 18 projects for the accompanying exhibition and catalogue.
The inaugural Staatspreis was awarded in two categories - Industrial Design and Applied Crafts - a tradition which was maintained until 2004 when Communication Design was added as, we presume, a reflection on the increasing professionalism and economic importance of communication design. Interior Design, Textile Design and Fashion Design were added in 2008 and 2016 saw the premier of Digital Design and Design Research, the latter being a decision we wholeheartedly applaud because "Design" is moving, and will continue to move, ever further away from being products per se and towards a service, be that for industry or society and thus "Design" will become less an object which one assesses but a position which one assesses. Construction for designers having as much to do with arguments as metal, wood and plastic. Fittingly, and if we have understood correctly, the subject of winner Steven Brüningk's project Experience Language deals with just such: the future role of the designer in a world of increasing digitalisation and globalisation.
An indication of how the designer's role could change in just such a future is given by the winners of the two "classic" categories. The 2016 Industrial Design winner Andrea Meyer having developed with her project Glaucus a concept for a controlled and sustainable fishing industry, while with the project Merhaba the 2016 Applied Crafts winner Susanne Honsa has developed a process rather than an object. Looking at creating a meaningful and productive cooperation between designers and craftsfolk Susanne developed a process for realising woven wicker stools with the aid of a specially developed machine. We're calling Merhaba analogue 3D printing, and hope that we are doing Susanne no disservice. Resource efficient, low impact, low energy and locally adaptable Merhaba maintains a craft element while adding a degree of automation and the ability to freely adjust the form of the stools being produced. While admittedly not completely convinced by the form and aesthetic of the current stools, the process and concept are very nicely thought through and realised, and we are certain Merhaba will busy us for a good time yet.
In the further categories Thomas Wirtz was awarded the Communications Design Staatspreis for his Masters Thesis By the Way; the Fashion Design Staatspreis was awarded to Jill Miriam Röbenack for her collection Hey you! It’s me; and Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle graduate Laura Risch won the Textile Design category for her autarkic curtain concept Up and Down
Congratulations to all!!!
For all in or near Munich an exhibition featuring all winners, special recognitions and participants is on show in the foyer of the BMW Museum, Am Olympiapark 2, 80809 Munich until Sunday March 26th.
Full details, on the Bayerischer Staatspreis and all winners, can be found at www.staatspreis.de
Industrial Design:
Andrea Meyer - Glaucus, Sustainable fishery – design of an intelligent net
Applied Crafts:
Susanne Honsa - Merhaba, A project for collaboration between craft and design in an inter-cultural context
Communication Design:
Thomas Wirtz - By the way, Typography and material behaviour
Fashion Design:
Jill Miriam Röbenack - Hey you! It’s me, A Collection for more Advertence
Textile Design:
Laura Risch - Up and down, An autarkic curtain
Design Theory/Design Research:
Steven Brüningk - Experience Language, Designer’s future
