Zagreb Design Week 2024, Bok!
The European design calendar is dominated by a few mega events, colossi whose shadows not only define the calendar but tend to hog the media and therefore the popular perception of contemporary design, not least since that media became primarily the unreflective echo chamber of Instagram; yet colossi whose (invariably stupidly high) costs mean that only those with the deepest of pockets can hope to find success at such events, only those with the deepest of pockets can hope to register on the popular radar. Wealth wins. Which surely isn’t in the interests of either design or the design industry that relies on selfless creative energy and a singular desire to approach contemporary solutions for the sake of the solutions themselves rather than for the rewards such solutions (might, potentially) bring. Alone serves the organisers of such events and the nefarious ends of the lifestyle industry and it faddy, if very profitable, tat.
In addition, we’d argue, the masses of exhibitors, media and visitors who flock to the mega events means that they have long since ceased to be ecologically sustainable, have long since become part of the problems, thus denying them any right to claim to offer solutions to our current malaises. But who are egotistical enough to claim they can.
A healthy design in Europe, a healthy design industry in Europe, and a healthy planet demands an end to the tyranny of the mega events and more small scale regional events.
Events such as Zagreb Design Week.
An event we’ve long sought to visit. Never managed. Have in 2024…….
