24th Biennial of Design
Ljubljana, Slovenia
18. 9.—7. 12. 2014
Slo
·
Eng
3, 2, 1 ... Test

Themes

1 Affordable Living

In Slovenia, as in many parts of the world, contemporary cities seem to be filled with empty, unused buildings, kept off limits by invisible policies and regulations. Simultaneously, city residents young and old face on-going difficulties when it comes to housing, one of their basic rights. Questioning and exploring the causes and consequences of this trend, this team will develop strategies and tactics aimed at making contemporary affordable living a reality. Read more

2 Knowing Food

What are the new discussions we can have about food? From healthy eating to new scarcities, from harvest to consumption, the food networks of the industrial age are becoming smaller, more local and specific. Tapping into local knowledge of food, resources, production and distribution, this team will strive to create a new consciousness about what lies on and beyond the plate. Read more

3 Public Water Public Space

From the immediate dissolution of rainwater into any city’s sewage system, to the removal and disrepair of drinking fountains in urban centres, water has, in recent years, progressively disappeared from public space. In a country like Slovenia, with an abundant supply of pristine water, can we return this essential component of everyday life to public space? This team will strive to raise awareness of these questions and concerns, and reintegrate local water on the stage of daily public life. Read more

4 Walking the City

Walking in an urban environment is an essential component of contemporary life. From the mundane – the stroll of the flâneur or a functional shopping walk – to the ritual – a religious procession or a political protest march – the pedestrian has rights and agency, and yet seems to neglect or have forgotten them. Returning to a pedestrian scale, this team will devise new ways of urban action and reclaim public space as a privileged platform for walking. Read more

5 Hidden Crafts

Is there new life to found in the methods, outcomes and distribution of craft? What can designers learn from a country’s craft tradition? Tapping into Slovenia’s rich craft history, the country’s manufacturers will be chosen to collaborate with designers in a discovery process. All participants will contribute with time and engagement, embarking together on a trip that has no pre-defined destination. Read more

6 The Fashion System

From textile production to retail, merchandising and all the stages in-between, the means by which we clothe ourselves are complex and multi-layered. Tradition and technology are part of the fashion industry, while links between designers, producers and consumers introduce new dynamics into the fashion system. Questioning the institution of fashion and its many facets, this team will seek to understand the human position within the machine that clothes us. Read more

7 Hacking Households

Traditional household appliances are created as a closed system; when something goes wrong, the most cost-effective solution is to throw out the appliance and replace it with something new. In an age when 3D printing and DIY circuitry make industrial processes accessible to any individual, this team will build upon users’ newfound abilities and opportunities to repair, customize, modify and repurpose existing products, creating a family of appliances designed for disassembly, repair, and modification. Read more

8 Nanotourism

After decades of a booming tourism industry with wide impact on territories and economies all over the world, are there smaller-scale, non-intrusive ways of promoting a tourism experience? The Nanotourism team will work in two different constellations: the first group will research possible experiences of tourism, exploring relevant global references as well as regional potentials. This research will be the basis for the second group, which will come to fruition during the AA Visiting School Slovenia, a workshop taking place in Vitanje in July 2014. Read more

9 Engine Blocks

Vehicles have become increasingly specialized and unique, yet their mechanical essence remains largely the same. Could the future of transportation lie in a sustainable, modular mechanical solution where the main element – an engine – is adaptable in and to a variety of local contexts? Working towards an evolutionary, modular transportation device, this team will aim to create a system of objects with a hacked, interchangeable and easily removable engine. Read more

10 Observing Space

Slovenia harbors a budding space scene, epitomized by the recently formed Cultural Centre of European Space Technologies (KSEVT), which promotes research on “space culturalization” and "through its Composite Missions of art and science". Harnessing the potential of this remarkable convergence, this team will explore new ideas that can be sparked by the presence of the human in outer space. Read more

11 Designing Life

In recent years, the intersection of design and science has created and opened doors to new explorations of speculative futures, creating possible scenarios for daily life in coming years. Building upon Slovenia’s bio-art scene and pharmaceutical industry, this team will engage with various sciences and biology to strengthen and develop existing ties and create multiple new experiments. Read more