The second volume of our international design biennale, Design Match, the biggest design fair, will be held in countries of middle Europe in year 2008. After the successful first volume, the Design Match 2006 CZE:SVK, that was presented as a part of the Art&Interior fair, comes another one. For this time, there will be four countries fighting: Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria.

Mission of the Design Match is to show design work to wide public, to multiply related activities. Design Match supports the mobility of design and applied arts. Design Match is an exhibition that defines and reflects its needs. It is the only non-commercial show of design that has an ambition of long continuation and to place the Czech design next to its foreign colleagues. This exhibition gathers different countries who have historical connections, traditions and heritage. Creates a place for friendly confrontations and becomes a match. The designer is a player and friends of design are fans. The foundation of the 2008 volume is a production of Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy. That is why we will also introduce designers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. Come to see one of our Design Match Tour exhibitions.

This volume is founded on the tradition of designs of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy, checked up by time. The motto of this year’s project is integration of European countries into our shared space. The idea of Design Match connects to the historical similarity with integration of Austria-Hungary. This selection and inspiration by the monarchy is not accidental. When we say Austria-Hungary and design, it associates Thonet. The story of the Thonet Company and family will help you understand our concept better. The exhibition is prepared with a wide research project in cooperation with the Muzeum of Decorative Arts in Prague and Budapest.

Focus of this exhibition – its most important parts: the two halftimes – home and free time are the most attractive fields of design. There will be presented groups of four items, each one of a different country and a clear parallel leading to an impulse: an object produced in times of Austria-Hungary. We picked interesting themes for covering the whole spectrum, so that our fans can confront each items with the historical ones and within the other countries as well.

Be a fan of design!

There will be a Thonet chair number 14, winner of the era, welcoming visitors at the entrance. Surrounded with four current designs of four different countries.

This impulse brings us to the first halftime that will be devoted to home. Themes of the first halftime are:

  • hygiene
  • toys
  • cooking
  • lighting
  • groceries (packages)
  • dinning (glass and porcelain)
  • domestic appliances

There has to be a break in this match, right between the two halftimes. Our visitors can relax, sit down and see some graphics of these four countries.

The second halftime will be devoted to freetime activities:

  • music
  • hobbies, games
  • time spent in restaurants
  • sport
  • hunting and guns
  • tourism
  • turistics and summer housing

The second halftime will be ended by an impulse on the theme sport on wheels. There will also be fashion of these countries to see.

For anyone who is doubtful there is a prolongation. Theme of this prolongation is spa time, the favorite freetime activity of all these participating countries, our former monarchy. The spa perfectly connects health service and tourism, relaxation and recreation. Spending time in the spa is a very healthy way how to end our exhibition in this hurried and stressed world. There will be both historical and current design items related to spa showed here.

Traveling exhibition

This exhibition will be begun in the Fair Palace of the National gallery in Prague on the 13th March 2008 on mezzanin of the Small walkway. The exhibition will than continue in Slovakia, where it will be presented on two places, Austria and Hungary, where it will be presented in the Museum of Decorative Arts as a part of Budapest Design Week, the biggest design event of Hungary. The exhibition will travel all year long.

Project Design Match 2008 will present current design of 120 designers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. The first volume was accepted very cheerfully by the fans and also the professional public. We hope that even the second volume will be as attractive for our visitors.

Come see it, be a fan of design!

-> -> -> ->
cz sk hu de