Designblok marks 25 years – and returns to Castle
Czechia’s premier event in its field, Designblok, is about to take place for the 25th time. The showcase runs from October 4 to October 8 at a number of top Prague venues, including the city’s Trade Fair Palace and, for the first time in years, Prague Castle. I spoke to Designblok co-founder Jana Zielinski at a presentation of the event on Tuesday.
“The theme is ‘journey’ and it means the journey of Czech design. But it’s not only the journey of the past but also the future – and that’s why we have created the main exhibition. It’s called Designblok Cosmos and it’s about the future of Czech design.
“You will see an excellent installation by Jan Pecháč and it will be placed in Prague Castle, so I would emphasise this future journey of Czech design.”
The festival’s traditional centre is called the Superstudio, and it’s at the Veletržní palác, the Trade Fair Palace, this year?
“Yes, it’s at the National Gallery. We are very, very happy and grateful that we are able to be in the Veletržní palác. There will be companies there who cooperate with designers, international and Czech companies, and we are very happy that they are that there will be the premieres of new editions of collections by like Moser, Rückl, Bomma, Benedikt and many, many other Czech and international companies.”
You also have something called Openstudio – what is that?
“Openstudio is about designers. About school ateliers and young talents. And we are very happy that we have more than 180 designers exhibiting, not only from the Czech Republic but also other countries.”
Personally what are you most looking forward to this year? Is there any special event, or aspect?
“I really look forward to the Sunday closing dinner, when the Designblok awards will be announced at Prague Castle, under the auspices of the president. And I think that by the Sunday I will be happy that Designblok is successfully, hopefully, over [laughs].”
Is it your first time at Prague Castle? And what does it mean for you to be there?
“For us it is really beautiful, because we are so happy with the new president, that we can be present. It’s not our first time – we used to be there. But since, of course, the last decades of the president that we were not happy, this is the first opportunity.”
It’s 25 years since your Designblok began. Has your mission changed at all over those years?
“The main mission is accomplished. It was to connect Czech industry with design, and this happened. Now the mission is to get more international. And that’s why we have prepared as well this Cosmos. It is going to Milan and then to other countries, to promote Czech design abroad. This is our mission now.”
Have you observed much change in your visitors over the quarter century?
“Yes, we have all of the generations. And I’m so happy that some of the people come to us and they say, I was here with my school when I was, like, 10 years old – and now I’ve been buying stuff over the years. So I’m very happy that it works this way.”
