This week, the prestigious London Design Festival gets under way in the British capital. For the first time ever students of the Glass and Product Design studios of the UMPRUM Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design will get a chance to present their work at the prestigious event. The Czech exhibitions are co-organised by the Czech Centre in London. I spoke to its director Tereza Porybná who first told me a few words about the event itself:
Sebastian Kitzberger, photo: archive of UMPRUM
“Let me start by saying the London Design Festival is actually an umbrella organization that holds together several design events throughout London. It happens annually, it has a big tradition, and it contains such prestigious events as for example the 100 percent Design Festival, or the Tent London festival. It starts every year around the 18th of September with a big design party at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Alongside these big festival or market opportunities it also holds a series of brand showcases, exhibitions and curatorial events that happen around these days. It is one of the things you must have in your calendar if you are interested in design.”
Students of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague are for the first time presenting their works at the prestigious event. Is this the first time Czech designers are actually presented at the London Design Festival?
Filip Dobiáš, photo: archive of UMPRUM
“Not at all. Czech designers are presented regularly. Many studios now organize their presentations by themselves. Last year for example there was the Prokic studio, who independently organised their showcase at one of the festival venues. The Czech Centre also helped to present student design and several bigger design studios in the past years. But it is the first time that the School of Arts and Crafts has such a big showcase at the Tent London and we are of course very happy be a part of it at the Czech Centre.”
Can you tell me more about the Czech projects? I believe there are three independent exhibitions taking place.
Martina Hudečková, photo: archive of UMPRUM
“The biggest Czech project presented this year at the London Design Festival is the student project that you have mentioned already. The professors behind it are Plesl, Froněk and Němeček, and they focused on two strands, one of them being how you actually create glass, how the product is made, and the second one is approaching the project itself - what can a glass object actually be, what can it be used for. Then there is another strand with the department of ceramics led by Maxim Velčovský. His students are presenting a showcase of their work called Clayworks which will happen in the Brompton Design District in a pop-up venue. And last but not least there is a fabulous presentation of Czech design curated by Lina Kanafani ,who is the owner and founder of Mint Gallery, which is a commercial gallery focused on design. It is one of the top design galleries in London with a huge following and very excellent choice.”
