On the evening of 5th of September, the award ceremony and the opening of the exhibition of the Young Designer Prize took place at the LNDM Museum of Applied Arts and Design in Vilnius.
This year the competition is organised for the fourteenth time and received 80 applications from seven Lithuanian and foreign higher education institutions. Entries were divided into five categories: product, communication, fashion, interior design and design research.
The international jury of design experts has nominated fifteen of the most promising works for the competition, which are exhibited at the Museum of Applied Arts and Design (Arsenalo st. 3A, Vilnius) until 29 September. The exhibition will be open to the public from 9-30 October at the Telšiai Gallery (Kęstučio st. 3-2, Telšiai).
During the awards ceremony, the jury announced the winners of the main prize in each category. For the first time in the history of the competition, a grant for a lecturer has been established. All winners were awarded with prizes and diplomas of €1000. Another special prize will be awarded to the public’s favourite, which will be voted for by visitors to the exhibition on lrt.lt.
„The projects evaluated play with themes of cultural reflection, material exploration and the social impact of design. The works explore identity, memory and the environment, focusing on how objects and spaces can influence and reflect human experience and societal values. The projects illustrate the growing trend of design that combines sustainability, cultural storytelling and user-centred innovation to address contemporary challenges,” says Daina Eičaitė, Project Manager of the Design Innovation Centre at Vilnius Academy of Arts and curator of the competition.
Photographs by Jorigė Kuzmaitė
Winners
Fashion Design
Ugnė Pienė Noreikytė
Collection „350p”
Vilnius College
Associate prof. Morta Nakaitė
The 350p collection draws attention to the impact of global warming on the polar regions, combining historical polar expeditions, polar landscapes and Japanese philosophies such as bushido, Zen Buddhism and wabi-sabi with the distinct aesthetics of anime. Each garment tells its own story in contrasting silhouettes, materials, colours and textures, reflecting the harsh effects of climate change and the beauty and fragility of the polar regions. The collection aims to engage and inform the viewer and highlights the importance of personal effort and inner strength in the fight against climate change.
Communication design
Edvilė Koorits
Mobile App Design for Secret Travels in Lithuania
Vilnius College of Technology and Design
Associate prof. Darius Kisielius
The product created is a mobile application designed to encourage people to explore Lithuania and experience it from different perspectives. The app is developed on the principle of a diary and includes only the creator’s recommended sites, mysterious routes, lesser-known places and useful travel tips. A unique feature is encrypted routes, where travellers know only the trip’s basics, receiving clues and directions as they go. The app facilitates the discovery of new and unusual locations in Lithuania and offers the opportunity to embark on an adventure-filled journey.
Product Design
Milda Palivonaitė
Lit Things
Vilnius Academy of Arts
Associate prof. Marija Puipaitė
Sunlight accidentally caught the thin sheet of wood veneer I was holding; the light played in the wood’s grain. This single moment served as inspiration for the creation of Lit Things. These are atmospheric light fixtures crafted with a delicate approach to the material, involving experimentation and close observation. Lots of handwork and many small as well as large processes have brought to life objects of minimalist aesthetics, allowing us to bring the last rays of sunlight back home.
Design Research
Augustina Lavickaitė
Information Smuggling
Design Academy Eindhoven
Associate prof. Marco Ferrari
Information Smuggling delves into the media ecosystem of illicit publishing and dissemination of information as resistance against Russian oppression and cultural erasure in Lithuania. The thesis examines the complex system of elements required for the operation to function, such as a network of people, infrastructure, and suitable terrain. The video installation transports viewers to a forest with contemporary political significance and historical relevance, situated on the borders of Lithuania, Belarus, Poland and Kaliningrad. By employing diverse modes of witnessing – via the landscape, history, and the viewer – the installation positions the terrain as an active participant, facilitating the smuggling of information.
Interior Design
Unė Jonynaitė
2C: An Ephemeral Nightclub
Vilnius Academy of Arts
Associate prof. Laura Malcaitė
As the bustling daytime cityscape fades, the night is full of transience, adventure and excitement. These feelings are the result of the city’s nightlife, epicentered on people, music and dance – an experience that offers a release from the everyday, boredom and the problems that plague us deeply. 2C, a nightclub whose design approach becomes inflatable architecture, is a temporary sanctuary, transforming and creating the cityscape and soundscape, stimulating the visitor’s mind and body. The chosen technology of inflatable space allows the club to be independent and creates an environment that offers a unique and unforgettable participant.
Grant for a lecturer
As the competition grows, the organisers see the importance of recognising design teachers whose dedication to design education contributes to the development of young talents and the Lithuanian design industry. This year, the prize was dedicated to the memory of Prof. Šarūnas Šlektavičius, the Chairman of the Senate of the Vilnius Academy of Arts and the Head of the Department of Design.
Šarūnas Šlektavičius has been actively involved in various projects for the development and dissemination of design competences for two decades, and was one of the founders and active co-authors of the Design Foundation, which was established in 2016. He and his team created the eco-friendly river ferry across the Neris River „Uperis”, and encouraged students and graduates to create ambitious and innovative products.
Organiser: Vilnius Academy of Arts Design Innovation Centre
Funded by Lithuanian Council for Culture
Partners: The museum of Applied Arts and Design, the State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania, European Union Intellectual Property Office, Intelektine.lt
Sponsors: „Nordcurrent“, „Jung“, „Būkčia“ „Woodline“