Opening night of DesignMonat Graz

Tonight, DesignMonat Graz will open its doors for the seventh edition, bringing a wide-ranging programme to the UNESCO City of Design for the entire month of May. This year’s theme is “Design in Public Space”, and all kinds of design and creativity will be exhibited around the Austrian city. There will be a full programme of exhibitions, festivals and discussions, co-ordinated by Creative Industries Styria (CIS), the creative economy network in Styria which raises awareness of the creative sector on a regional and national level and encourages development of an innovative environment.

Each year since becoming a UNESCO City of Design, Graz has partnered with other such cities around the world during the festival – in 2012 with Buenos Aires, in 2013 Nagoya, last year Saint-Étienne, and this year with Montréal for an exhibition entitled “ICH WAR DORT – MONTRÉAL MEETS GRAZ” (I WAS THERE – MONTRÉAL MEETS GRAZ). It hopes that this kind of collaboration will open doors for designers in both partner countries, as well as allowing festival visitors the chance to see talent and experience the culture from another country.

Aside from the Montréal collaboration, visitors to DesignMonat Graz 2015 will also be able to see the “Selected 2015” exhibition in designHalle, which shows off interior design trends by 52 labels from 22 countries, and the exhibition space will even become a “designSUPERMARKET” in the final weekend of May, where exhibited pieces will be on sale. Outside of designHalle, visitors will also be able to experience design around the city as they explore thirty different shops participating in the event.

We can’t wait to see the talent that the Austrian city will turn out this year, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated!