This year, 360 Design Budapest opens its doors between 9 and 19 October in the Buda Castle District, in the late baroque palace under 1 Táncsis Mihály Street. The dialogue between the historic building and the contemporary object culture lends the exhibition a truly special atmosphere. This year, the exhibition concept also emphasises the intertwining of past and present, showcasing the objects in the context of a historical cultural background and formal heritage. Once again, prominent figures in the design scene will help visitors uncover the invisible threads that link the exhibition’s elements. In addition, writers, musicians, actors, and content creators from connected fields of art will also offer exclusive guided tours, leading visitors through the exhibition space with a lighter, more subjective approach. Registration is now open for the free programmes offering unforgettable experiences on the exhibition’s registration platform.
The exhibition, having twice received one of the world’s most prestigious design awards, the Red Dot Award, is again showcasing works by Hungarian and regional design brands, product designers, and applied and fine artists. Those interested can view nearly 400 small series or unique creations with artistic value, furniture, home accessories, and mass-producible design objects, gaining an understanding of the latest trends in contemporary object culture.
In discovering the exhibition, visitors are accompanied by exclusive tour guides who provide either professional insight or inspiring perspectives along the way. Thanks to the diverse approaches, everyone can find the tour that matches their interest, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience. But who are they? Let’s get to know the exclusive tour guides of this year’s exhibition.
The guides who will contribute to the high-quality, professional understanding of the exhibition are:
Barna Erdész, gallery owner and curator of the 360DBP exhibition, lifts the veil during his guided tour on the meaning of the exhibition’s motto, the selection of objects, the relationship between the exhibition space and the works, and, most importantly, the dialogue that the objects create across generations, eras, and stories.
Dr Judit Horváth, Head of the Contemporary Design Department at the Museum of Applied Arts and of the MOME Craft and Design Knowledge Centre, approaches this year’s 360 Design Budapest exhibition through the perspective of the master-apprentice relationship. The exhibition also features objects from the Museum of Applied Arts’ collection whose designers were once students and teachers at the former College of Applied Arts (today MOME), or are currently teaching at MOME. In addition, she presents, as part of a separate guided tour, the Sándor Borz Kováts Selection on view within the 360DBP exhibition, for which she serves as curator.
Judit Osvárt, the editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration, will introduce the exhibited objects to the audience in a wider context. During her tour, she not only highlights design and art-historical contexts but also reveals material and technological details that may not be immediately apparent, bringing the creators’ work and sources of inspiration behind the objects into focus.
Blanka Bán, art historian and cultural manager, guides visitors through stories and fascinating connections that offer a fresh perspective on both the creators behind the works and the world around us. During the tour, she will actively explore connections with various artistic disciplines, showing how these links help visitors appreciate the objects and their context in a professional yet experiential way.
Mary Karyda, leader and researcher of the MOME Ecology & Action Lab, sees design and art as a tool for dialogue and debate. In her English-language tour, she will open pathways for interpretation and encourage her audience to approach the exhibited works with both critical thinking and imagination.
Márton Pintér, creative director and university lecturer, aims to draw participants’ attention to the significance of the objects through a critical perspective.
The exhibition is not only exciting from a professional perspective. Let’s meet the artists whose subjective guided tours offer visitors a glimpse into both the world of contemporary design and their own creative universe!
As a fashion expert, Bence Csalár explores how different design trends have influenced clothing and style, and how the fashion ideals of the era are reflected in objects.
For György Dragomán, by his own admission, material culture is important, as his writings often feature intriguing, sometimes fictional, objects, mechanisms, garments, and jewellery. His guided tour will reveal how exhibited objects can inspire the writer’s creativity through association.
Angéla Eke, actress, puppeteer, and performer, believes that every work created by a person is unique and unrepeatable, as both our thoughts and emotional experiences influence the final creation. During her tour, she will explore the visions that come to life within her.
During his subjective guided tour, Dr Levente András Farkas, lawyer and content creator, reveals how thought, perception, and human presence converge within the exhibited objects.
Dorina Toppler holds a degree in renewable energy engineering, yet her true passion lies in movement and promoting a healthy lifestyle. As a content creator, she inspires women, and during her tour, she offers a glimpse into her distinctive perspective. Participants will learn which memories the exhibited objects evoke for her and how they serve as a source of inspiration.
Simon Szabó, actor and director, highlights objects that, through personal connection and interest, evoke memories and inspiring thoughts for him.
Those interested in how contemporary art shapes pop culture — including fashion, music, and visual language — and how pop culture, in turn, inspires the visual arts, as well as how the exhibition responds to social processes, are encouraged to register for a guided tour with Norbert Oláh, visual artist, where these questions will be explored.
On his tour, Botond Wertán, photographer, offers visitors a thoroughly visual interpretation of the exhibition, approaching it from the intersection of photography and design, with a focus on visual narrative, composition, the ways objects are captured, and their interpretation.
The event’s programmes are free to attend but require registration. If you would like to immerse yourself in the exciting world of contemporary material culture, register for our exclusive guided tours. The detailed programme is available HERE. You can register HERE.