More Than 200 Design Objects and Artworks Will Be Displayed at the 360 Design Budapest Exhibition
The 360 Design Budapest exhibition, organised for the fifth time by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA), will open to the public this year at a site known as an architectural masterpiece of the past. The exhibition, featuring international and Hungarian creators, returns in 2024 with a fresh concept, now as the central show of Budapest Design Week, organised by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA).
The Red Dot Award-winning 360 Design Budapest exhibition will open its doors to the public for the fifth time between the 15th and the 20th of October, 2024, presenting international and domestic creators’ works. The exhibition aims to introduce the values and opportunities of the design and creative sectors to the audience as widely as possible and present the high quality, cultural diversity, and hundreds of years of traditions of the Hungarian and international material culture in 360 degrees. The event will not only strengthen the relations between contemporary Hungarian design brands and industry- and fine artists but also offer an opportunity to meet and a professional platform for different local and international creative industry players, thus enhancing competitiveness and the development of a creative industry ecosystem. In the future, 360 Design Budapest will promote collaborations between creative industry actors as the number one professional platform of Budapest Design Week.
“The fifth anniversary of the 360 Design Budapest regional exhibition is a milestone. Year by year, the exhibition attracts thousands of visitors, allowing more local and international artists to debut than ever due to the record number of entries this year. From a cultural aspect, design and arts intersect in many ways and this year’s 360 Design Budapest aims to showcase this as well, welcoming visitors to the historic former waiting hall of Nyugati Railway Station, a location selected in collaboration with the Ministry of Construction and Transport. This is one of the region’s most prominent exhibitions, and our choice of venue not only reflects the event’s role as a connecting bridge but also aligns with the goal set by the Ministry for National Economy to establish Hungary and Budapest as leading centres for the creative industries and design in the region. Similar events serve as a tool to strengthen the creative industry ecosystem, which, in the long run, contributes to increasing the sector’s competitiveness, facilitates entry into the international scene, and promotes the global integration of creative industry players,” stated Zsófia Jakab, Ministerial Commissioner for Creative Industry Development and Sectoral Coordination, and CEO of the HFDA.
This October, the exhibition at Nyugati Railway Station will have several hundred square metres available to showcase the record number of entries submitted during the application process. The central and grandiose venue, symbolising the connection between East and West, reflects the encounter, fusion, and synergy of the local and international design scenes, aligning perfectly with the event’s value-creating and value-preserving strategy. In addition to the renovated spaces and those under reconstruction gaining new functions, the event offers an opportunity to showcase these historical locations and highlight their rich past.
The 360 Design Budapest installation reflects the industrial character and renovation of the space. The arrangement principle allows for a 360-degree exploration of outstanding examples of both international and Hungarian object culture. The installation space also features domestic manufacturers, who present their work through unique setups to the professional audience.
The exhibition’s curatorial concept highlights the cultural depths of Hungarian applied arts and design, demonstrating how these disciplines have become central pillars of national identity over the centuries. 360 Design Budapest showcases how the rich aesthetic traditions of Art Nouveau and Art Deco are reinterpreted in contemporary designers’ works, while also emphasising sustainability through the circular economy and long-lasting solutions.
The HFDA announced calls for submissions in three exhibition categories—Brand Product, Collectible Design, and Prototypes and/or Digital Designs—for emerging creators, product designers, and students in industrial and visual arts. The call for submissions received a record-breaking number of entries, with over 90 works submitted, surpassing previous years. A professional jury selected the most outstanding pieces for inclusion in the exhibition concept. HFDA provided a separate opportunity for applications by emerging creators, product designers, and artists, as a result of which, this year, nearly 30 young talents will debut their works at 360 Design Budapest.
This year, a “Meet the Designer and Manufacturer” networking event will be held to encourage connections within the professional community. Additionally, the event will feature on-site discussions and exclusive guided tours. Vitáris Iván and Barbara Schoblocher will present the exhibition from a musical arts perspective, while Márton Nemes and Zoltán Tombor will focus on the fine arts aspect. The guided tour roster will also include actress Zsófia Szamosi and TikTok creator Adél Keller. The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency places significant focus on education and knowledge sharing, thus, it provides free, experience-based professional guided tours for vocational and higher education institutions, their students and teachers. The partners for the 2024 360 Design Budapest exhibition include Art Market Budapest, the Museum of Applied Arts, and Bayer Construct Zrt., with ELLE Decoration interior design magazine serving as the event’s media partner.
As in previous years, the programme series will be attended by prominent figures from the international trade press, who will have the opportunity to explore Budapest’s iconic locations, cultural heritage, and exceptional culinary delights through a diverse hospitality tour.
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About the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency
The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency was founded in 2018 to support every actor in the fashion and design industries in an efficient and structured way, following predetermined strategic pillars: professional coordination, enhancing Hungarian brands’ availability and trade opportunities, educational development and manufacturing development. To realise their goals, HFDA organises domestic events each year, such as the region’s major fashion event, the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, or the 360 Design Budapest exhibition, which has received international awards. Besides, they provide Hungarian creators opportunities for participation and debuting at international professional events such as the Milano Fashion Week. Strategic cooperation with professional organisations, increasing exports, and supporting Hungarian brands’ professional development with mentoring programmes are among their accentuated goals.
360 Design Budapest
The 360 Design Budapest event series, organised yearly by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency, draws attention to the everyday role of design surrounding us in 360 degrees. The event aims to make Hungarian and regional product designers more widely known using modern tools, help domestic design brands enter the international market, and present new, innovative, sustainable directions for the target audience interested in design. By realising the event, the Agency wants to help Hungary become a regional centre in the design industry and wants to create a programme which is attractive to tourists from all around Europe.
