Selection results
Curatorial team for the Slovenian presentation at Milan Design Week 2025

The project MATERIAL BAR, by the team of Bor Pungerčič, Katarina Dekleva, Rok Oblak and Boris Kralj, was selected in a call for proposals by the Centre for Creativity for a curatorial presentation at Milan Design Week 2025. The group will receive a prize of 5,000 eur and production funds of 70,000 eur will be made available for the presentation.
The expert committee recognized the project, submitted by a group of experienced and renowned authors, for its conceptual excellence, originality, recognisability, and boldness. In addition to the well-crafted concept, the proposal is distinguished by its dynamic presentation and sustainable approach. A particularly striking feature is the vivid and interactive presentation, which involves both the project’s exhibitors and the visitors of Milan Design Week. The interaction among daily creative processes, which interconnect, further enriches the presentation and makes it more accessible and engaging. In light of the sustainable approach, the committee also acknowledged a strong commitment to investing in human resources, reflecting a focus on the development of knowledge and collaboration rather than the use of new materials. This highlights the project’s long-term vision and its responsibility toward a sustainable future.
Statement by the winning curatorial group for project MATERIAL BAR (Bor Pungerčič, Katarina Dekleva, Rok Oblak and Boris Kralj):
“The central concept of Slovenia’s presentation at the 2025 Milan Design Week highlights innovative, environmentally, and socially responsible design practices that not only sustain livelihoods through their processes but also build and improve the world around them.
It is a temporary base where creators persist with limited resources, connect, and shape a new Slovenian design identity. It emphasizes social capital and the related societal contributions generated by the featured practices. Designed as an open space, the activities and processes are presented as social events.
The exhibition is rooted in the principles of ‘action design’—an approach focused on the practical testing and real-time adaptation of ideas. Participating designers, through their sustainability-oriented processes, have established autonomous practices that transcend trends and commercial norms. Slovenia, through this pavilion, presents its social and material diversity, showcasing how design can emerge from local resources, reuse, and natural materials.
The pavilion underscores the importance of collaboration and co-creation for success in contemporary design, where every effort contributes to a rich ecosystem of creativity and sustainability.”
Curatorial concept:
The central concept of Slovenia’s presentation at Milan Design Week 2025 highlights innovative, environmentally, and socially responsible design practices that not only sustain themselves through their work but also build and improve the world around them. The presentation is designed as an interactive demonstration of creative processes. In addition to exhibited products and artifacts, the space will host collective events such as a temporary restaurant, workshops, and a club. It is a community space, a dynamic and hospitable social hub that remains open to engagement.
The exhibition is based on the principles of “action design”—an approach that focuses on practical actions, testing ideas in everyday use, and real-time adaptation based on feedback. Design unfolds through specific actions and interactions involving users, materials, and unique environments. “Action design” merges creativity with real-time responsiveness, emphasizing ideation and collaboration to develop innovative solutions for contemporary challenges.
The selected projects and designers have successfully incorporated these principles into their daily practices for years. Through design and mjuarketing processes, they have developed autonomous practices, proving that there are always new ways of operating that can inspire future generations of designers. Their ideas stem from their creative aspirations, market needs, and sustainable approaches grounded in material availability.
The exhibition will be presented at Alcova, as part of Milan Design Week 2025, and serves as a showcase for Slovenia’s innovative and sustainable design practices. Alcova, known for hosting cutting-edge, experimental, and socially conscious design projects, provides the perfect platform for highlighting the country’s commitment to creativity, collaboration, and sustainability.
The project is part of CzK’s internationalization programs, through which the center aims to incorporate a diverse range of young-generation curators, designers, collectives, and other professionals into the selection and presentation of contemporary Slovenian design and creative production. Together with the Centre for Creativity, they will develop the final concept for presenting contemporary Slovenian design at various international venues.