Mikser Organization is proudly presenting the winners of this year’s edition of the Young Balkan Designers 2022 regional competition, whose theme “Life Hacks for Health and Wellbeing” encouraged young designers to think beyond the limits of mass, industrial production and pave the way for sustainable, simple, affordable and personalized solutions.
The competition open for young creatives from the entire Balkans received a total of 111 works by 125 designers from 9 countries in the region: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia and Turkey.
The international jury of the Mikser competition gathered relevant experts in the field of contemporary design and art, such as Marcus Fairs, founder and editor-in-chief of one of the world’s most influential design portals Dezeen.com; alumni of the Young Balkan Designers platform, now accomplished young creators: Ana Kras, a multi-talented artist and designer from Serbia who works and lives in the USA; Vasso Asfi and Loukas Angelou, design tandem StudioLav from Greece who are successfully building a career in the UK; Jovana Zhang, co-founder of the award-winning design team Pinwu from China which combines traditional crafts with contemporary experimental design; Denis Leo Hegic, designer and curator of the Berlin Informal Art Scene, founder of the creative studio Supermarket Lab and the Unblock Art Fair in Germany, as well as the virtual Museum of Now.
Evaluating innovativeness, applicability of design solutions and their potential impact on healthier and sustainable lifestyle, the jury selected 15 winning projects:
- +1 – Milan Kajganic, Serbia
- AVID – Ena Begičević Čeliković, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- BIOCARPET– Arpad Pulai, Serbia
- ELENA. – Eva Garibaldi, Slovenia
- ESTIS – George Andriotis & George Bosnas (GA&GB), Greece
- FORM FOLLOWS CULTURE – Nada Elkharashi, Turkey
- INTERIOR GREENHOUSE – Doroteya Chelnieva, Bulgaria
- IO – Mehmed Mešanović, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- MEENGHE – Đurđa Garčević, Serbia
- POLICNIK– Tadej Urh, Slovenia
- SUBVERSION – Tijana Kostic, Serbia
- THE LAST JAR OF HONEY – Katarina Trpčić, Croatia
- TOT – Milan Kajganic, Serbia
- VAL – Andraž Rudi Vrhovšek, Slovenia
- VOZICHEK – Matko Plovanić, Croatia
The winners of the Young Balkan Designers 2022 competition will participate in the international talent exhibition “Salone Satellite” within the world’s most prominent design event – the International Furniture Fair in Milan 2022, which will take place from 7 to 12 June 2022.
Through the mentorship of the YBD expert team consisting of the co-founders of the YBD platform, Maja Lalic, founder of Mikser Organization and Jelena Matic, professor at the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade, and renowned industrial designer Nikola Radeljkovic from Numen / For Use (Croatia), selected authors will have an opportunity to further develop and perfect their ideas for the group show in Milan.
After the world premiere, the awarded projects will be presented to the regional audience at the Mikser Festival, one of the most relevant regional festivals of creativity and social innovation, which will take place in Belgrade at the beginning of October 2022.