9th International Industrial Design Contest: Primal Chair 2023

2023.05.22-2023.08.23

Worldwide

The purpose of the competition
The Festival of Wood invites open applications to the International Contest (Primal)Chair. The grand jury will select 3 authors or groups of authors who will be presented at the award ceremony during the Festival of Wood 2023.
Participation in the contest is open to all designers, students and authors worldwide and above 18 years.
When thinking about Kočevsko a picture of magnificent forest landscape with intact nature and diverse animal world with bears, wolves and lynxes emerges in one’s mind. But Kočevsko has another special secret hiding in endless forests as a precious pearl. These are silent in secret remnants of primeval nature in Europe, in fact the few rare virgin forests in Europe. Slovenia has 14 virgin forests, 6 of them are in the region Kočevsko on the surface of almost 219 ha. The largest is the virgin forest Krokar that was put on the UNESCO world heritage list in 2017.
The Festival of Wood invites open applications to the 9th International Industrial Design Contest of a wooden chair as a tribute to the primeval forests of Kočevska region.

By taking part in this design competition, you get a chance to materialise your design idea in the primeval forest – contemporary human relation. The aim is to create a simple, functional and ergonomically designed chair, which will, in addition to its primary function, raise awareness of the user (contemporary person) about the importance of coexistence between man and nature.

Awards
First award:
Money prize 1000 eur (pre-tax) prototype production + free board costs at the Bearlog hostel during the Festival of wood 2023 (4 nights) + guided tour to the brink of the virgin forest of Kočevsko+certificate.

Second award:
-prototype production
-certificate

Important dates
Call for entries: 22rd May 2023
Deadline for entries: 28th August 2023
Selection of winners by the grand jury: 7th September 2023
Award ceremony: Festival of Wood 2023, 5th October 2023, Kočevje

The Contest is invited by
Festival lesa, z.o.o., so.p.
Partners
Regional Institute for Tourism Kočevsko, Municipality of Kočevje, Kočevski les Timber Management of Municipality owned forests, Gimnazija in Srednja šola Kočevje, Business incubator Kočevje


Judging criteria
The entries will be evaluated according to the following 4 aspects:
1. design aspect; (innovativeness, functionality, aesthetics, feasibility
2. material selection; taking into account the use of wood as a primary material
3. marketing stance; usefulness and market applicability
4. presentation; clear and high-quality presentation of entry presentation)
Every member of the grand jury will evaluate each entry according to one of the five aspects by the individual judging criteria. Jury’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

The Grand Jury members
Prof. Janez Suhadolc,
architect, designer and carpenter, retired professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana,

Prof. Salih Teskeredžić,
architect and product designer, a professor at the Sarajevo Academy of Fine Arts, cofounder and creative director of Gazzda brand, winner of multiple international design contests,

Nikola Radeljković
founder and member of Numen/ForUse group, artistic director of the brand Nunc and a guest teacher at numerous design schools,

Prof. Rok Kuhar
architect and product designer, Head of the Industrial Design Department at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana, cofounder of Studio Raketa that works in the field of graphic and product design,

Primož Jeza
architect and designer, assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture and at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana, founder of the design studio PRIMOZJEZASTUDIO, author of the book Interier Primož Jeza 9+1, winner of many design contests,

Miha Klinar
designer, assistant professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana, cofounder and creative director of the design studio Gigodesign, leader of design researches in the field of design strategies in studio Sito, leader of Competence centres for design management,

Doc. Mojca Perše,
architect and interior designer, assistant professor at the Department for Interior design and Vice-dean for Artistic activities at the Faculty of Design in Ljubljana, Head of the Laboratory for Creative industries at the Faculty of Design in Ljubljana,

Natalija Lapajne,
museum counsellor at The Museum for Architecture and Design, member of interdisciplinary work group for adding the works of Jože Plečnik to UNESCO list, author of exhibitions (Ne)uresničeni parlament, Igra igrače and Niko Kralj,

Albin Škalič,
carpentry engineer, CEO of the company Murales,

Andrej Palman,
carpentry engineer, expert associate of Business incubator Kočevje.



cash prize award: $ 108,170.00 USD