Design Biotop

Consisting of lectures, workshops and discussions, Design Biotop was first held in 2013. Reflecting on the social, political and economic dimensions of design and 'design thinking', this self-styled 'experiential conference' has an explicit trans-disciplinary nature, addressing not only those involved in design itself (like for example architects) but also artists and various types of policy makers and private enterprises.

The main organiser of this typically three-day long 'discussion platform' is the 3rdHand Association (also responsible for Independent Biennial). However, there are usually other partners involved and as of 2015, the main venue and co-producer is the Museum of Architecture and Design MAO.

Venus and partners

In 2016 Design Biotop became a member of Future Architecture, a pan-European platform of architecture museums, festivals and producers, led by MAO.

Other venues for the conference include Kino Šiška and the Poligon Creative Centre, with part of the programme also hosted by Centralna postaja Ljubljana. Of the many partners involved, one can name the Biennial of Design (BIO), the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Ljudmila Art and Science Laboratory as well as several state actors like SPIRIT, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.

The conference is also part of the Artist Talk project, sharing video recordings of the featured lectures.

Programme

Typically the event is comprised of workshops (sometimes denoted as experimental participatory workshop), mixed with presentations and discussions and followed by lectures, all gravitating around a given theme. Participation in any of these is free (but dependant of upfront registration), yet some events are open only for the workshop participants. All Design Biotop events are partly a call for action from all levels of society, striving to nurture active participation and the ethics of co-working and open sharing.

Of the past focuses one can mention Data project (2014, focusing on the potential of data visualization in decision making processes and the potential of such visualizations in understanding and solving complex problems). Design Biotop was awarded best accompanying event of BIO 50:NOW.

In 2015, focus was Design Innovation Challenge, emphasising the search for new ways of solving social problems, based on cooperation between different levels of society and a range of departments. This involved a cooperation of four Ministries, Government Office and a Regional Agency (MIZŠ, MJU, MK, MGRT, SVRK and RRA LUR). These bodies were involved in a several months long process choosing and defining the content of the challenges under the supervision of Marco Steinberg. During the event the work took place in closed groups, in which participants from the public administrations were be joined by selected designers, artists, entrepreneurs and managers.

Space and Behaviour was the 2016 theme, bringing togethe creative individuals and experts from the field of design, architecture and urban planning (selected through the Future Architecture platform - best young creative’s open call) to find new inspirations for future development of the City of Ljubljana.

In 2017, the topic is Space and Perception (2017).

Guests and lecturers

Of the guest speakers from abroad, there is a certain Finnish bias, with five of the guests coming from there for the intiial event. Among them was the Finnish system designer Marcko Steinberg, who was later invited to a few further events (holding lectures titled Redesigning Our Future / Cities, government, innovation). Other guests include Lauri Repokari (Stanford University), Léopold Lambert a Paris-based architect and the editor-in-chief of The Funambulist and is the author of several books about the political relationship of architecture and bodies), Lavinia Scaletti (an architectural and urban designer living and working in London), Juuso Koponen (a Helsinki-based information designer, writer, educator and DJ), Clément Blanchet (a French architect, teacher and critic, actively practicing in the fields of architectural theory, urbanism, and cultural investigations),

Of the numerous representatives from Slovenia, they feature internet artist Vuk Čosić, rapper N'Toko, Boštjan Botas Kenda (graphic designer, associate professor and dean at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, founder of Studiobotas), Narvika Bovcon, Aleš Vaupotič, etc.

Aleksandra Zarek - Ljubljana as a designer clean-tech hub (closing presentation) by Tretaroka Design Biotop on YouTube

External links

Gallery

Collaborative work at the self-styled "experiential conference" Design Biotop, 2014

During one of the editions of Design Biotop the participants, coming from the public administrations, were joined for workshops by selected designers, artists, and entrepreneurs. Pictured here at Kino Šiška, 2015

Redesigning Our Future / Cities, government, innovation, an open lecture by Marc Steinberg at the Museum of Architecture and Design, 2015

A workshop taking place during Design Biotop, 2015

Design Biotop

Contents

Venus and partners

Programme

Guests and lecturers

See also

External links

Gallery

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