Biennial of Design (BIO)

The BIO - Biennial of Industrial Design is one of a few international biennial exhibitions dedicated to showcasing industrial, product, and graphic design work selected by professional design institutions. Established in 1963, and held in Ljubljana since 1964, the Biennial of Industrial Design is one of the world’s oldest international design events that has developed an excellent reputation. The main exhibition is organised by the BIO Secretariat, which operates under the aegis of the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana since the museum’s founding in 1972. Decisions on all essential elements of the exhibition, with the exception of the judging, are taken by the organising committee that consists of representatives of Ljubljana Urban Municipality, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS) and the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana.

The BIO Secretariat is a member of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID), ICOGRADA (International Council of Graphic Design Associations), and the Bureau of European Designers' Associations (BEDA), all of which nominate representatives to participate in the BIO’s international juries and present special excellence awards at each biennial.

In October 2010 the 22st Biennial of Industrial Design opens at the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana, Fužine Castle with works exhibited in three groups: Products, Product graphics and Information design, and Concepts.

Background

The Biennial of Industrial Design was founded as an exhibition which also demonstrated the capacity of the economy from the point of view of design. In the past, the biennial exhibitions were held at various locations in Ljubljana. In 2004 BIO 19 was for the first time held in the vast exhibition space at Fužine Castle in Ljubljana, also the home of the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana and the BIO Secretariat.

The 21st Biennial of Industrial Design in 2008 has been modernised in many ways. The BIO awards were redesign, and the entire event received a new corporate identity, designed by the GigoDesign, one of the award-winners of the 20th Biennial. The BIO 21 international Selection Committee has for the first time in BIO history examined all entries equally, be it industrial design and visual communications items or design concepts. The online registration for BIO 21 was possible for the first time.

The 20th Biennial of October 2006 presented over 350 exhibits by designers from 17 countries (Slovene designers contributed 111 works), including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Croatia, Italy, Japan, China, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Exhibits were presented in three groups: regular industrial products, visual messages, and design projects. The venues of the Biennial varied (in the centre of the city, at the castle, etc). A fringe programme was also organised, including panels, exhibitions by foreign designers, presentations by publishing houses and meetings of designer organisations, held in different cities of Slovenia. An international jury made up of Francisco Carrera (Spain), Judit Varhelyi (Hungary), Leimei Julia Chiu (Japan), Jacques Lange (South Africa) and Carlo Branzaglia (Italy) awarded gold medals, honourable mentions and 'good project' awards. Awards were also conferred by Radio-Television Slovenia (RTV Slovenia) and the international designers' associations ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design), ICOGRADA (International Council of Graphic Design Association),the Bureau of European Designers' Associations (BEDA) and EIDD (Design For All Europe).

Mission

The Biennial of Industrial Design is a cultural event directly linked to various sectors, naming industry, the economy, the design profession, innovation, education, and development. Through its work BIO Secretariat brings the activities of industry and the profession closer to the general public – spreading the awareness about the importance and development of industrial design, promoting the Slovene design abroad, and presenting contemporary trends in a world of industrial design at home. In addition to the main BIO exhibition, many accompanying events take place during the period of the biennial – exhibitions, lectures, panel discussions, creative workshops for children and young people, and educational workshops for adults, among others.

Awards

The awards of the Biennial of Industrial Design are the BIO Gold Medal, the BIO Quality Concept Award, BIO Honourable Mentions, and the BIO Award for a Student Work. Selected by a prestigious international jury, the BIO Awards are presented at the opening ceremony, and represent a recognition of quality in design. All awarded works of the Biennial of Industrial Design are included in the international design collection of the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana.

International cooperation

BIO consolidated its orientation and independence in 1977 when it became an associate member of the ICSID. It then widened its international connections with the professional patronage of ICOGRADA, and finally through associate membership of the BEDA. The BIO Secretariat is also a partner in the SEE project (Sharing Experience Europe: Policy Innovation Design).

In 2008 the Biennial of Industrial Design expanded its international promotion and cooperation to incorporate some of the most important international design organisations. BIO 21 was therefore advertised in all countries of the European Union and also in USA, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa and Japan. During the exhibition BIO 21 hosted a presentation of DME Award (Design Management Europe Award), attended by the most notable experts on design and management in the world.

In autumn 2009 the traveling exhibition of BIO 21 award-winners was showcased in Tallin, Estonia in cooperation with Estonian Association of Designers (EDL) as part of the Design Night 2009 event, and in Riga, Latvia in cooperation with Design Information Center (DIC) as part of the Riga International Young Designers Biennial. The exhibition showed also the selection of Slovene works that were on display at the 21th Biennial of Industrial Design.

External links

Biennial of Design (BIO)

Contents

Background

Mission

Awards

International cooperation

See also

External links

Operated by

Financed by