Valencia, 2 December 2021 – The Senior Curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), Paola Antonelli, will give the keynote speech with which Valencia will begin its program of international activities as World Design Capital in 2022. Her talk is entitled “Design Rules: Activism, idealism, cynicism, and pragmatism in contemporary design”.
At the event, the 20th Andreu World International Design Contest Awards will be presented, announcing this year’s winners, which will recognize the best sustainable design projects, in an event carried out in collaboration with the World Design Organization (WDO). The ceremony will be attended by the jury chaired by the designer Philippe Starck and composed of the journalist Chantal Hamaide; the architect Rafael de La-Hoz; the CEO of Good Design; and the aforementioned Paola Antonelli.
The Andreu World International Design Contest celebrates its 20th anniversary in its most special edition, focused on projects that incorporate greater environmental sensitivity, both in the use of materials and in their own life cycle, as well as greater involvement in fair, local and social trade.
Sustainable design, the theme of this edition
Andreu World and the World Design Organization (WDO) have joined forces to promote this edition of the Andreu World International Design Contest, based on the sustainable design of a seat and/or table. The WDO is an international organization that promotes the industrial design profession and its ability to generate better products and systems, more competitive business and industry, and ultimately a better environment and society. As the international voice of industrial design, the WDO promotes awareness of design-driven innovation that has the power to create a better world. It has special consultative status with the United Nations, collaborating as an active member working to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda by involving more than 150 member organizations, including Andreu World, and carrying out programming that includes global events such as World Design Talks, World Design Impact Prize, World Industrial Design Day, Interdesign and World Design Capital®, which has appointed the city of Valencia for 2022.
Supporting emerging talent
The first prize of the Andreu World International Design Contest is €5,000; the second prize is €2,500, and there will be three special mentions of €1,000 each. The contest is aimed at both young students and professionals in the sector, with no age limit. The pieces (chairs or tables) must be original, and may not have been previously marketed or published.
One of the longest running international design competitions
Since its inception in 2001, the Andreu World International Design Contest has become an international showcase to support and promote promising new designers. To date, more than 30,000 contestants from 124 countries on 5 continents and more than 200 international schools of design and architecture have participated.
