Prestigious International Magazines Cover the Budapest Select Exhibition at Milan Design Week

The Budapest Select – A VVoven View exhibition, organised by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency, attracted more than 8,000 visitors during Milan Design Week as one of the key venues in the Milan 5VIE design district. There was significant international interest in the exhibition, showcasing works by 24 Hungarian product designers and industrial and fine artists. Renowned international media outlets, such as Dezeen, Designboom, Interni, Archup, and Living magazine, covered the Hungarian section. The installation, made from floating sheets of paper, the 65 selected design objects, and the side events based on the curatorial concept all focused on the artisanal, technological, and cultural connections of contemporary Hungarian design.

Milan Design Week brings almost half a million visitors to Milan each year, including design and architecture students, manufacturers, professional decision-makers, and representatives of the international media. The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA) allowed Hungarian contemporary designers to debut at one of the world’s most prestigious design events for the fourth time, between 7 and 13 April. The Budapest Select – A VVoven View exhibition took place in one of the most significant venues of the programme series, the 5VIE design district during Design Week. Thousands visited the exhibition over the course of the week, including many from renowned architecture firms, galleries, and distributors. In addition, representatives of prestigious professional organisations also visited, including Milan’s Bocconi University, the French design institute Le French Design by VIA, and the European design institute IED – Istituto Europeo di Design.

“The object selection presented under the Budapest Select umbrella brand marked another step in strengthening the international integration of domestic design and further increased the visibility of Hungarian designers on the global stage” – explained Zsófia Jakab, CEO of the HFDA and Ministerial Commissioner for Creative Industry Development and Sectoral Coordination. She added: “We can consider this event a great success, as several prestigious international media outlets – including Designboom, Dezeen, Archup, INTERNI, the Italian NSS Magazine, Designerspace, Living, and Pianeta Design – reported on the Hungarian presence, with further international coverage expected.“

The Agency selected the showcasing designers, the architecture firm that envisioned the space, and the curators responsible for the object selection through an open application process. A jury of industry professionals with international expertise was invited to evaluate the applications. The Hungarian collective exhibition was realised based on a complex, multi-layered concept formulated by the URBA architecture studio with curators Angéla Góg and Barna Erdész. The exhibition focused on the contemporary interpretation of Hungarian creativity, as well as the dialogue between craftsmanship, technology, and sustainability. The central installation of the space – a structure made of floating white paper sheets created based on the principles of generative design – explored the dynamic between artificial intelligence and human creativity. The massive paper sheets featured nearly 27 million characters, recording the conversations between the designer and AI and reflecting on the data abundance generated by artificial intelligence. At the same time, it was emphasised that although AI is a useful tool for the designer, the true process of creation is solely the result of human decision-making. The materials used in the exhibition – the floating paper sheets and the pedestals made from EPS – are all recycled or recyclable, underlining the project's sustainability efforts. The concept of "vvoven" not only referred to traditional craftsmanship techniques but also symbolised the intertwining of different cultural perspectives, technological solutions, and design practices. 

The Budapest Select – A VVoven View selection provided 24 Hungarian creators with debuting opportunities. The creators represent different perspectives and diverse backgrounds – the 65 objects featured in the exhibition showcase the diversity of contemporary Hungarian design with works that blend social sensitivity, technological thinking, and material experimentation and operate at the boundary between autonomous artistic attitudes and functional object design. 

The approach behind the curatorial selection was also reflected in the accompanying programme of events, which aimed to bring visitors closer to the mindset of Hungarian design and to showcase the cultural and craft traditions that are embedded in both the technology and concept of the exhibited pieces. For example, illustrator Juli Jásdi brought Budapest’s iconic cityscape closer to the audience through a large-scale community installation, while ethnographer and folk applied artist Beatrix Jókainé Gombosi revived object-making practices associated with the Easter period through the traditional techniques of egg painting. In addition, contemporary music performances, a folk dance show, and a Hungarian wine tasting offered visitors a chance to discover the flavours, sounds, and culture of Hungary.

About the designers showcasing the diversity of Hungarian creativity: 

Bori Segesdi’s decades-long practice focuses on the contemporary reinterpretation of porcelain art. While Daniella Koós explores the relationship between playful functionality and social sensitivity through her own brand, Dávid Szauder, a visual artist and thinker, examines the interplay between artificial intelligence and human creativity. The founders of DEGA Design, Ágnes Deli and Endre Gaál, focus on the fusion of sustainability and craft traditions. In the sensitive, sculpture-like furniture of Demeter Fogarasi, a dialogue between emotions, space, and functionality unfolds, while Dorottya Sinkó-Kalocsai, combining her experience in fine arts and education, creates interactive, community-oriented works. Éva Anna Gulácsi founded her EVAANNA brand, which focuses on handles and door levers, by placing traditional metalworking in a contemporary context. Máté Horváth, founder of Forms Design, works at the intersection of traditional woodcraft and contemporary product design, with his objects based on material knowledge, engineering precision, and playful functionality. The design duo of freeform.ourcollective, Eszter Bolgár and Tímea Csitári, create at the boundaries of interior architecture, while Gábor Góbi is a committed advocate of slow design and environmental consciousness. Henriett Barabás brings her cultural sensitivity from her modelling background into geometric forms, while István Dukai expresses himself through the tools of minimal art and visual systematics. József Kovács (Juszuffceramics) and Móni Kovács (KOMONKA Textile) create new material qualities and visual fabrics in the fields of ceramics and textiles. Dóra Tarcsi’s brand, Make Sail, launched in 2024, focuses on reinterpreting sailcloth materials no longer used in domestic sailing culture. Their first collection, named Bouy, merges functionality with the aesthetics of maritime signalling systems in lighting objects suitable for both outdoor and indoor use. The founders of Maniko, Lili Pammer and Tamás Boldizsár, reimagined the functional aspects of pet ownership through design, while Mátyás Zagiba conducts local material research as a contemporary reflection of Gömör pottery. Orsolya Horváth explores the relationship between digital and physical realities, while Sarolt Sógor’s intuitive objects and jewellery make the silent dialogues between humans and objects perceptible. Apol Temesi, a material researcher and textile designer, explores the acoustic and ecological possibilities of wool, while Szaffi Asbóth and Flóra Bodnár (SUSU Keramika) find aesthetic value in the unpredictability of handmade objects. Anikó Szabó works with complex weaving techniques inspired by nature, while the exhibited creators of VUUV Works, Eszter Kunos and Liliána Mészáros, explore the harmony between timeless object creation, craftsmanship, and ethical design.

About the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency was founded in 2018 to support every actor in the fashion and creative industries in an efficient and structured way, following predetermined strategic pillars: professional coordination, enhancing Hungarian brands’ availability and trade opportunities, educational development and manufacturing development. To realise its goals, HFDA organises domestic events each year, such as the region’s major fashion event, the Budapest Central European Fashion Week, the Budapest Design Week, or the internationally awarded 360 Design Budapest exhibition. Besides, they provide Hungarian creators with opportunities to participate and debut at international professional events such as the Milano Fashion Week or the Maison&Objet and the Milan Design Week design fairs. Their primary tasks include strategic cooperation with professional organisations, increasing exports, and supporting Hungarian brands’ professional development with mentoring programmes.

About Budapest Select

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency created the Budapest Select umbrella brand based on international best practices to make Hungarian brands more easily identifiable during foreign appearances. The brand aims to provide bigger visibility for talented domestic designers during international appearances through strong and unified communication while retaining their individual characteristics.