Menu
The twelfth edition of Czech Design Week, in addition to its main exhibitions at Mánes Gallery and Clam-Gallas Palace, also offers a rich accompanying program. This includes not only a series of lectures and discussions at Mánes Gallery but also three prominent exhibitions in the Baroque palace, the ceremonial presentation of the Czech Design Award: Ploom Edition, and a special program at the legendary Slavia café.
Clam-Gallas Palace has been one of the main venues of the festival for several years. In addition to the New Generation exhibition, this year it will also offer three accompanying exhibitions that demonstrate how broad and inspiring the connection between design, art, and architecture can be.
The exhibition Skydrift (František Jungvirt, Jiří Bartoš, Jan Slanina, curator Karolína Juřicová) will transform part of the palace into an artistic chapel space. Jungvirt will present a collection of vases Feather Animals featuring figures of endangered birds, whose cracked surface symbolizes the fragility of nature. Jiří Bartoš's paintings evoke cloudy landscapes, oscillating between gentle memories and the drama of a storm. Architect and artist Jan Slanina will complement the installation with neon elements that rhythmize the space's architecture. The atmosphere is completed by a soundscape prepared in collaboration with the Czech Society for Ornithology – authentic recordings of birds from protected areas. The result is a multi-layered space of silence and listening, connecting the world of art with an environmental appeal.
.jpg)
Mimo formát is a solo exhibition by glass artist Pavlína Šváchová (curator Lenka Sýkorová). The artist explores the boundaries of lampwork glass, where drawing emerges from the surface and transforms into a spatial trace. Glass rods – a fundamental element of her work – become lines that convey tension, fragility, and color. The installation works with light and shadows and reveals drawing as a living spatiotemporal process. Here, the viewer observes how traditional craft transforms into intermedial art with surprising power.
The exhibition avu selekce (Mikuláš Juráček, Cyril Jakubička, Pavel Petřík, Martin Kolář, curator Lukáš Pipek) showcases four artists associated with the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Each artist approaches the mediums of painting and sculpture differently – from material experimentation and playful exaggeration to reflections on everyday life or expressive decadence. 'Their work already developed a clear signature during their studies and shows who will shape the Czech art scene in the coming years,' says curator Lukáš Pipek. The exhibition is thus not just a probe into current work, but also a generational statement that points the direction for the emerging generation.
Clam-Gallas Palace Courtyard, Husova 158/20, Prague.
.jpg)
The grand finale of the festival will be the awards ceremony Czech Design Award: Ploom Edition, which will take place on Sunday, September 14th, at 5 PM in the Mánes Gallery. This special edition, themed Tradition allowed designers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to reinterpret cultural and craft heritage for a contemporary context.
The winning projects are:
The awards were decided by an expert jury comprised of prominent figures in Czech and international design, including František Jungvirt, Jan Černý, Lukáš Pipek, and Kasia Fornalska.
The Czech Design Award was established to support new talents, and is therefore associated with František Jungvirt's iconic glass vase – a symbol of recognition and craft tradition. It is produced in a limited edition at the AJETO glassworks in Lindava and has become an integral part of the festival.
This year's new feature is a program at Café Slavia, a legendary venue on Národní třída. Slavia, which has witnessed pivotal moments in Czech culture and politics, this year hosts an exhibition by František Jungvirt. The artist will present a collection of glass vases, in which he connects tradition with the poetics of contemporary design. A dialogue between past and present is thus created within the café's historic interior.
Additionally, Slavia has prepared a special festival menu. Guests can taste a pistachio meringue inspired by confectionery recipes from the 1930s, or a limited-edition cocktail Shape of Martini, which reflects the visual identity of this year's edition. The atmosphere will also be complemented by the new bar Forbina, designed by the Olgoj Chorchoj studio, which will become the hub for evening gatherings during the festival.
