Eighty young artists presented their diplomas during the 11th edition of the Graduation Show in the spaces of the School of Form at the SWPS University in Warsaw. This unique exhibition is a testament to their creativity, sensitivity and determination, thanks to which they transcend the framework of traditional design. Each project is a separate story – often a response to the real challenges of the contemporary world, and together they form a collective portrait of a generation for whom design is above all a practice of engagement and a sense of responsibility.
Visitors can pause for analyses of the future of design, which raise questions about how technology and artificial intelligence are transforming our everyday lives. Young designers are invited to reflect on digital culture – from interactive interfaces to new forms of ritual and play. We will also see works dedicated to nomadism, where we find inspiration in mobility and multiculturalism, as well as projects exploring the boundaries between public and private space.
Sustainable living is the leitmotif of many diplomas. The creators propose not only ecological materials but also product concepts that fit into the circular economy. Visitors to the exhibition can immerse themselves in worlds where recycling becomes the beginning of new narratives and care for the planet is not an empty slogan, but the foundation of the design process. This is where the head – knowledge and ingenuity – and the heart, which is guided by empathy and respect for others, meet.
There is no shortage of works that address the theme of food of the future. Taste, texture and eating rituals can be a design tool for learning about the customs of distant cultures or imagining culinary scenarios decades from now. In the area of fashion, on the other hand, graduates explore consumer awareness – clothes are designed with adaptation, repair and transformation in mind, giving them a whole new value.
The most moving works, however, are those that grew out of the authors’ personal and sensual experiences. Sensitivity to touch, smell or sound materialises in prototypes that engage our senses in a non-obvious way. It is an invitation to dialogue – with oneself, one’s surroundings and other people. The curatorial announcement aptly emphasises that “designers reinterpret the past, respond to the present and design the future”, doing so with care, a critical eye but also with sensitivity.
Walking between the stands, it is easy to see that many of these diplomas are not just works of applied art, but real proposals for design solutions: from new tools to improve the work of the craftsman, to innovative packaging, to support systems for people with disabilities. Each of these projects teaches us that beauty and function must go hand in hand, and that design can and should change the world for the better.
The exhibition can be viewed in the main gallery of the School of Form at 19/31 Chodakowska Street in Warsaw.
source: SWPS
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