DESIGN FOR THE REAL WORLD – REDUX: EXHIBITION PRESENTS WINNERS OF THE 2011 VICTOR J. PAPANEK SOCIAL DESIGN AWARD

Austrian Cultural Forum NY, the University of Applied Arts Vienna partner with White Box in NYC to present four winners and thirteen finalists of the international social design competition from June 18 to July 15, 2012

The Austrian Cultural Forum, the University of Applied Arts Vienna, the Museum of Arts and Design, and White Box are pleased to present an exhibition showcasing the winners and finalists of the 2011 Victor J. Papanek Social Design Award at White Box from June 18 to July 15, 2012 (329 Broome Street, New York, NY, whiteboxny.org).

This exhibition celebrates the outcome of the inaugural “Design for the Real World Redux” international social design competition taking place from March to June 2011, organized by the Victor J. Papanek Foundation at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, in partnership with the Austrian Cultural Forum New York.

Forty years ago, Viennese-born designer and thinker Victor J. Papanek published his influential book Design for the Real World in which he put forth the idea that “design, if it is to be ecologically responsible and socially responsive, must be revolutionary and radical”—a concept which formed the point of departure for this global endeavor.

A total of 92 submissions were received from 20 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, South Africa, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States. From these submissions the jury selected 17 projects — 4 winners of the Victor J. Papanek Social Design Award and 13 finalists — which will be exhibited at White Box.

The winning projects were Wendy Brawer and Green Map System’s “Open Green Map” social mapping platform, which highlights thousands of sustainable living, natural and cultural sites in communities worldwide; Lauren Busto and Yves Béhar’s and Fuseproject’s “OLPC XO-3 Tablet,” a children’s educational tool for worldwide distribution; Lars Vedeler, Marc Hoogendijk, Sophie Thornander, Karin Lidman, and Kristin Tobiassen’s “Jani Sanitary Pad” made from biodegradable biopolymers and water hyacinth paper; and Planetary ONE + Terreform ONE’s “Urbaneering Brooklyn 2110: Ecological City of the Future,” a collaboration for urban environment strategies.

The list of finalists includes Kristina Drury and St. John’s Bread & Life (New York), Gianpaolo Fusari (Great Britain), EOOS Design (Austria), Anatoliy Omelchenko (New York), Talia Radford and Juan Sebastian Gomez (Austria), Angie Rattay (Austria), Hilla Rudanko and Annsi Kankunnen (Finland), Elizabeth Schultz, Zane Coffin, Sung Jun Kim, and Jung Min Lee (Georgia), Yasaman Sheri (Canada), Lars Vedeler (Oslo), and Alberto Vasquez (Hungary).

The competition was judged by an international panel consisting of: Gerald Bast (President, University of Applied Arts Vienna), Alison J. Clarke (Chair, Design History and Theory, University of Applied Arts Vienna), Holly Hotchner (Director, Museum of Arts and Design), Ronald Labaco (Curator, Museum of Arts and Design), David McFadden, (Chief Curator, Museum of Arts and Design), Katarina Posch (Associate Professor, History of Art and Design, Pratt Institute), Fiona Raby (Principal, Dunne and Raby), Stefan Sagmeister (Graphic Designer), Andreas Stadler (Director, Austrian Cultural Forum, New York), John Thackara (Director, Doors of Perception), and Allan Chochinov (Editor-in-Chief, Core 77).

Terreform ONE has generously agreed to provide the exhibition design for this show at White Box. For details and further information on the competition, please visit >> vjpsocialdesign.madmuseum.org For information on the winners and finalists, please visit >> vjpsocialdesign.madmuseum.org/submissions For further information on the Papanek Foundation, please visit >> papanek.org

With its architectural landmark building in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the Austrian Cultural Forum New York hosts more than 200 free events annually and showcases Austrian contemporary art, music, literature, and academic thought. The Austrian Cultural Forum houses around 10,000 volumes in its state-of-the-art library, and enjoys long-standing and flourishing partnerships with many venerable cultural and academic institutions throughout New York and the United States. The year 2012 marks the ten-year anniversary of the building’s construction, and will feature many special programs and events commemorating this milestone.

Since its founding in 1998 by a group of international curators and artists, White Box has been continuously committed to the presentation of broad ranging contemporary art forms by innovative artists and curators whose efforts to exhibit thought-provoking, intellectually and visually challenging art is many times overlooked and, at times, question the more popular, media and market-oriented focus of other New York contemporary arts venues.