Jury's Verdict Regarding the Designers in Residence for 2024
In the heart of Germany, the city of Pforzheim is preparing for a creative influx as three talented designers from around the world take up residence for three months. The winners of the "Designers in Residence" scholarships for 2024 are Alejandra Alarcón from Mexico/Finland, Elisa Lutteral from Argentina/USA, and Simon Rogalla from Germany.
Alejandra Alarcón's project aims to question Western eating rules and propose alternatives for future food design. By engaging with cultures that have unique eating customs, such as eating tacos with bare hands, she intends to rethink the concept of tableware to create multisensory and meaningful eating experiences.
Elisa Lutteral, another scholarship recipient, designs alternative futures where power is soft and rounded, and structures are networks that grow in balance. During her residency, she plans to create jewelry objects that each have a soft and a hard counterpart.
Simon Rogalla, the third winner, is inspired by his time as a scout and wants to explore different rope techniques as a connecting element for building furniture and other objects. His project aims to research construction techniques that allow for dismantling without trace and the reuse of materials.
The "Designers in Residence" program offers these talented individuals workshops, materials, and a network of experts and creative professionals. The jury for the scholarships included Louise Bennetts, a fashion designer and lecturer at the Royal College of Art in London, product designer Romin Heide, and jewelry artist Jiro Kamata.
The city of Pforzheim is no stranger to fostering creativity. With the EMMA creative center serving as the residency's hub, the three designers will live and work on their projects from April to June 2024. The opportunity for young designers to work intensively on a project for three months is valued by the head of the creative economy department at the Pforzheim Economic Development and Marketing Agency (WSP).
The number of applications for the program in 2024 increased by around 43% compared to the previous year, with over 400 applications from 65 countries. While the specific projects of all three scholars are not fully detailed, the residency exhibition promises a glimpse into their innovative ideas and creations.
[1][5] Jacob Marks' work, a "Pine resin colour study," is one project mentioned in connection with the Designers in Residence exhibition. Unfortunately, the projects or names of the other two scholars, along with their specific works, are not mentioned in the results found. For detailed descriptions of the other two resident designers' projects, additional or more specific sources would be needed.
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- Alejandra Alarcón's learning journey may expand beyond food design, as she seeks to immerse herself in various cultures to reimagine tableware and create meaningful eating experiences.
- Elisa Lutteral's focus on self-development is reflected in her design of jewelry objects with soft and hard counterparts, aiming to incorporate soft power and balanced structures into her creations during her residency.
