The Future of Living

A fresh selection of contemporary Slovenian designs, local ingredients and sustainable principles!

The exhibition titled The Future of Living / Prihodnost bivanja began its journey in Vienna in May 2020 and it has been shown at more than 30 locations and design events around the world since. The entire project, created under the auspices of the Centre for Creativity and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, is one of the larger promotional events of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2021.

New crises call for new, fast strategies for their containment. The exhibition The Future of Living / Prihodnost bivanja demonstrates the innovative ways in which Slovenian design responds to future societal challenges with products that cleverly combine local materials with traditional craftsmanship.

The projects showcased by the exhibition predict the future of living as one in which raw materials are no longer available in abundance, production methods and human resources need to be rationalised, and products are adapted to a new generation of users who expect customised solutions. These are the result of innovative, technologically-advanced production techniques that producers and designers combine with their overarching love of life and nature. The products and services presented here combine creativity with a business vision. They shine a spotlight on the stories of fresh, new brands that express functionality, passion, innovative applications of materials (especially wood), and new production techniques that build on regional craftsmanship and advanced techniques of sustainable production.

Many designers featured in the exhibition employ traditional crafts in innovative ways. Darja Malešič turned to traditional Slovenian wicker craft to protect the bottles in her wicker water bottle series with materials such as willow, corn husk and rye straw. Vulgaris Woodcut wine studiolo combines excellence in furniture making with an original woodcut in an astounding object for wine lovers. Belabela’s home accessories engage users in the production cycle, inviting them to use their hands to complete the laser-cut coasters with their embroideries. The modular wine rack Helga was designed by Sadar+Vuga and made from a glazed ceramic block manufactured locally by a small pottery workshop using a technique employed in the manufacture of traditional ceramic stoves.

Two young architects working under the name Studio Moste explore crafts and their interaction with design, so they hand make every piece they design. This time they present their deconstructed drawer unit No. 2 and cutting boards made of scrap wood.

Another group of designers upcycle waste materials and transforme them into valuable, high-quality products. The cup by Aklih studio is a handy lamp, 3D-printed using a mixture of biodegradable plastic and wood. The jewellery cum decoration Gift of the Future is made of recycled silver obtained from electronic waste, which fits with the Floios studio philosophy that they are not designers, but “foragers and seekers”. On the other hand, the Donar company seeks to save the world from plastic waste with chairs like Nicoless and Collodi. All their chairs answer the human need to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet and use waste as an industrial material of the future. The redesign is part of the new philosophy of socially responsible and sustainable design.

The Future of Living showcased our designs in more than 30 locations and events across the world that celebrate design and creative economy, the central theme marking this year in Slovenia, and was visited by more than 100,000 people. Its modular design allowed it to travel across the globe, across South America, Europe and the Middle East. Its extended version embarked on a journey in Vienna and toured design weeks from Berlin to Milan, Bled, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Budapest and Eindhoven.