International Designers Meet with the Design Ecosystem in Turkey: Design Dialogues from Istanbul Modern and Volvo

Design Dialogues, implemented in cooperation with Istanbul Modern and Volvo, creates an interdisciplinary dialogue environment in the field of design with MasterClass and WorkShop programs to be held in 10 different themes throughout the year. The program aims to provide inspiring encounters by bringing design students, recent graduates and young professionals together with international designers.

Design Dialogues focus on the relationship between humans and their environment, inspired by the practice of creating a better life. The program aims to reinterpret sustainability, technology, culture and production processes from a design perspective.

Throughout the program, cultural and social dimensions of sustainability beyond material, production and consumption cycles will be discussed, based on the universal concept of "good design". Interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of design and art will be interpreted by examining the changing role of the designer, creativity processes and its power in branding, the effects of digitalization on design and craft, and the historical, economic and political dimensions of design. Influential names in the field will share their experiences and the future effects of design thinking will be evaluated.

At the press conference held with the participation of Istanbul Modern Chairman of the Board of Directors Oya Eczacıbaşı and Volvo Car Turkey General Manager Alican Emiroğlu , Design Dialogues' one-year MasterClass seminars and two The program consisting of day-long WorkShop activities was shared.

Eczacıbaşı: A result of our strong collaborations with the creative ecosystem

Oya Eczacıbaşı emphasized that they were inspired by the design-oriented exhibitions, programs and projects that Istanbul Modern has implemented since 2004, and said, "Design Dialogues is a work that arises from the strong collaborations developed by our museum with the creative ecosystem, the new museum building and innovative projects that bring together design, art and craft. As a museum, we are working on the 'From Craft to Design' program that brings together disappearing crafts with artists and designers, the 'Design Cities' exhibition organized in cooperation with the London Design Museum and the international "We supported the design culture with the 'Guests: Artists and Craftsmen' project, which was created by artists producing with masters in Istanbul. This program addresses design and current design issues in depth, adding value to the educational mission of our museum."

Emiroğlu: Design at Volvo; It brings together aesthetics, safety, sustainability and human orientation under the same roof.

Volvo Car Turkey General Manager Alican Emiroğlu expressed Volvo's approach to design and innovation with the following words: "We see design not only as aesthetics, but as an experience that makes life easier, takes responsibility and adds value to the future." Design at Volvo; It brings together aesthetics, safety, sustainability and human-orientedness under the same roof. The Design Dialogues we launched today with Istanbul Modern are based on exactly this question: How can design guide us for a better life and a better environment? As two institutions that share similar visions, we are very happy and excited for this program, where we will seek the answer to this question together with our participants and we wholeheartedly believe that it will create an inspiring space especially for young designers. ''

Open and free to future designers

MasterClass seminars will be open to design professionals as well as anyone interested in design, free of charge, and will host a total of 1500 participants. WorkShops will be held especially for young professionals who are receiving undergraduate or graduate education in design departments of universities or who graduated between 2020 and 2026. The first 20 people who apply to each WorkShop will be accepted and a total of 200 people will take part in the program. Participants who complete the WorkShops will be given the Istanbul Modern Design Dialogues Digital Participation Certificate.  

10 different themes

The program will cover a different theme every month, touching on current design discussions. A total of 10 different themes will offer participants different perspectives with both theoretical and applied approaches. The themes of the program are listed as follows: Design and Human, Architecture as Art, Digital Approaches, Nature of Things, Sustainable Design, Design Now, Expression of Design, Building Heritage, Future Craft and Good Design.

The dialogue of design with life, culture and the future

Istanbul Modern Education Director Neslihan Varol and Istanbul Modern Store Creative Director Doğanberk Demir define Design Dialogues as a platform that rethinks design with environmental awareness and future ideas through life cycle, cultural interaction, new materials and production systems.

Varol stated that meeting design stories that address the concept of design in the context of sustainability, nourished from different disciplines and offer new perspectives, with students, young designers and design professionals will provide an inspiring sharing area. Demir mentioned that the program, which discusses the current questions of the design world, will draw attention to the nature of the design profession, which dreams and makes people dream for a "better life", "environment" and "future", and the social impact of design thinking. Demir stated that the diversity and accessibility of design will be discussed in the light of production cycle, consumption habits, cultural, economic, environmental and political variables.

First MasterClass with Sebastian Herkner on February 17

The first MasterClass will take place on February 17 with the participation of Sebastian Herkner, who combines craft and technology with natural materials and has been repeatedly selected as the designer of the year by Wallpaper*, Edida and Maison&Objet. At the event themed "Human and Design", Herkner will meet with the Turkish design ecosystem and share its current projects.

The first WorkShop will be held on February 25-26, under the management of Red Dot award-winning designer Şule Koç, and young designers will develop their own projects on the same theme. Throughout the program, names such as Nevzat Sayın, Ebru Kurbak, Justin McGuirk, Jane Withers, Gaye Çevikel will be in MasterClasses; Mesut Öztürk, Hakan Sorar, Ahmet Rüstem Ekici, Yeşim Eröktem, Pınar Akkurt, SO? Designers such as Mimarlık ve Fikriyat, Uniqka and Mevce Çıracı will take part in WorkShops.

University and NGO collaborations

Cooperation will be made with 40 universities and 10 non-governmental organizations in order to announce the program to young professionals and students. The program aims to reach a wide audience through collaborations with universities such as Istanbul University, Istanbul Technical University, Yıldız Technical University and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, as well as the Industrial Designers Association, Istanbul Chamber of Industry and the Fashion Designers Association. Participants who are educated or newly graduated in fields such as industrial design, interior architecture, visual communication design, textile and fashion design will come together in WorkShops.

DESIGN DIALOGUE PROGRAM