By Virginia Christakou, MA Graphic Media Design
at London College of Communication
All Selected’17 designers from the professional and new talents category right before the announcement of the winners was made. The ceremony marks the end of the two-day event
Selected is an annual international competition searching for the most inspirational and contemporary projects in all design fields. As stated on the Selected website: ‘The aim of “SELECTED from Bilbao” is to provide an atmosphere in which attenders will be able to meet the latest tendencies in design and visual arts, give their opinion about them by taking part in debates, go in depth into the relationships between business and design and to promote the exchange of ideas and creative solutions and responses with other professionals or interested from their fields.’ The two-day event held in Bilbao, consists of conferences by International recognized artists and branding experts, the exhibition of each year’s selected projects and finally, the award ceremony, where the Stone & Wood Award is granted to one Professional and one New Talent (student category), according to the jury’s decision.
Born to recognize talent and creativity, The Stone & Wood Award is the design award granted by the city of Bilbao. Forged by solid stone and wood, it serves as a special appreciation of hard work and has been promoting professionals and new talents in the design community.
The Creative Community is a digital collection of more than 500 creative works from all design territories. After an individual evaluation, every year, a jury of professionals selects the most representative projects. It is a place for everyone to share their work and ideas with other creative profiles, aiming to create a growing, inspirational design-oriented, public society.
‘graphic design time = moving image’. One of the many exciting slides of ‘The revolution(not) be Televised’ presentation, by Racecar, an award winning, creative, motion graphics design studio based in Oslo, Norway.
The event takes place at Azkuna Zentroa, the modern culture and leisure center which opened its doors on May 18th, 2010. The city recovered one of its most emblematic buildings when Philippe Starck transformed the old wine warehouse to a modern urban space that has become the new driving force of daily life in the city. ‘The 43 different pillars, sustaining the 3 buildings of Azkuna Zentroa, symbolize the millions of columns and infinity of cultures, architectures, wars and religions through which man has passed throughout history.’ Entering the atrium, one can immerse in the journey through the cultural and geographical diversity.
The unprecedented urban space, Azkuna Zentroa, serves as the city’s new reference point in the daily life of citizens. The big screen’s flaming sun visual was switched during Selected’17 to celebrate the two-day event and was the point all artists, designers, speakers and organizers gathered to take a photo before the press conference.
Bilbao has transformed from an industrial center into a model city designed for living. It all began with Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, a stunning piece of architecture serving as an incomparable display for contemporary art. Guarding the building, the city’s mascot, Puppy, the floral dog by Jeff Koons. The city has since opted for design as the basis of its renovation. The change goes deeper than an iconic building, one example being, the unique street-level subway entrances, known as ‘Fosteritos’, where Sir Norman Foster combines architecture and engineering to masterly effect. Torre Iberdrola by Cesar Pelli, the highest building in the Basque Country, and the Torres Isozaki also figure among the city’s signature works. Additionally, the Zubizuri (Basque for white bridge), a tied arch footbridge designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, links the Campo Volantin right bank and Uribitarte left bank of the river Nervion. Finally, the Bellas Artes Museum art gallery features a collection of works from El Greco, Gauguin, Sorolla among many others.
The Frank Gerry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, opened in 1997, was hailed as the most important building of its time. Its exhibition space, measuring eleven thousand square meters, are distributed over 19 galleries and features exhibitions organized by the Guggenheim Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, along with selections from the permanent collection of the Guggenheim museums.