Katarína Hubová
The Design forum exhibition, a part of the Furniture and housing fair in Nitra, was organised as an exhibition with a specific topic. Previous topics included Experience from dining, Light against dark, Interior textile and pattern and Recycled housing. The 15th year of the Design Forum housed the exhibition called Return to wood which included furniture single pieces such as various shelf sets, coffee tables, chairs and benches, chests, racks etc. Other sections of design that used wood were presented at the exhibition. Students of secondary art schools in Ružomberok and Bratislava presented the collection of wood toys and tables. Wood toy building brick Gringo by Tibor Uhrín was presented among serial production items. Car models from the students of transport design studio at the AFAD in Bratislava were a bit unconventional. Students used wood which is not a typical material for the contemporary car design. Students from the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology at the Technical University in Zvolen came with the collection of wood chairs which involved folk tradition and the 20th century classics inspirations. Several racks from students and professional designers (secondary school students, designer T. Uhrín) were exhibited. Interesting techniques of wood joining or decorating (canes by Pavol Bradovka, Tattooed tables by Martin Jankura, furniture by Peter Pacák) appeared at the exhibition. Designer and teacher Michal Hanula from Ružomberok presented an interesting collection, Curly hanging lights and Nests and Chimneys, for which he was awarded the Design Forum 2012 prize by the jury.