Barbora Mistríková
Had you asked an art theorist at the beginning of 2020 about their visions for the future in design, craft or production, they would have been sure to answer “the continuing search for natural materials less harmful to the environment”, or “simplified fair trade production which is not based on child labour”, and of course is ecological and aware with a zero waste impact. They would have looked for an answer in products which are sustainable and minimalist, made of high-quality, durable materials that suit an individual’s taste for as long as possible. This would still have been the case in January or February 2020. The spread of coronavirus and the beginning of the new COVID-19 disease, whose strength has reached pandemic levels, has forced us all to alter our habits, behaviour, clothing and even work. The Slovak Centre for Design dealt with the question of a vision for the future in the exhibition DESIGN IS NOW! People have become designers. Designers have remained people. The exhibition mapped out all recent events and facts linked to the pandemic situation, and point to the rapid reaction of the creative sector at the very beginning of the crisis.