Guest Country Spain 2012

Ecstatic colour, temperament and passion are the attributes (clichés?) people are fond of associating with Spanish design. However, there is an incredible diversity in the design of native Spaniards and we choose the word “diversity” deliberately, because many of them now work in Milan (like Patricia Urquiola), Eindhoven (like shooting star Nacho Carbonell) and not in Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia, the centres of Spanish design. But most have remained – and are shaping a scene that is just as vibrant, high-quality and full of surprises. While graphic design has a long tradition in Spain also as regards institutes of education, the boom in product and industrial design is relatively young. But it is quite frequent that the latter is influenced by the graphic arts and the rich culture of comics, for instance, Martí Guixé, who is putting on a solo show as part of the festival.

With a top-ranking group show of Spanish designers in the Künstlerhaus, the Passionswege guest Oscar Diaz and El Ultimo Grito in the Laboratory, the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK is happy to present its guest country of Spain.