Spain to Play a Leading Role in World Design in the First Months of 2022

In the early months of this year, Spain will occupy a prominent place in the field of design, with the first Valencia World Design Capital 2022 activities, the fourth edition of the Madrid Design Festival, and the annual Casa Decor interior design event in Madrid.

In November last year, the official program of activities due to take place both in the city of Valencia and abroad as part of the Valencia World Design Capital 2022 was presented. And among the most outstanding events on the agenda for the first quarter of the year are the Paradís festival of design and creativity, the singular designs included in the exhibition curated by Juli Capella (all with an eye to environmental impact), an exhibition by Pepe Gimeno, and the innovation projects linked to the culture of Las Fallas, Valencia’s biggest annual festival.  

Throughout January, the “Festival Paradís” has offered a series of talks and open debates centered on design, and there will be a second cycle of talks on design and innovation taking place from 19 February onwards.  On February 11, the exhibition ¿Por qué soy así? [Why am I like I am?] will open its doors to the public at the “Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània”. This exhibition of everyday objects from the Pérez de Albéniz-Bergasa collection has been assembled by Juli Capella, in order to explain how small objects such as a paper clip, a light bulb, and a telephone make our lives easier.

From February 25 to May 29, the exhibition Pepe Gimeno. A través de la Posverdad [Pepe Gimeno. A Journey through Post-Truth] will be open to visitors at the Palau de Valeriola. It traces the long and prolific professional and artistic career of this Valencian creator over the course of almost five decades through his latest plastic works, without forgetting his vocation for typographic design and typography. And throughout February and March, there will also be a special program entitled Foc: Fallas, Tradition, and Local Design, with various events related to the culture of Las Fallas, the city of Valencia’s biggest festival. Details of all the other events can be found in the official program.

February and March will also see the city of Madrid host what is currently the biggest design event on the European calendar: the fifth edition of the Madrid Design Festival (MDF22). This year, it comes packed with activities and face-to-face exhibitions of product design, architecture, interior design, and communication. MDF22 will feature 228 exhibitions, more than 1.000 activities, 23 installations, and 186 meetings, lectures, and master classes.

Among the talks and lectures included in festival are the professional workshops MadridDesignPRO, to be held on 17, 18 and 19 February 2022 at the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Foundation. These will be attended by great creators from the worlds of national and international design such as architect and designer Patricia Urquiola, winner of the National Design Award 2021 in the Young Designers category, Danny Saltaren, product designers Christophe Guberan and Hella Jongerius, graphic designer Peter Saville, and design curator, consultant, and writer Jane Whiters. These lectures, master classes, and networking events will reflect on the capacity of design to transform and improve the society in which we live.

Finally, in the city of Madrid from April 7 to May 22, the platform for interior design, trends and lifestyle “Casa Decor” will be open at Calle Goya