ZAGREB DESIGN WEEK THEME
The theme of Zagreb Design Week 2024 is "Breaking the Glass Ceiling." As stated on their website.
It signifies our commitment to diversity, equality, creativity, and collaboration in design. We aim to challenge the existing norms, remove barriers, and create a more inclusive and innovative future for design. With this theme, we seek to initiate discussions and promote diversity and inclusivity. The metaphor of the "Glass Ceiling" represents the unseen obstacles that hinder the progress of individuals, particularly those from underrepresented social groups.
CONCEPT OF THE EXHIBITION
A bull enters a china shop...
...a place it clearly doesn’t belong, surrounded by fragile treasures. The shopkeepers move cautiously, like walking on eggshells, guided by the words Do not, Should not, May not, Can not. Light filters through stained glass above as they carefully try to lead the bull out, avoiding disaster. Essentially we wanted to metaphorically showcase an exhibition of student work created based on destruction, breaking the “norm” and exploring different views and problematic topics throughout the essence of our design. Bull in a China shop is a metaphor often used to showcase or present that a change is needed in society or the workplace.
The term breaking the glass ceiling was introduced by the end of the 70s, and linked to issues of women’s rights in the workplace. Today, it has become a go-to platitude that does not actually represent anything but is used when companies want to present an image of themselves as socially conscious hubs, but when you look at practice, they function according to established norms, never willing to make significant steps to change.
On the other hand, Gen Z is introducing new rules in the workplace, simultaneously negating the senseless patterns that create such obstacles - like a bull in a China shop.
As part of this exhibition, first- and second-year students of the New Media Design program question design and art, assuming that the rules of older generations are not necessarily the right rules. They demonstrate their ability to think independently, understanding that equality, inclusivity, and what is called a "brighter future" for some industries must be pursued proactively, not merely proclaimed.