TALENTE – Meister der Zukunft 2024

In 2024, the special exhibition “TALENTEmünchen – Meister der Zukunft” presented works by 92 young designers from 27 countries in 12 different crafts. 2024 also included works by participants from China, Iran, Israel, Croatia, Colombia and Lithuania.

TALENTEmünchen presents innovative, imaginative, extraordinary and very different works, particularly in the fields of glass, ceramics, jewellery and textiles. The exhibits particularly reflect the great interest in textiles, which has already been evident in recent years, and in glass, which is being discovered as a versatile material.

Current trends

In comparison with the entries from previous years, the rapidly growing interest in glass seems to be continuing. What is striking here is the examination of traditions, particularly in the examples from the Czech Republic, and the endeavor to combine these with contemporary themes and a modern design language.

There are also unusual material combinations that play with the respective material properties and character.

The glass works also show the inspiration of nature and the desire to draw attention not only to its beauty, but also to its endangerment.

As in glass, there are also very different positions in ceramics. In addition to the exploration of classic production methods and the harmony of machine and handcrafted production, it is also about the exploration of and the fundamental, searching examination of materials and techniques.

Very perfect, highly aesthetic works from South Korea are juxtaposed with experimental pieces with unusual color effects and shapes that deal with surfaces and spatiality. Sculptural works and those with functional-practical concerns can be found side by side in “TALENTEmünchen – Meister der Zukunft”.

The search for formal design and the great interest in materials also characterize the works in wood – be it sculptural works of very different character or pieces of furniture in which he succeeds in developing new solutions for established forms with great care, patience and material expertise.

Other pieces of furniture deal with the adaptation of certain forms to the current way of life with more frequent changes of residence, small apartments and changing needs, but also with the reuse of materials.

Textiles also play a special role this year. Here, too, very different positions can be observed, a wide range of formats from large wall pieces to small samples, as well as various concerns ranging from references to current themes to fashionable designs and practical uses.

The techniques are also varied and include printing, different types of weaving, knitting, embroidery and pleating. There is a preoccupation with different techniques and design methods and their possible uses, an exploration of traditional techniques and a contemporary look.

Thematically, the works range from the translation of impressions of nature and the enthusiasm for the colourfulness of nature to the confrontation with one’s own sexuality and origins and the resulting problems to a conscious integration of wear and tear and dissolution as aesthetic components and as a characteristic of the material, with the beauty of decay.

Other works are characterized by a narrative element, by the exploration of the connection between surface and space, colour and light, or strive to incorporate movement and change.

The jewellery area is once again characterized by the variety of materials used and underlying approaches. The jewellery deals with political-social, artistic and personal themes. For example, the focus is on women in Internationale Handwerksmesse or the traditional, gender-specific expectations placed on women.

But it is also about private reflections that deal with the concepts of belonging and home, with the clash of two cultures, with pain and trauma, with memory and everyday life, with tradition and experimentation.

In addition, very poetic works are shown that translate experienced feelings into observations of natural phenomena. Material-oriented and formal experiments also characterize the jewellery.

Catalogue

You can order the catalogues for the special show “TALENTEmünchen – Meister der Zukunft” online on the website of the Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern.

Winners of the “TALENTE – Meister der Zukunft” prize 2024

Daniela Cimen, Germany

Materials and technology

Daniela Cimen’s “Re-in-Waste” project impressed the jury with its innovative production, application and different textures. A water-repellent, biodegradable coat is developed from a biological waste material while retaining the memory of the original material. The jury recognised approaches for further material samples and possible applications in this project.

Max Greiner, Germany

Glass

The project “About Slag” by Max Greiner interested the jury on the one hand because of its serial and experimental character, and on the other because of its questioning of the essence, the idea of vessels. Another argument was the handling of material expectations – how a beautiful, aesthetically designed object is created from a seemingly ugly and dirty source material.

Charlotte Marabito, Germany

Ceramics

What fascinated the jury about Charlotte Marabito’s “Performative Extrusion” project was the material research, the playful, experimental character and the combination of an actually mechanical process with manual work. The disruption, the intervention in the traditional process of extrusion was praised.

Lydia Soojin Park, South Korea / Norway

Ceramics

Lydia Soojin Park’s ceramic objects appealed for their aesthetic qualities and narrative character. In particular, the work with different layers, the combination of different patterns and colours in one work as well as the reflection on aspects of traditional ceramics were highlighted.

Soohyun Chou, South Korea

Metal

Soohyun Chou’s vessels are characterised by austerity, strength, reflection and precise consideration as well as constructive clarity. In their monumentality, powerful radiance and relief design, they seem to be distinguished by an almost architectural quality.

Benedict Haener, Switzerland

Jewellery

Benedict Haener’s works from the “Sugar Free” series fascinate with their illusionistic effect. The jury liked the funny element at first glance, which on closer inspection gives way to an appreciation of the quality of the craftsmanship, the subtlety and the handling of materials. Children’s jewellery made from confectionery is taken up here, and the aspect of artificiality is played with.

Masoumeh Rezaeilouyeh, Iran / Germany

Jewellery

Masoumeh Rezaeilouyeh’s necklace “Woman, Life, Freedom” touched the jury because of its political content and the quality of its craftsmanship. The heaviness of the content-related information contrasts with the delicacy of the materials and the delicacy of the technique. The jury praised the handling of traditions, the feminist standpoint and the continuation of the communication of female messages in the textile medium.

Damien Ajavon, France / Norway

Textile

In Damien Ajavon’s work, the jury appreciated the diversity of information levels, including art history, gender issues, cultural aspects, colonialism debates, Norway. The fluidity in terms of identity, activity, art and craft as well as art history was fascinating.

Winners of the Bavarian State Prize 2024

Maya Fenderl, Germany

90s Sunset” vase object

Color contrasts and structures overlap in the work of ceramicist Maja Fenderl. Freely formed elements become a playful unit in the large vase.

Nora Lardon, Switzerland

Textile “Untitled No. 5”

In her two-dimensional fabric, textile designer Nora Lardon creates a sublime three-dimensional effect through color and technical finesse using the jacquard weave technique.

Gunther Pfeffer, Germany

Modular shelf “fragment”

Using classic wooden joints, Gunther Pfeffer creates a modular, aesthetically convincing shelf – a successful counter-proposal to standardised private living.