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Contact

Patricia Biebrich
NICKL PR
Tel.: +49 89 4807103
E-Mail: pressoffice @ mcbw.de

Press kit

Keyvisual "Creative Explorer" Leyla Acaroglu
Logo mcbw mcbw talk&connect
press releases kick-off press conference
social media kit key topics of mcbw 2023 program

key topics of mcbw 2023

Exhibitions, installations, discussions following the motto Why disruption unleashes creativity – selected key topics for experts and design aficionados:


mcbw talk&connect | Why disruption unleashes creativity | conference
May 8, 4 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Munich Urban Colab, Freddy-Mercury-Str. 5, 80797 Munich

What happens after disruption has occurred? How do people cope with dramatic change? How do new conditions emanate from past and current transitions in our society? What is the role of design in all this? Highlights of the conference include keynote speeches by Sep Verboom (designer, social entrepreneur, and founder of Liveable Platform), Prof. Dr. Sascha Friesike (professor of digital innovation at UdK Berlin), and Creative Explorer Dr. Leyla Acaroglu (CEO and founder of The UnSchool and Disrupt Design). They will discuss how design drives societal, economic, and sustainable transformation for the better. mcbw talk&connect will be moderated by Prof. Annette Diefenthaler of Technical University of Munich.
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mcbw public space | Disruptive Dunes | interactive installation by Naiv Studios
May 5 – June 5 | Kunstareal, south lawn at Alte Pinakothek, Gabelsbergerstr. 33, 80333 Munich

This year mcbw again will include an interactive installation in a public space. Between Alte Pinakothek and Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film (HFF), a walkable multi-level sculpture made of mesh will stretch across pillars of diverse heights to form a topography of peaks and valleys. Dynamic light projections will illuminate the textile from underneath causing constant variations in mood, intensity, and color. Visitors are encouraged to climb the mesh and influence the topography of the surface with their weight and their movements – to become disruptors themselves.
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mcbw public space | Voices Unleashed | interactive installation by Blackspace
May 6 – 11, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. | ZIRKA, Dachauer Str. 110c, 80636 Munich

Voices Unleashed is an interactive, audiovisual installation created by design studio Blackspace. The piece, which can be experienced by all the senses, opens up space for thoughts and acoustic messages from Munich’s creative scene. Spectators are encouraged to set foot in the installation at ZIRKA Space, to listen, to make contact with others – to become an active part of the installation.
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mcbw designwalk | Munich discovery tour from the Old Town to the Glockenbachviertel district
11 stations | May 6 – 14 | analog and audio

Curated by bayern design, this year’s mcbw designwalk will extend from Munich’s Old Town to Glockenbachviertel district and will include stories and products from designers and companies with a rich history in the city. A QR code will be provided for every station so participants can enjoy interviews with mcbw partners. All visitors will need is a web-enabled smartphone and headphones. Ideally, the stations will be visited chronologically in accordance with the flyer. The Happy Club, Riviera Records, Schachinger Künstlerbedarf, Caspar Plautz, and STEA Store are partners of mcbw designwalk 2023.
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mcbw pop up | Glass and Light Installation in a Glass Exhibition Container | OHA x Gustav van Treeck |
Installation | May 6 – 14 | in front of the propylaea, Königsplatz, 80333 Munich

Office Heinzelmann Ayadi (OHA) and the Gustav van Treek historic mosaic and glass painting studio will stage an oversized kaleidoscope open to all, at Königsplatz. In a glass container installed in front of the propylaea, discs hand-made by van Treek will rotate. The installed spotlights will create a play of color and light on the wall of the propylaea, turning the power of stained glass and centuries-old craftsmanship into a lasting experience.

Jan Heinzelmann and Sami Ayadi (OHA) are also the authors of the Moving Horizons swing installation, a crowd pleaser at mcbw 2022.
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HAY & rpc – The Retail Performance | Sneak Preview of the BOA Table by Stefan Diez for Hay | design talk with Stefan Diez and others
May 11, 6 – 10 p.m. | Goldberg Studios, Müllerstraße 46A, 80469 Munich

Design company HAY of Denmark will host an exclusive sneak preview of the new BOA Table by Stefan Diez for HAY (official launch: August 15, 2023) and a discussion with the designer about Why disruption unleashes creativity. Munich-based industrial designer Stefan Diez conceptualizes products for the circular economy. He has summarized his understanding of design in ten Circular Design Guidelines to show ways to make commercially successful products with ecological and social accountability.
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Munich Urban Colab | Creative City | discussion panel
May 9, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. | Munich Urban Colab, Freddy-Mercury-Str. 5, 80797 Munich

What ways exist to promote stronger synergies among the economic, scientific, and cultural sectors? What roles do new technologies play in art? Artist Tamiko Thiel, Dr. Andrea Lissoni (director of Haus der Kunst), and Olaf Kranz (head of the cultural and creative economy competence team of the City of Munich) will discuss the emergence of innovation, the special contributions artists and creatives make to the city, and the special strengths of Munich’s cultural and tech scenes. Moderators: Sabine Hansky, Director Program Munich Urban Colab, and Professor Alexander Gutzmer, author and architectural publicist.
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Goethe-Institut | Talks about Design in Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon | discussion panel
May 9, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. | MINI Pavillion, Lenbachplatz 7a, 80330 Munich

Goethe-Institut will invite designers and curators from Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon to explain the realities, challenges, and potential of the design scene in the MENA region. In addition to impressions of design production processes and products, the panel will present examples of innovative design. The members also will discuss the importance of alternative design education and qualification programs as key elements of the creative economy and will provide information on Goethe-Institut’s contribution to supporting the development of the design scene in the three countries. Visualized input and discussion, followed by a Q&A session.
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Czech Center Munich | Ascher Challenge | exhibition
May 6 – 12 | Czech Center Munich, Prinzregentenstr. 7, 80538 Munich

Designer fabrics made by renowned Czech textile manufacturer Ascher will be presented in new interpretations. In 1933, Zika Ascher, the “Mad Silkman” of Prague and a Jew, had to go into exile and ended up in London where until the 1980s he and his wife Lída created coveted luxury fabrics for fashion houses including Balenciaga, Chanel, and Dior. The couple also collaborated with Cecil Beaton, Henri Matisse and other leading artists. The Ascher Challenge exhibition will showcase original Ascher fabrics used in fashion projects created by students of Prague’s Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design. Modern technologies facilitate fruitful encounters between tradition and innovation.
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Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum | Hella Jongerius. Phoenix - Reborn Beauty | exhibition
May 6 – June 18 | The Design Museum, Pinakothek der Moderne, Barer Str. 40, 80333 Munich

Internationally renowned designer Hella Jongerius will invite visitors to take their places at the table. The narratorial installation created by Hella Jongerius and Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg will prompt a rediscovery tour on the topic of re-use – artistically, sustainably, and in a trend-setting way. In the future, Hella Jongerius will provide new looks/décors for historic, inherited, or gifted pieces of Nymphenburg porcelain at the company’s premises. The exhibition was designed in cooperation by Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum and Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg on the occasion of mcbw 2023.
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BMW Group Design | New Modes II / New Collaborations | talk
May 9, 7 p.m. | X-D-E-P-O-T, Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum
Pinakothek der Moderne, Barer Str. 40, 80333 Munich

A collaboration between BMW Group Design and Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum.

David Zilber, Kai Langer and Hella Jongerius discuss the potential of new collaborations between humans, nature and technology. How can new connections be created from existing resources? David Zilber led the fermentation lab at the world-renowned Danish restaurant Noma for five years and is now working on the democratization of fermentation and new climate-friendly foods. Kai Langer leads the BMW i Design Studio and was primarily responsible for the BMW i Vision Circular. Hella Jongerius founded her studio Jongeriuslab in 1993. Her designs combine the latest technological achievements with craft techniques, some of which are centuries old. She explores how design's mediating role between people and the world can be improved. Moderation Quentin Walesch, strategist, designer and member The Futures Collaborative Munich, Berlin.
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XR HUB Bavaria @Medien.Bayern GmbH | Design in Virtual Reality | workshop
May 10, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. | XR LAB of XR HUB Bavaria, Burgstr. 4, 80331 Munich

This creative workshop will convey insight into the key elements of creating and designing virtual rooms and experiences and an understanding of factors such as user experience, interactivity, animation, space design, and storytelling in virtual reality. Participants can learn to build their first VR projects even without programing skills.
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Moonpunks GmbH | Innoversum 23 - TATORT ZUKUNFT | conference
May 12, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. | überlab - House of Communication, Friedensstr. 24, 81671 Munich

The focus of this two-day conference will be on the trinity of design, industry, and research. Can this triumvirate solve the key problems of our time? There will be 12 speeches, two science pitches, three panels, and full-on interaction. Innoversum 23 - TATORT ZUKUNFT will kick-off Science Impact Circle, a pan-European science-to-business network.
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Hochschule München | University of Applied Sciences | Design Research in Bavaria. Present and Future
exhibition and symposium of the Faculty of Design, Hochschule München University of Applied Sciences, Lothstr. 17, 80335 Munich

Exhibition: May 11 – 12 | Inauguration: May 10, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. by State Minister Markus Blume
Symposium: May 11 in the morning, on Design Research – Disruption to Research Operations?

The Design Research in Bavaria. Present and Future exhibition will show research approaches and results from the five design faculties in Bavaria. The exhibits will exemplify current topics including sustainability, digitality, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and inclusion. As an interface discipline, design can counterbalance the fragmentation among areas of knowledge and can drive innovation in the context of business, ecology, and society.
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USM | Design Competence and Business Success | panel talk
May 11, 6 p.m.– 9 p.m. | USM Showroom, Wittelsbacherplatz 1, 80333 Munich

What exactly does designing effectively mean? How can this skill be developed and how does it correlate with business success? The panel talk featuring representatives of USM, Miele, and bayern design will be about design as a premise for a company’s success. Prior to the discussion, Jan- Erik Baars, professor of design management at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, will present the results of an extensive case study conducted in cooperation with USM and Miele that illustrates the development of a maturity model which helps companies identify their strengths and weaknesses and, based thereon, achieve design excellence.
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Universal Design | Auf Augenhöhe | exhibition
Oskar von Miller Forum, Oskar-von-Miller-Ring 25, 80333 Munich

Universal Design forms a partnership with New European Bauhaus. The exhibitions, discussions, workshops, and universal-design sprints conducted in participatory formats at mcbw 2023 will decode and connect the close alliance between universal design and the New European Bauhaus movement. This year’s event will be framed by the Universal Design Award Jury exhibition and the kick-off of the Auf Augenhöhe roadshow at Oskar von Miller Forum.
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Steelcase & BMW Group Design | Kreativitätsorte | design talk with Stephanie Thatenhorst
May 10, 7 p.m. | Steelcase, Brienner Straße 42, 80333 Munich

Whether it's a white wall or a staged living space, a workplace can be a powerful source of inspiration and creative thinking. What kind of environment do designers work in, how do they design and promote creative spaces - and can creativity be planned? Elena de Kan (Steelcase), Steffi Zimmermann (BMW Group Design) and Stephanie Thatenhorst (thatenhorst interior) talk to design expert Eva Steidl about how places where we work influence our creative thinking.

 

Munich, March 23, 2023

  • May 6 – 14, 2023 | 12th edition of munich creative business week
  • www.mcbw.de | complete 2023 program online now
  • Exciting exhibitions, installations, and discussions following this year’s motto Why disruption unleashes creativity
  • Key topics address experts and design aficionados
  • May 5, 2023 | save the date: press conference and tour

Overview of mcbw
Organized by bayern design, munich creative business week (mcbw) is the largest design event in Germany. The 12th edition will take place this year from May 6 through 14. Following a new motto – Why disruption unleashes creativity – mcbw 2023 will provide a platform for interdisciplinary dialog about the relationship between disruption and creativity.

Now at www.mcbw.de: mcbw 2023 program
mcbw 2023’s eclectic nine-day program addresses experts in the fields of design and architecture, companies, the public interested in design, and anyone concerned with transformation. The exhibitions, installations, and discussions presented will inspire, promote interdisciplinary dialog, and convert the city of Munich into a pulsating design festival. Spectacular installations, including in public spaces, will offer all age groups opportunities to experience, interact, and marvel.

In a tried and tested manner, this year’s program again will unite mcbw’s own first-rate formats with more than 130 – and counting – exciting partner formats including those offered by BMW Group, USM, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Die Neue Sammlung - The Design Museum, Goethe-Institut, Munich Urban Colab, Technical University of Munich, Moonpunks, and Deutsches Museum.

mcbw public spaces
At mcbw public space at Kunstareal, the young designers of Munich’s Naiv Studios will install their creation of a walkable mesh and light installation measuring approximately 160 sqm that will stretch between Alte Pinakothek and Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film (HFF). "Disruptive Dunes" is a spectacular, interactive, spatial sculpture wich also will enrich the Kunstareal from May 5 to June 5, 2023. mcbw public space at ZIRKA Space will encompass design studio Blackspace’s audiovisual installation which can be experienced by all the senses: "Voices Unleashed" encourages visitors to set foot in the installation, listen, and make contact with others – to become active participants.

mcbw designwalk
mcbw designwalk will be a fantastic design experience “in passing.” On this curated urban tour, visitors can visit up to eleven stations between the Old Town and the Glockenbachviertel district – the choice of route is open. An audio guide (mcbw.de) will feature information and interviews including anecdotes about traditional Munich venues as well as about various products and their designers.

The complete program is published at www.mcbw.de. Details and images are available in the Download Section.

We would appreciate an announcement about mcbw or individual mcbw events! Please contact us if you need more information or if you are interested in an
interview or shoot. We will be happy to coordinate appointments in the run-up to mcbw.

Save the date:
Press conference and tour
Friday, May 5, 2023 | 11 a.m. | location tbd
We cordially invite you to join us for the mcbw 2023 inaugural press conference.
Please save the date. Detailed information will be provided shortly.
We look forward to seeing you!

 

About mcbw
mcbw is organized by bayern design GmbH and sponsored by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, and the City of Munich. As partners, BMW Group, Steelcase, Ströer, and Gmund provide substantial support to the event. Images are available in the Press Section. The event also can be found on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Munich, February 16, 2023

  • mcbw taking place from May 6 to 14, 2023 in Munich
  • Creative Explorer Leyla Acaroglu and others at the kick-off press conference on February 16, 2023
  • mcbw talk&connect on May 8, 2023 – Sascha Friesike confirmed as third speaker
  • Further insights into the mcbw agenda of events

Overview of mcbw 2023
Organized by bayern design, munich creative business week (mcbw) is the largest design event in Germany. With the claim Why disruption unleashes creativity, from May 6 to 14, 2023 the 12th edition will provide a platform for a cross-discipline exchange about the relationship between disruption and creativity. For nine days, creators in the fields of design and architecture along with representatives of the corporate world and visitors interested in design will have the opportunity to share ideas as part of a multifarious agenda. mcbw is implemented throughout the city in cooperation with partners like BMW, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Designit, rpc, KISKA and HAY. Plans also include an installation in a public space.

This year’s claim Why disruption unleashes creativity took center at the kick-off press conference on February 16, which offered first insights into the planned events. A recording of the press conference is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp3FYwuB34I
Leyla Acaroglu, „Creative Explorer“ at this year’s mcbw and highlight-speaker mcbw talk&connect on Mai 8, 2023, participated live via internet. A globally acclaimed expert in disruptive design methods, she shared her perspective on the new claim and offered initial motivation for thought. Representing the large variety of mcbw Program Partners, Danusch Mahmoudi (Managing Director of Designit Germany) was on site at the press conference and discussed - representative of the many partners of mcbw - his opinions on the role of disruption in design. Hannes Ziesler (Head of Design Identity and Media, BMW Group) was prevented from attending at short notice. Nadine Vicentini (Managing Director of bayern design) and Lisa Braun (Head of mcbw) gave general information about mcbw and offered updates on the time table of events. The complete mcbw 2023 agenda will be published on March 16, 2023.

Initial mcbw 2023 events confirmed
mcbw talk&connect, 8. Mai 2023 – new Speaker: Sascha Friesike
The professor of design of digital innovations at Universität der Künste Berlin and director of Weizenbaum-Institut focuses his research on the role of the digital world when something new is created. He investigates digitalization in science and how creative minds work.
The mcbw talk&connect panel is now complete with Leyla Acaroglu, Sep Verboom and Sascha Friesike. Prof. Annette Diefenthaler of TU München will be hosting the event. Earlybird tickets for talk&connect are now available for 69 EUR. Date: Monday, May 8, 2023 – 4p.m. @ Munich Urban Colab / Members of the press please register via NICKL PR

This year’s installation in a public space during mcbw seeks interaction with visitors and is implemented by the multidisciplinary Munich design company Naiv Studios. The young designers plan a net-like installation made from mesh and fabric covering different hights where visitors can act as disruptive forces: They can climb the net and affect its shape with their movements.

As before, mcbw partners with DOK.fest München, taking place from May 3-14, 2023. Every year in May, DOK.fest brings highly artsy and socially relevant documentaries from all over the world into the city’s cinemas. It adds diverse events to compled mcbw’s motto „Why disruption unleashes creativity“. Documentaries featuring art and design will be shown at Ernst von Siemens Auditorium at Pinakothek der Moderne.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the leading international organization for application-oriented research, will delve into Why disruption unleashes creativity with a multi-day exhibition which will be open to the public and will include supporting discussions and workshops. Held at Munich’s Werksviertel district, Form Follows Future will be a showcase of innovative concepts, prototypes, and visions from the programs of Fraunhofer’s Wissenschaft, Kunst und Design network. In addition, the opening soiree will include a panel discussion titled Disruption and hope: Research and design’s responsibility for society. Date: May 8-12, 2023 @ Project Room of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for Industrial Engineering IAO, Werksviertel-Mitte

Retail Performance Company (rpc) another Program Partner, will host rpc Design Talks at a Munich downtown shop designed by rpc itself. The showroom will exemplify the interaction among design trends, customer needs, user experiences, and implementation in a retail environment.

mcbw Program Partner designdrives will present DDX '23 - UX & Innovation Conference. To start off the design week, on Saturday, May 6 at Munich Urban Colab, designers and creatives will demonstrate ways to assist companies wanting to adjust, modernize, and accelerate their own processes in an even shorter amount of time. Innovation and design experts from IBM, BMW, Cisco, SAP, Expedia, air up, Designit, and many other entities will help analyze diverse opportunities for design to drive innovation in diverse industries. Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023 @ Munich Urban Colab; subject to a fee.

Save the date:
Press conference at the start of mcbw: May 5, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., location tbd

 

About mcbw
mcbw is organized by bayern design GmbH and sponsored by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, and by the City of Munich.
mcbw can also be found on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Munich, January 26, 2023


•    mcbw taking place from May 6 to 14, 2023 in Munich
•    Creative Explorer Leyla Acaroglu and others at the kick-off press conference on February 16, 2023
•    mcbw talk&connect on May 8, 2023 – Sep Verboom confirmed to speak
•    First insights into the mcbw agenda of events


Overview of mcbw 2023
Organized by bayern design, munich creative business week (mcbw) is the largest design event in Germany. With the claim Why disruption unleashes creativity, from May 6 to 14, 2023 the 12th edition will provide a platform for a cross-discipline exchange about the relationship between disruption and creativity. For nine days, creators in the fields of design and architecture along with representatives of the corporate world and visitors interested in design will have the opportunity to share ideas as part of a multifarious agenda implemented throughout the city by mcbw in cooperation with BMW, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Designit, rpc, HAY, and other Program Partners. Plans also include an installation in a public space.

Invitation to the kick-off press conference
Thursday, February 16, 2023, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Doors open at 10:30 a.m.
Location: PresseClub München e.V., Marienplatz 22, 80331 Munich
or online at https://youtu.be/w3r0x877i8c


Please refer to the press materials for the agenda of the press conference and let us know if you would like to participate.
For the first time, a kick-off press conference will be held three months before mcbw. Focus will be on Why disruption unleashes creativity and on providing insight into the planned events. Leyla Acaroglu, Creative Explorer of the 12th edition and highlight speaker at mcbw talk&connect on May 8, 2023, will participate live via the Internet. A globally acclaimed expert in disruptive design methods, she will share her perspective on the new claim and will offer initial motivation for thought. Representing the large variety of mcbw Program Partners, Danusch Mahmoudi (Managing Director of Designit Germany) and Hannes Ziesler (Head of Design Identity and Media, BMW Group) will participate in the press conference on site and will discuss their takes on the role of disruption in design. Updates on mcbw and the planned program will be offered by Nadine Vicentini (Managing Director of bayern design) and Lisa Braun (Head of mcbw).
The speakers attending in person will be available to answer questions after the press conference as well; interviews with Leyla Acaroglu online or during mcbw talk&connect can be set up after the event.

Initial mcbw 2023 events confirmed
mcbw talk&connect, May 8 – new speaker: Sep Verboom
Young Belgian designer and social entrepreneur Sep Verboom (ranked among the global top 100 creatives by AD in 2021) will join Leyla Acaroglu and others on May 8 in the well-established mcbw talk format. He follows and supports the development of innovative and sustainable products and projects on his Livable® platform. Early-bird tickets for talk&connect will be available as of February 16 for € 69. Date: Monday, May 8, 2023; start: 4:00 p.m.; location: Munich Urban Colab. Members of the press please register via NICKL PR.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the leading international organization for application-oriented research, will delve into Why disruption unleashes creativity with a multi-day exhibition which will be open to the public and will include supporting discussions and workshops. Held at Munich’s Werksviertel district, Form Follows Future will be a showcase of innovative concepts, prototypes, and visions from the programs of Fraunhofer’s Wissenschaft, Kunst und Design network. In addition, the opening soiree will include a panel discussion titled Disruption and hope: Research and design’s responsibility for society. The date and time will be announced shortly.

The Retail Performance Company (rpc), another Program Partner, will host rpc Design Talks at a Munich downtown shop designed by rpc itself. The showroom will exemplify the interaction among design trends, customer needs, user experiences, and implementation in a retail environment.

mcbw Program Partner designdrives will present DDX '23 - UX & Innovation Conference: To start off the design week, on Saturday, May 6 at Munich Urban Colab, designers and creatives will demonstrate ways to assist companies wanting to adjust, modernize, and accelerate their own processes in an even shorter amount of time. Innovation and design experts from IBM, BMW, Cisco, SAP, Expedia, air up, Designit, and many other entities will help analyze diverse opportunities for design to drive innovation in diverse industries. Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023; location: Munich Urban Colab; subject to a fee.

The final mcbw 2023 program will be published in March (www.mcbw.de).

 

Save the date:
Press conference at the start of mcbw: May 5, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., location tbd

 

Munich, December 8, 2022

  • mcbw will take place from May 6 to 14, 2023 in Munich
  • The claim is Why disruption unleashes creativity
  • Leyla Acaroglu will be the Creative Explorer
  • Kick-off press conference will be held on February 16, 2023

Overview

Organized by bayern design, munich creative business week (mcbw) is the largest design event in Germany. The top-caliber, multifarious program of the 12th edition taking place in Munich May 6 through 14, 2023 will address design aficionados and experts alike.

Claim and key visual

For nine days, next year’s mcbw, with the claim Why disruption unleashes creativity, will offer creators in the fields of design and architecture and from the corporate world, as well as visitors, the opportunity to exchange ideas and perspectives about the relationship between disruption and creativity. mcbw is a platform for all people concerned with transformation. A variety of events, exhibitions, presentations, and initiatives offered throughout Munich as part of mcbw 2023 will facilitate encounters, foster interdisciplinary discourse, and provide sources of inspiration focusing on Why disruption unleashes creativity. This claim will act as the umbrella for focal themes including New approaches to thinking/anders denken, Vivifying disruption/Brüche beleben, Crossover works/Crossover wirkt, and Leveraging disruption/Disruption nutzen. Delving into the topic of disruption, hw.design has developed a key visual that illustrates the fundamental principles of creative thinking in an abstract manner. The simple geometric forms of circle, square, and triangle arranged in various ways symbolize the reassembly of fragmented elements of knowledge.

Creative Explorer

For the first time in the history of mcbw, a prominent figure will actively represent the event’s claim and will set out food for thought: The role of Creative Explorer 2023 will be assumed by Leyla Acaroglu, globally acclaimed expert in disruptive design methods, author of the manual titled Disruptive Design. A Method for Activating Positive Social Change by Design, TED speaker, and founder of UnSchool of Disruptive Design. With her background, Acaroglu embodies the claim of mcbw 2023 in a very unique way. She will be the keynote speaker at mcbw talk&connect on May 8, 2023 in Munich.

Kick-off press conference on February 16, 2023

Another enhancement in 2023 is a kick-off press conference to be held on February 16 in addition to the regular press conference that will take place shortly before mcbw begins. The goal of the kick-off press conference is to present the individual focal themes in detail. Creative Explorer Leyla Acaroglu will participate via a live connection. More information, including the location of the first press conference, will be published in January 2023.

mcbw mag

The supporting magazine, mcbw mag, also will deal with how the relationship between disruption and creativity can reveal potential in design, architecture, the corporate sector, and society. mcbw mag will dig deeper into the focal themes of mcbw based on interviews with Annette Diefenthaler (IDEO San Francisco), Catherine Sarah Young (UNSW Sydney), Rama Gheerawo (Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design), and Annabelle von Reutern (concular). Content contributed by program partners will complement this publication which is under the editorial responsibility of Oliver Herwig.

Press conferences – save the dates

Kick-off press conference: February 16, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., location tbd

Press conference at the start of mcbw: May 5, 2023 at 11:00 a.m., location tbd

 

Munich, Germany, May 2022 | Munich Creative Business Week (MCBW), the largest design event in Germany, has come to an end after a nine-day marathon event with 170 individual activities in various formats, 100 speakers, 160 program partners, 40 registered design shops, and many visitors. Postponed until May, MCBW took place in summery temperatures, enabling participants to view the city through a design lens inside and in the open air. For the organizer, bayern design, the event was favorable for experts and the public alike.

MCBW PUBLIC SPACE – popular, public, interactive

Moving Horizons, the motto of MCBW 2022, also was reflected in MCBW PUBLIC SPACE. The 38-meter-long swing installation set up in the center of Kunstareal München was used approximately 33,000 times. Implemented by OHA (Office Heinzelmann Ayadi), this prominently placed eyecatcher conveyed the event’s guiding theme in a spirited and approachable manner. Along with the rest of this year’s MCBW, this attraction drew attention to a whole new lifestyle propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises: uncertainty due to shifting norms and the need as well as the opportunity to act flexibly in the face of it – and the courage to tackle things in a new way. Lisa Braun, Director of MCBW, commented: “The idea was to illustrate this year’s motto, Moving Horizons, and restore a feeling of lightness for the public.”

Personal encounters were possible again

The joy of being able to meet in person again was palpable at MCBW MEET & GREET. This opening networking event followed a new talk format, MCBW TALK & CONNECT, which addressed desires for emotionally and collaboratively created models and workstyles to cope with necessary technical, sustainable, and cultural changes. “At interdisciplinary talks experts, including Wolfgang Lotter, Ursula Tischner, Sina Port, and Francesca Bria, discussed options for using design actively in personal, scientific, and entrepreneurial settings,” Nadine Vicentini, Managing Director of bayern design, recapped.

Premium-level promotion of young professionals

Focus was not only on opportunities for dialog among established designers. The three-day hybrid SCIENCE MOONSHOT workshop was designed by VEREIN INNOVATION 4.X to promote young professionals altruistically, supported by teams of researchers who shared their cumulative know-how and skills, complementing all business trades and requirements. The result was a force to be reckoned with: As part of the Lumobag system created by Czech-Austrian physicist Radko Pavlovec, special sunlight reflecting sandbags are being placed in desert regions to help reach the global 1.5 degree target. However, Pavlovec believes the project in no way replaces decarbonization of the earth’s atmosphere, an endeavor that has to be addressed at the same time.

Tested and proven

Popular agenda items again were included in MCBW. For example, DESIGNWALK connected several analog stations – design shops and creative workshops – at Munich’s attractive Glockenbachviertel district via an audio guide. A host of visitors took this walking tour individually over the duration of MCBW.

The economic relevance of design

The economic aspect was included this year as well: In a quantitative study conducted in the run-up to MCBW organizer bayern design explored the influence of design on the economy. “Looking back on the COVID crisis years, the economic situation and the orders on hand, the revenue, and the employment situation all were significantly better than expected,” says Vicentini. “However, the recommendations for action show the need to enhance communication of the potential of design-related consulting services because currently the corporate sector is not taking advantage of them to the extent it could.”

Looking ahead to 2023

MCBW will continue in 2023: From May 6 to 14 Munich again will be transformed into a lively design festival with coveted successful formats and brand-new content.

Archive

Press Archive MCBW 2022     Press Archive MCBW 2021