Verdict from the jury on the Designers in Residence program for 2024
In spring 2024, the EMMA Creative Center in Pforzheim, Germany, will welcome three young designers from around the world as recipients of the Designers in Residence scholarship. The international program, which has been annually hosted in Pforzheim, supports young designers focused on fashion, accessory, industrial, jewelry, and communication design by hosting them as residents for three months to develop their projects and showcase their work.
This year's winners are Alejandra Alarcón from Mexico/Finland, Elisa Lutteral from Argentina/USA, and Simon Rogalla from Germany. The jury for the 2024 scholarships included Louise Bennetts, a fashion designer and lecturer at the Royal College of Art in London, product designer Romin Heide, and jewelry artist Jiro Kamata.
Although the specific design project focuses of Alejandra Alarcón, Elisa Lutteral, and Simon Rogalla at Pforzheim are not detailed in the available search results, the program generally encourages innovative and experimental design work within their respective fields, facilitated by the resources at the EMMA Creative Center, which includes workshops, studios, and exhibition spaces.
Elisa Lutteral, an Argentinian-American designer, will explore materials as carriers of power, creating jewelry pieces with soft and hard counterparts. Simon Rogalla, a German product designer, will delve into various rope techniques for building furniture and other objects, inspired by his time as a Scout. Alejandra Alarcon, a designer from Mexico currently residing and working in Finland, will explore social dynamics at the table and investigate new sensory experiences in eating through material research and experimental design. Her aim is to rethink the concept of tableware to create multisensory and meaningful dining experiences, questioning Western eating rules and proposing alternatives for the future of food design.
Elisa Lutteral designs alternative futures where boundaries are less defined, 'power' is soft and rounded, and structures are networks that grow in balance. Simon Rogalla aims to create furniture that is not rigid and permanent, but flexible and temporary, reflecting on our relationship with possessions and objects.
According to Almut Benkert, head of the creative economy department at the Pforzheim Economic Development and Marketing Agency (WSP), the program offers invaluable opportunities for young designers. This year, the scholars will work at the EMMA creative center from April to June 2024. The 2024 scholars were selected from over 400 applications from 65 countries, marking a 43% increase in applications compared to the previous year.
The Designers in Residence exhibition at EMMA often presents the work created during the residency period, highlighting contemporary approaches within fashion and product design. However, no detailed individual descriptions for these particular designers’ projects in 2024 have been found in the search results.
The city of Pforzheim warmly welcomes three young designers each year through this program, providing them with a unique opportunity to develop their creative projects and showcase their work on an international stage.
During their three-month residency at the EMMA Creative Center in Pforzheim, Germany, from April to June 2024, Elisa Lutteral and Simon Rogalla will focus on personal growth and self-development by delving into experimental design work, promoting innovative materials and structures in their respective fields of jewelry and product design. Meanwhile, Alejandra Alarcón will pursue learning opportunities to reimagine tableware for multisensory and meaningful dining experiences, challenging traditional Western eating customs and proposing innovative solutions for the future of food design. This education-and-self-development program, supported by the resources at EMMA, including workshops, studios, and exhibition spaces, provides invaluable opportunities for young designers to advance their careers and showcase their work on an international stage.
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