The Czech company Grund, with business worldwide, in cooperation with Design Cabinet CZ and under the patronage of the fathers of international design Luigi Colani and Alessandro Mendini announce the Grund International Design Contest – Bathroom Textile Story.  The contest is open to all creative people including students of design and the arts from the countries of Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.  The deadline for entering the contest is 30 June 2009.

Contest conditions and prize details can be found after the jump and/or at the websites www.grunddesigncontest.com and www.designcabinet.cz

1. INTRODUCTION–THE GRUND COMPANY:

The Grund Company is a Czech family-owned business established in 1990.  From humble beginnings of hand manufactured products in the family garage, the business has grown through the years to become one of the top producers of textile bathroom accessories.  The company employs 150 personnel in the Czech Republic and 40 in Germany, where the distribution centre is located, and has approximately 80 shops.  In addition to shops located in shopping centres, customers can use a mail order service, luxury boutiques, and wholesalers in more than 40 countries around the world.

Company Philosophy

The Grund Company is focussed on being different from its competitors, not only in the quality of the products but also in design.  Like the world’s best manufacturers, Grund is concentrating on the presentation of the product and other marketing activities at the point of sale.  In almost 20 years of existence Grund has become recognized by customers as an innovative company whose collections and bold and daring, which can find its niche not only domestically but especially in the world market.  The production process provides its own quality control and the flexibility for customers.

Production Technology

The current technology that the company is mainly using is needlework which is known from carpet making techniques.  We are using both manual (table tufting) techniques, suitable for smaller collections, and automated needlework by the Cobble company, where every needle is separately controlled by computer (Colortec machinery).  Appliques are made on 100 % PES unwoven fabric (Freudenberg or Dupont).  The underside is coated with non-slip latex.  The yarns which are used are 100 % poly acrylic (8x2x2 or 16x4x4).  They are easy drying, colour fast, and soft to the touch.

2.  CONTEST GOAL:

The design of the bath mat, single or set, for the bathroom of today and for the future.  Material: today’s materials for bathmats (100 % poly acrylic) or one’s own idea solution.  Technology: to use present technology or if need be in combination with other variants to employ new technology.

3. CONTESTANTS

Creative people (artists, graphic designers, designers, architects, art school students …) from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, or Italy with no restrictions on age or specialization.  Entrance to the contest and acceptance of the conditions is confirmed by completing the application form (see below).

4. CONTEST SUBMISSIONS:

Submissions will be accepted in the form a) sketches of each separate work including its placement in the bathroom.  Sketches should be in the form of A3 glued onto a hard backing (the best material is KAPA); on the back should be the author’s (or authors‘) full name, in the event of a student submission the name of the school, the address (street, number, postcode, town, country) and school address (street, number, postcode, town, country), telephone number (including area and country code), fax number (including area and country code), email address and web page;  b)presentation on CD or DVD for publication purposes.  The CD or DVD must include at least one photo in usual graphic format size jpg, eps, or tiff in printable quality (minimum 300 dpi on A4) with text in English (description and philosophy of the design, function, material, use, placement in the bathroom etc.) On the CD or DVD including the cover will be the author’s contact details, the school etc (as on the presentation panel).

Each author (entrant) can submit only one design but it can be in several colour varieties.

By signing the enrolment form (which will be sent with the submission) the author (co-authors, school) accepts the contest conditions and allows free use of the work in exhibitions and publications, agrees to the work being posted on the internet, and agrees that the contest organizers can use the work in film, TV, photographs, or video etc. with full recognition of the right of authorship.

Contest submissions are only accepted to Design Cabinet CZ, Nadace pro rozvoj architektury a stavitelství, Václavské náměstí 31, 110 00 Praha 1, Česká republika.

5. DATES:

Submission Closing Date:  30 June 2009 by 6 pm (submissions via post must be postmarked no later than 30 June 2009).

Judging: September-October 2009

Contest winners announced and exhibition in Prague: November 2009

6. JUDGES:

In the first selection round, which will take plae in the Czech Republic, 30 submissions will be chosen by Professor Luigi Colani (Germany, www.colani.de).  The contest winner will be chosen by Professor Luigi Colani and Professor Alessandro Mendini (Italy, www.ateliermendini.it). The contest secretery will be appointed by the Design Cabinet CZ .  The Grund company will produce the three winning submissions and other works.  The selection of the other works will be made by the Grund company.

7.  PRIZE MONEY:

Prize money will be awarded to the top three places

• First place  5.000 euros
• Second place  3.000 euros
• Third place  2.000 euros

8. CATALOGUE:

After the contest a catalogue will be produced with the top 20 entrants.  Other works will be selected by the Grund Company.

9. EXHIBITION:

The announcement of the results and the first exhibition will take place in November 2009.  The exact time and location will be announced later.  The contestants will be contacted in writing about the date (by email) and a digital invitation will be sent.  At the exhibition 30 works will be presented, and the contest organizers reserve the right to exhibit more works.

10.  OTHER PRESENTATIONS OF THE PROJECT:

The winning designs will be produced and shown at other events such as important international fairs.  We plan a large public relations presentation of the project in the media.  The contest organizer in cooperation with Design Cabinet CZ will organize on the day of the announcement of the contest results, prize giving and the exhibition opening a press conference where the media will receive a press release, a CD with images and so on.  The contest winners will be invited to the press conference.