Spanish design presented in Germany with «Aperitivo: Spanish Design in Conversation»

The Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia, with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with the Spanish Network of Design Associations, is organising an internationalisation initiative as part of the official programme of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, taking place next May.

«Aperitivo: Spanish Design in Conversation» is the name of this initiative, which will take place at the WDC-Hub in Frankfurt on 7 and 8 May. It will bring together a leading group of Spanish design and creative professionals in a showcase format based on conversations and processes, fostering dialogue between Spain and the German creative ecosystem.

This project, which will bring Spanish design to the international stage of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, aims to highlight the talent and diversity of contemporary Spanish design, while also fostering connections with the German creative and business ecosystem in a strategic context for the sector’s international projection.

Curated by designer Jorge Penadés, “Aperitivo” proposes an innovative format that moves away from the traditional exhibition model to position design as a space for encounter. The Málaga-based designer, in line with his research into objects and spaces, has approached this project as a challenge in the reinterpretation of materials and techniques, with an installation specifically conceived for the venue. It will be unveiled at the WDC-Hub (Museum Angewandte Kunst) in Frankfurt on 7 and 8 May 2026, where open conversations will take place with eight leading figures from Spanish design: Inma Bermúdez, Tomás Alonso, Idoia Cuesta, Sara Regal, Attua Aparicio, Lucas Muñoz, El Último Grito and Miguel Leiro. They will engage in dialogue across different thematic blocks, generating direct exchange with professionals from the German context.

The session format, based on paired conversations without digital support, places the focus on processes, decisions and design practices, encouraging a more open and horizontal exchange. As outlined in the project’s curatorial framework, the “aperitivo” is understood as a moment prior to the final outcome, an activation space where ideas emerge, circulate and evolve collectively.

The project’s visual identity has been designed by the Murcia-based studio Rubio & del Amo, drawing on cultural elements associated with the Spanish aperitivo and developing a visually striking and contemporary proposal. As one of the leading studios in the Spanish design landscape, specialised in communication solutions through design, they have created a graphic system of applications that will be rolled out over the coming weeks.

This initiative forms part of the programme of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, a biennial event returning to Europe following València’s designation as World Design Capital in 2022, with a new German host that reinforces its global character and impact on the design ecosystem. Within this context of continuity and international projection, “Aperitivo: Spanish Design in Conversation” joins the official agenda as an action that connects both moments, transferring the legacy from Spain into new European networks and strengthening the active presence of Spanish design within this international framework. As such, “Aperitivo” is part of a broader strategy for the internationalisation of Spanish design, aligned with cultural and creative positioning goals at the European level, and is framed within actions funded by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – Next Generation EU.

Through this initiative, the three driving entities (the Spanish Ministry of Culture through the Centre for the Coordination of Cultural Industries, the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia and the Spanish Network of Design Associations) reinforce their commitment to promoting design as a tool for innovation, culture and international connection, consolidating the presence of Spanish design on one of the sector’s leading global stages.