And again, the inevitable happens. We say goodbye to one year and, inherently, we generate space for everything that the next one will bring. We make a review, evaluate the highs, the lows and the averages, and learn from it all to continue advancing on a path that already totals, in the case of the Fundació del Disseny, two years of transversal work by and for design, in its broadest sense.

2024 has undoubtedly been a year of consolidating projects, connecting with other entities, placing Valencia on the international design map, and obtaining local and national recognition.

In the last twelve months we have worked continuously for the celebration of our major projects, those that bring together both the professional sector and the general public, so that the design, in its different aspects, reaches society as we promised when we laid the bases of the Foundation. In February, the Filmin film platform premiered the documentary “Valencia 22. City of design”, by director Andreu Signes. It compiles, shows and highlights what it meant for the city of Valencia to have been named World Design Capital. Testimonies interspersed with a sample of everything lived in the year of its celebration, 2022. Two months later, in April and coinciding with the 59th edition of the Fira del Llibre de València, the first volume of “Scenes of Valencian design” was presented, published by the Fundació del Disseny, written by Eugenio Viñas and Lidia Caro, and designed by Iban Ramón. Fourteen stories that start from an anecdote to narrate a global, thus explaining the historical journey and capturing the importance of Valencian design. The month of June brought, once again curated by Wences Sanz, the fifth edition of the “Paradís” festival, the day of inspiring talks on design that once again brought together an audience eager for inspiration to listen to national and international speakers from different creative disciplines. Another of the great milestones of this 2024, as far as projects are concerned, has been the celebration of the already consolidated “València Design Fest”, with an agenda that offers citizens a connection with art, architecture or craftsmanship, thanks in the latter case to the great work of Estudio Savage -decorated this year with the Award for the Dissemination of Craftsmanship- with the second edition of the great umbrella “Time and Matter”. A wide variety of activities, meetings and exhibitions that make September the great month of design in our city. Last but not least, of course, the celebration of “Future of Fashion”, curated for the second year by the journalist and communicator Patricia Moreno. Scheduled for October 30, the great impact of the dana in Valencia slowed down any cultural activity, including this congress of fashion and sustainability. After the task of cancellation, communication, full refund of tickets sold, as well as providing a safe return to their homes to those speakers and journalists who had already arrived in the city, the work in the following weeks was directed to celebrate the third edition of “Future of Fashion” as it was planned, or at least in the way that best suited a new date. A hybrid format, which allowed to connect live to the international speakers, as well as an audience present and online, was the way in which finally the congress happened in The Terminal Hub with a great acceptance by the general and specialized public. A closing that leaves a great taste in the mouth for a year in which we have fulfilled the established plan jumping, in addition, the possible potholes encountered.

In 2024 we also collaborated in the organization of the exhibition “Tot cor. Art, design and crafts speak of love”. This artistic, collaborative and solidarity project has as its main piece a ceramic heart, created by Pepa Reverter, and that different artists and designers have customized, thus creating a large exhibition of hearts that give life to a great social work. Likewise, the Fundació del Disseny de la CV has collaborated with Turiart in the creation of the tourist routes “València Art & Design Walks”, a proposal that allows the general public to know València from an avant-garde perspective, approaching spaces where design is present in its architecture, interior design or in the project itself that is carried out in the place visited.

This year has also been one of recognition for a task that goes beyond even the Foundation itself and takes us to the work of dissemination of design carried out in 2022 during the World Design Capital Valencia. The Laus, the graphic design awards of reference and today the most prestigious in our country, awarded from the ADG-FAD to the exhibition “Design and Health” a bronze for its exhibition graphics. The ADCV awards gala brought four joys: a gold for the website “Icons of Valencian design”, silver in the category of ephemeral spaces for the Ágora València, as well as for the exhibition “Design and health”. The latter was also a finalist in the category of environmental graphics. València World Design Capital 2022 was awarded with the mention in the ADI Culture awards, a recognition that highlighted the excellent dissemination of design from the city of València at international level throughout a whole year with hundreds of activities. “Design is good for health” by Ramón Úbeda, born from the great research work carried out for the exhibition ‘Design and health’, received the gold medal in the category of publications. The silver in this category went to “Neutopías” by Óscar Guayabero. The bronze of the ADI Cultura in the publications level went to “La gran D” by Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, from Podium Podcast and València World Design Capital 2022. For its part, the Ibero-American Design Biennial (Dimad) 2024 from Madrid awarded the prize for the best publication to the highly laureate “Design and health”, and the VI Mostra Internacional d’Audiovisuals d’Artesania de Barcelona selected the audiovisual “Designing the air”, a collaboration with the Chair of Crafts of the UPV by Ángel Blay and Vicent Martínez.

In addition to all of the above, the continuous work of collaboration with cultural, tourist or economic projection entities, as well as professionals both locally, nationally and internationally. Closer to home, this year CEI: the center for innovation, design and marketing studies, the European University of Valencia or the degree in Tourism at the University of Valencia, have received Xavi Calvo as director of the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana, to hear how the persevering work – since even before the appointment of Valencia as World Design Capital – has driven the city from the field of design, not only as a professional sector but also as a discipline that permeates the tourist, creative or artistic field. Calvo also participated in a new edition of the CEU UCH University breakfasts, bringing the design perspective to a conversation on the challenges facing cities, and Vicent Martínez, president of the Foundation, gave an emotional lecture at the Ateneo de Castellón on “Valencian design: history and emotion”. The month of December also offered a precious opportunity for the dissemination of design with the editorial event “Graphic Route” vs “Scenes of Valencian design” at Bartleby bookstore together with Barlin Libros. A conversation in which it was possible to review, through the two publications, the history and depth of the city’s design.

This entity has also had the opportunity to participate through interviews on the Valencian public radio and television, À Punt, promoting Valencian design in the programs Cadena de Valor or Podríem fer-ho millor, as well as nationally in El País and Las Mañanas de Radio Nacional, and internationally for the DDCAST of the Deutscher Design Club, the most important German platform in the debate on the transformation of design.

Looking at the task of international outreach there is a milestone more than remarkable in this 2024: the designation of Valencia as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. This first year, in which the Fundació del Disseny has been the advisory entity of the City Council of Valencia, has offered the opportunity to travel to Braga, to the summit of this network of creative cities; as well as Shanghai or Asahikawa, where our city has been welcomed with open arms and where the different forums have listened attentively to the speeches on how and why Valencia has managed to hold such a title.

The Fundació del Disseny has also traveled to Taiwan, with the exhibition “Spanish Landscapes” at the Taiwan Design Museum, curated by Odosdesign and with the support of ICEX. To Canton, thanks to the Chair of Innovation, Design and Interculturality of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, collaborating in the Canton Design Week (GZDW), the largest in Asia, participating in a stand dedicated to promoting Valencian design along with other organizations and companies of reference. Also to Frankfurt, which will be World Design Capital 2026, and to the World Design Network of Cities Meeting organized by World Design Capital San Diego-Tijuana 2024. Likewise, the headquarters of the Fundació del Disseny has received different personalities and entities that, from abroad, have fixed their gaze on our city and our work, and have come to learn more about everything that design contributes to the Valencian economic, business and cultural fabric.

Three hundred and sixty-six days of a leap year not to forget, summarized to highlight those milestones and achievements that have shone the most, have had greater diffusion or have obtained greater depth, but that are still the result of daily work, as we said at the beginning, by and for the design by the team and collaborators of the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana.

And once again, the inevitable happens. We bid farewell to a year and inherently create space for all that the next one will bring. We pause and think, evaluate the highs, the lows and everything in between, learning from it all to continue walking along a path that, in the case of our Design Foundation, now spans two years of transversal work for and through design in its broadest sense.

2024 has undoubtedly been a year of consolidating projects, connecting with other entities, placing Valencia on the international design map, and receiving recognition locally and nationally.

Over the past twelve months, we have worked tirelessly on our major projects—those that bring together both professionals and the general public—ensuring that design, in its many forms, reaches society as we promised when laying the foundation of the Fundació. In February, the streaming platform Filmin premiered the documentary Valencia 22. City of Design, directed by Andreu Signes. This work showcases and highlights what it meant for Valencia to be named World Design Capital, interweaving testimonials with a comprehensive overview of the events that shaped 2022.

Two months later, in April, coinciding with the 59th edition of the Fira del Llibre de València, we presented the first volume of Scenes of Valencian Design, published by the Fundació, written by Eugenio Viñas and Lidia Caro, and designed by Iban Ramón. This book tells 14 stories that start with an anecdote and expand into a broader narrative, illustrating the historical journey and significance of Valencian design.

In June, we celebrated the fifth edition of the Paradís festival, curated once again by Wences Sanz. This inspiring design event brought together a diverse audience eager to hear from national and international speakers across various creative disciplines.

Another major highlight of 2024 was the València Design Fest, now a staple in the city’s cultural calendar. With a program that bridges art, architecture, and crafts—thanks to the exceptional work of Estudio Savage and their Time and Matter initiative—the festival turned September into a celebration of design.

Finally, the Future of Fashion congress, curated for the second year by journalist Patricia Moreno, faced unexpected challenges due to a severe storm in October. Despite the initial cancellation, the event was successfully rescheduled and adapted into a hybrid format, offering live connections with international speakers and a mix of in-person and online audiences at The Terminal Hub.

Additionally, in 2024, we collaborated on the exhibition Tot Cor. Art, Design, and Craft Speak of Love, a solidarity project centered around ceramic hearts designed by Pepa Reverter and customized by various artists. We also partnered with Turiart to launch València Art & Design Walks, a series of tours showcasing the city’s design legacy through its architecture, interiors, and creative spaces.

This year also brought significant recognition for our work, including awards at the Laus Awards, ADCV Awards, ADI Cultura Awards, and BID Awards 2024 ceremonies, highlighting projects like Design and Health, World Design Capital Valencia 2022, and Iconos del Diseño Valenciano.

On an international level, Valencia joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, with our Design Foundation advising the City Council of Valencia. This milestone took us to global forums in Braga, Shanghai, and Asahikawa, where Valencia’s achievements were warmly received.

From Taiwan to Frankfurt, Canton, and San Diego-Tijuana, the Foundation has worked tirelessly to promote Valencian design on the world stage. Locally, we continued to collaborate with cultural, educational, and professional entities, ensuring that design remains integral to Valencia’s identity.

A leap year of 366 days, filled with achievements and milestones that reflect our daily commitment to design, driven by the team and collaborators of the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia.

• It will be held on October 30 at The Terminal Hub, the new technology and innovation hub located at La Marina de València.

• The congress, themed “From Ideas to Action,” will feature participation from brands such as COS, On, Cycle Platform, Logo, Batera Brand, and model Irina Lazareanu, ambassador for No More Plastic, among other presentations yet to be confirmed.

• The congress is promoted and organized by the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana and curated by Patricia Moreno, a journalist and expert in fashion communication.

The third edition of «Future of Fashion» is coming to València on October 30, serving as a meeting point for the fashion industry, the textile sector—of which the Comunitat Valenciana is the 4th largest exporter in Spain—conscious consumers, designers, brands, and students.

«Future of Fashion» 2024 will feature Ken Machado Sugita, Head of Sustainability APAC at On, who will speak about the sports revolution in sustainable fashion from the perspective of a brand that has captured the fashion sector and younger generations with collaborations with Loewe and Zendaya. There will be a roundtable on circularity in the age of microtrends, featuring Daniel Sánchez, CEO of Cycle Platform, Ana Lorido, founder of Logo, and Iñigo Picaza, founder of Batera Brand. Regenerative agriculture in fashion will be another topic, with Emily Oiyama, Head of Sustainability at COS. The congress will close with a conversation with Irina Lazareanu, model and ambassador for No More Plastic. More speakers and presentations will be confirmed in the coming days.

In previous editions, «Future of Fashion» brought together figures and organizations such as Natalia Culebras, Head of Sustainable Design at Dior Men; María Prandi from Business and Human Rights; Mimi Martínez from Fashion Revolution; Carmen Silla from Jeanologia; Regina Polanco, CEO of Pyratex; María Fernanda Hernández Franco, Head of Sustainability at Luisaviaroma; Lily Cole, entrepreneur, activist, model, and actress; H&M Foundation; Teppo Tauriainen, Swedish Ambassador in Madrid; British designer Christopher Raeburn; and Tim Jackson, Director of the British School of Fashion, among others.

Since 2022, the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana—the organizing entity of the event—has aimed to emphasize the role of design as a positive agent of change. Starting in 2023, the project is curated by fashion journalist and communication expert Patricia Moreno, a native of València with more than ten years of experience in fashion magazines and international educational projects. The master of ceremonies will be fellow Valencian Marta Ortiz, who, alongside her career as a runway model and sustainable fashion entrepreneur with her company Matiz, has established herself as a fashion communicator through social media and Vogue Spain.

“After two editions, we had the challenge of continuing our goal of bringing big names in international sustainable fashion to València, and we’ve succeeded. More and more, this congress is positioning itself on the global map of sustainability in the clothing industry, which is great news for our region and all the companies, activists, and initiatives linked to this specialty. During this event, once again, they will have the opportunity to connect with industry players and showcase their projects on a global scale without leaving the city,” said Patricia Moreno, congress curator.

Tickets are now available on the congress website (https://futurefashion.design). Early bird tickets are priced at €20, available while supplies last. The regular price will be €25. Both include coffee and a snack during the morning break, where, as throughout the event, networking between visitors and the local audience will be encouraged. There will be a lunch break, and the event will resume until 6:00 PM.

“At the Fundació del Disseny, we promote design in all its forms, and we couldn’t overlook fashion and textiles, a sector that has historically had significant relevance in the Comunitat Valenciana. Creating spaces for reflection to highlight projects that prioritize sustainability and people’s well-being is one of our priorities. ‘Future of Fashion’ brings to València initiatives from companies and individuals working for a better world through creativity, design, and business, and it is an honor for us that they come to share their stories here,” said Xavi Calvo, Director of the Fundació del Disseny.

«Future of Fashion» is a project promoted by the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana, with the support of the Conselleria of Innovation, Industry, Commerce, and Tourism of the Generalitat Valenciana, the Ajuntament de València, and The Terminal Hub.

• With the premise of starting a process and not just organizing an event, this documentary shows and highlights everything that being named World Design Capital in 2022 meant for the city of Valencia.
• The film, directed by Andreu Signes, features the participation of prominent design figures such as Tachy Mora, Jaime Hayon, Marisa Gallén, Óscar Guayabero, Carmen Baselga, Juli Capella, Ramón Úbeda, Xavier Giner, Vicent Martínez, Anatxu Zabalbeascoa and Marisa Santamaría.

The Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia and Filmin, the reference platform for films and series on demand, have reached an agreement to include the documentary in their catalogue, which includes more than 15,000 titles. The audiovisual piece, which was part of the València Design Fest program in 2023, organized by the Design Foundation, will be available from February 19 on the platform.

«The ecosystem and maturity of Valencian design led the World Design Organization to designate Valencia as World Design Capital 2022 in a global project that was not only an agenda of events but the beginning of a change, an initiative that went beyond the local to become a project of national dimension and international projection that positioned the Valencian Community, and by extension the Spanish design ecosystem, as the World Capital of creative talent. Being able to reach all Filmin subscribers to show them what this ambitious project entailed is a great source of pride for us.» – Xavi Calvo, director of the Design Foundation.

In its 60 minutes of duration, the film highlights some of the activities that were part of the capital’s program, taking over the city’s cultural offering in fifty spaces and has the support of the World Design Organization, the Valencia City Council, the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE International) and the Provincial Council of Valencia. Likewise, it includes interviews with prominent design figures such as Tachy Mora, Jaime Hayon, Marisa Gallén, Óscar Guayabero, Carmen Baselga, Juli Capella, Ramón Úbeda, Xavier Giner, Vicent Martínez, Anatxu Zabalbeascoa or Marisa Santamaría.

The documentary is signed by Andreu Signes, producer and director of audiovisual projects about creative processes. His works include Sordonora, El Betlem de la Pigà, Tornar al teatre, or “I’m Burning”, a documentary about the process of creating an experimental falla that won 13 international awards.

«It is a choral story of professional voices from different fields of design that gives a transversal perspective on the function, values and future prospects in this creative sector. Professionals such as Philippe Starck, Jaime Hayon, Tachy Mora, Ramón Úbeda, Marisa Gallén, Juli Capella… They bring us closer to their areas of creation, research and work in an informative and experiential way. The documentary shows us the parallel construction of the ceramic pavilion raised in the epicenter of the city, icon of the World Design Capital 2022. A highlight of Valencian design, from its origins to the current heterogeneous fabric.» – Andreu Signes, director of the documentary.

LINK TO THE DOCUMENTARY FILM ON FILMIN

The Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia was born and develops its activity as a legacy of World Design Capital Valencia 2022. A year of celebration and positioning of local talent that was possible thanks to the previous designation by the World Design Organization (WDO).

With the aim of continuing to strengthen ties, recognition and to continue promoting the use of design to achieve a better world, today the collaboration with the WDO is extended and takes on a new form: making the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia a new member of the international network of entities adhered to the organisation.

With more than 180 companies and institutions from all over the world, the various members of the WDO represent a global network that collaborates to support the profession of industrial design and promote its contribution to economic, social, cultural and environmental development.

Our country’s links with the World Design Organization (WDO) extend to other highly recognised entities such as the furniture brand Andreu World, Barcelona centre de Disseny (BCD) cluster, CEU Cardenal Herrera University and Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV).

On an international scale, the best universities in the field of design and creativity, as well as associations, foundations and institutions ensure the ethics and promotion of the discipline for a more prosperous, sustainable and diverse world. They are all part of WDO’s network of members across five continents. You can find them at wdo.org/community/members.

In each edition of “nude”, design experts are responsible for guaranteeing a quality and innovative product, as well as for selecting the designers, studios and publishing firms that will participate.

On this occasion, Xavi Calvo—director of the Fundació—will sit on the jury alongside renowned professionals from the sector: the design journalist Teresa Herrero, the designer and founder of Venture Experience, Alberto Martínez, and Jacobo Ventura, interior designer and creative director at the furniture firm Alexandra. All of them will meet at Feria València and be coordinated by the founder and curator of the “nude” show, María Fontes.

Registration for “nude 2023” is open until 22 June. You can view the rules and all the details regarding registration on the competition’s website: nudegeneration.com.

The next edition of “nude” will take place from 19 to 22 September 2023 at Feria Hábitat Valencia.

A few years ago, become the World Design Capital was simply an unimaginable milestone.

And today, five key words stand out in a special way on our horizon: promote, disseminate, connect, celebrate and position. These are not just trivial actions in our near future, but fundamental pillars to continue building from the momentum that 2022 has given us, the experience we have amassed over the last few decades and the expertise of Mediterranean skills and centuries-old traditions.

We cannot forget the reasons that have brought us this far and that have shaken up the present at an international level: the drive and vision of design companies and professionals, the will and the backbone of entities such as the Marina de València, the Arxiu Valencià del Disseny, schools and universities, technological institutes, museums, cultural centres and all the institutions that have supported us.

The future will be marked by the interests of the territory that defines us: we will continue to seek a better world and a better quality of life from a circular, sustainable and inclusive perspective.

We can only hope that the generosity and entrepreneurial strength of all the people who have made Valencian design a shared project will continue.

Let us understand this new stage as one more link in the chain: we will not tire in our quest to become a consolidated benchmark for international design.

Let’s begin.

—

Vicent Martínez
Chairman of the Fundació del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana