Auto Design

Auto(r) 2010 automotive design conference

20-21March, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb.

This is the report that Daniel Tomicic, promoter and organiser of the Conference, has been so kind to write for our blog. I hope the speakers and attendees will submit their manuscripts and comments to continue the stimulating dialogues sparked by the Conference. All photograph are from Laurent Nivalle.

Auto(r) is new automotive design conference that started last year in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the biggest event of its kind in Europe 2009 and 2010. Idea behind Auto(r) is to popularise automotive design to wide audience and not automotive professionals only. That is done by promotion of automotive designers as creative individuals equal to other product designers. Event name is a play of words auto and author in Croatian.

Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb hosted Auto(r) 2010 for two days of lectures, panel discussions and workshops that attracted car and design enthusiasts from the region.

Auto(r) 2010 speaker list included: Maarten de Bruijn (Silvestris), founder of Spyker and designer of all Spyker models until 2005 admired for their unique styling. Today, de Bruijn works on Silvestris motorboat. Belgium Sebastien Stassin (Kiska) is motorcycle designer that worked for Piaggio and Honda before joining Salzburg design company Kiska as a partner in charge of transportation design, there he created extreme car KTM X-Bow.

Auto(r) hosted for the first time two world renowned automotive design theoreticians: Giancarlo Perini (Car Styling) gave overview of design at Geneva motor show 2010 and Enrico Fagone (Scuola Politecnica di Design) has spoken on past, present and future of automotive design.

Kemal Curić (Ford) made presentation on Ford Iosis Max and Nemanja Lalicic (ex Honda) on his work that includes Stola Phalcon. Clay modeller Francesco Carbini (Scuola Politecnica di Design) gave in-deep coverage of his profession. Marko Lukovic (University of Arts Belgrade) has spoken on his experience of winning Peugeot Design Contest and Dragan Zegarac (Volkswagen) on LED technology and “night design”. Workshop was guided by Dario Dropucic (freelance designer) and panel discussion by Boris Ljubicic, the most famous Croatian designer.

Auto(r) conference includes Design Challenge. This year theme was to create a vehicle for senior citizens. Winner was chosen by speakers that unanimously chose work of Zdenko Vukoja, amateur designer from Croatia. Auto(r) 2010 special attraction was KTM X-Bow that was exposed in front of the Museum and occasionally driven by speakers.

Auto(r) is supported by Scuola Politecnica di Design, City of Zagreb, Renault, Volvo, Ford, Auto Design & Styling magazine.

More info: www.automotivedesignconference.com

SPEAKERS

1. MAARTEN DE BRUIJN (Spyker, Silvestris) – Dutch designer end entrepreneur, co-founder of new Spyker and designer of all models until 2005 when he left to start Silvestris and produce boats.

2. FRANCESCO CABRINI (DaimlerChrysler, Moto Guzzi, Audi, Ford, BMW, MINI, Italdesign Giugiaro, Yamaha) Clay modeller and lecturer at Scuola Politecnica di Design, Milano.

3. DARIO DROPUCIC (freelance) – Croatian with Scuola Politecnica di Design Transportation design degree.

4. ENRICO FAGONE (Car & Transportation design, founder and editor in chief) – One of world’s most influential theoreticians on automotive design.

5. NEMANJA LALICIC (Stola, Honda, freelance) – Serbian designer in 2008 transformed Maybach Exelero concept into Stola Phalcon Coupe for Arab oil sheiks.

6. MARKO LUKOVIC (winner of Peugeot Design Contest 2001., Zastava, freelance) – Winner of the most famous automotive design contest in the world, organised by Peugeot and Assistant Professor at two universities in Serbia.

7. GIANCARLO PERINI (Car Styling, European Editor) – One of the world most prominent journalists specialised in automotive design. 1969-74 he was marketing and PR director at Italdesign.

8. SEBASTIEN STASSIN (Piaggio, Honda Motorcycles, KTM, Kiska) – Motorbike designer credited for style of extreme car KTM X-Bow.

DRAGAN ŽEGARAC (Volvo, Volkswagen) – Design Project Manager in Volkswagen design department.