This month, an interesting exhibition was opened at the Ctrl+Z Gallery. Titled “Design Strategies for the Challenges of Contemporary Society”, this exhibition presents selected works done by students of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design of the University of Ljubljana, as well as projects created through three editions of the Design+Science Summer School.

Design+Science

Design+Science is a multidisciplinary summer school program that promotes exploration and experimentation at the intersection of design and various scientific fields, led by renowned experts in their respective fields.

This week-long Summer School includes workshops, guest lectures, tours, and other activities.

The main organizers are the University of Ljubljana, the University of Split, FH Joanneum, and PiNA. Additionally, this year’s edition was organized in partnership with the Croatian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

The summer school approach is based on multidisciplinary group work and it is open to participants from the field of design but also to all related practices such as architecture, art, computer sciences, social sciences, natural sciences, and others. Both, students at the Masters and Ph.D. level can participate, as well as any other young professionals eager to expand their knowledge and skillset.

The Design+Science Summer School program is not based on a fixed design methodology and remains open and flexible enough to allow groups to develop their own path while working through given tasks.

Participants are not expected to be experts in the field of visual communication; on the contrary, researchers from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities are also invited to participate. And, as mentioned, there is also no restriction in terms of status: MSc and Ph.D. students are welcome, as are creatives and entrepreneurs working in various fields who want to expand their expertise with knowledge at the intersection of design and science.

The aim of this educational program is to sharpen participants’ knowledge, skills, understanding, and intelligence in this emerging field through guided training throughout the duration of each Design+Science Summer School program.

Participants are expected to present their part-projects on the last day of the program, as well as turn in their completed work afterward and all projects are in the end included in a book. Furthermore, all participants who are still students receive 3 ECTS credits for the successful completion of the program.

CTRL+Z Gallery

CTRL+Z is an exhibition gallery located in Split’s city center as part of the Visual Communication Department (DVK) within the Arts Academy building next to Strossmayer Park (popularly known as Đardin). Students regularly attend lectures here and have practice sessions directly next to the gallery space. This allows the visitors of the Gallery to experience not only exhibitions presented in the Gallery but also the dynamics and atmosphere of the daily student program.

The main goal of CTRL+Z is to provide the audience with a clearer and more comprehensive perception of the design profession and its potential.

Very often, the exhibitions held at CTRL+Z are part of wider cultural events – workshops, festivals, competitions, lectures by visiting professors, etc. – that take place at the Department of Design.

Therefore, the Gallery is not only an exhibition venue but rather a platform for all cultural activities interconnected with the design industry.

Another distinctive feature of CTRL+Z lies in the organization and conceptual aspect of exhibitions. Whenever possible, attention is paid to the methodology of work and the processes that lead to the final look. That didactic component is crucial for the students and also extremely beneficial to the wider audience. Such is also the case with this Design+Science exhibition.

You still have time to visit the CTRL+Z Gallery during its working hours and check out the Design+Science Summer School exhibition until its closing on October 27th!

Don’t miss it! 😀

Photos and visuals by: Visual Communication Department (DVK)