MELBA LIVE XI
The eleventh edition of our favorite format MELBA LIVE boldly steps into digital territories and takes advantage of the pandemic situation by presenting distant heroes of Bulgarian design through Zoom conversations. Directly reporting from Majorca and London, we learn about the surprising and incredible professional research of three internationally recognized talents, covering the topics of biomaterials, more humane furniture in maternity wards and ethical crafts. We announce with undisguised pride and excitement the three speakers at our upcoming June event:
NINELA IVANOVA defines herself as a design strategist and thinker. Devoted to interdisciplinary practices, she curiously tries to predict a more meaningful application of design through harnessing scientific processes and natural materials. After seven years of in-depth study of mycelium at Kingston University in London, Ninela is now a PhD and a skilfull master on a wide range of head-turning ideas for a more noble future through new developments in technology, art, design, textiles and fashion, all inspired by bacteria, fungi and molds. Her name became quite popular due to her work on the collection of furniture and lighting MYCELIUM+TIMBER together with Sebastian Cox, developed from woven English ash, engulfed in Fomes fomentarius (mycelium). The project has been included in several exhibitions and recognized as exceptional and contributing significantly to the construction of materials for the furniture industry from renewable sources. (pictures by Petr Krejci)
We come across STILIYANA MINKOVSKA and her violet ultra attractive upholstered furniture as if from the decor of a futuristic spaceship through an article in the media giant DEZEEN. Following a swift connection and exchange of emails, it became clear that Stiliana is quite the multitalented and bright figure. She graduated as an architect, with a serious inclination towards interiors, product design and photography (we also add great style and open personality). After winning one of four residencies in the renowned program for young talents at the Design Museum in London in 2019, she came up with a revolutionary development for the type, function and use of furniture in maternity wards. All the details about Ultima Thule and more professional insights come from Stiliana herself at the end of the month in Melba Live №11. Can’t wait.
ELIA NEDKOV loves to cross various artistic disciplines and rightly cannot be fit into just one specific professional framework. Interior and furniture designer, architect, experimenter, artistic director, curator, photographer… He has a plethora of creative experiences and an amazingly interesting professional path which account to his stories being like magic tales captivating dreams and liberating the spirit. We contact him from Majorca, where he lives with his creative and life partner – Anna-Alexandra (pictured above) – with reflections on the values of craft production by local craftsmen and the provocation of the pandemic to pay attention to the slow life and valuable goods around us. The focus is on his latest brand – e.n_bags – ethical, stylish and gorgeously beautiful.
The 11-th edition of MELBA LIVE will take place on the 25th of June at 17:00 in ZOOM. More info on registering (for free) coming soon.
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MELBA LIVE is part of the Melba Design Initiatives created and curated by Studio Komplekt. They present remarkable in their approach projects by local design heroes in various fields of design in an inspiring and honest ways.
