The on year-long initiative Irish Design (ID2015), supported by the Irish government, explores, promotes, and pays tribute to the art form for the first time in the country’s history. Monthly events such as exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and performances throughout the country and abroad, give information about Irish design, its heritage and present form. Irish Design 2015 is a conscious effort by the Irish government to spread knowledge to the general public about the value design has to society, culture, and the economy.

Connections is one of the many results of last year’s ID2015 initiative. The traveling exhibition displays 32 objects selected from different design disciplines. They’re all transported in three sturdy suitcases. The exhibits are accompanied by a small library of works by illustrators and graphic designers, as well as printed materials and articles, which relate to the art form’s history. The concept of the exhibit is centered on the relationship between different themes – life, culture, society, and progress. They guide the visitor through the different accomplishments of Irish design and link it to the contemporary impact of these processes. This is a glimpse into Irish warmth and values, and the ways in which important representatives of the art form have contributed to its development on a global scale.

Among the names stand out the creations of the architect Eileen Gray, the motif designer Orla Kiely, the illustrator Chris Haughton, whose children’s books have been translated into many languages; Sugru mouldable glue, 3D printers that use Mcor paper, and many more. All these examples attest to the all-encompassing accomplishments, the innovative approaches, bold decisions, and quality ideas that have taken Irish design to the forefront on a global scale.

With the support of Embassy of Ireland in Sofia.