BE OPEN announces winner of inaugural Young Talent Award


Austrian design duo mischer'traxler (main picture) win €24,000 prize, which was presented at this year's Milan Furniture Fair


Austrian design duo mischer'traxler are the winners of the inaugural BE OPEN Young Talent Award, a new annual design prize presented by creative think tank BE OPEN.

The Vienna-based duo, made up of Katharina Mischer and Thomas Traxler, was selected from a shortlist of 10 candidates, which had been whittled down from an original long-list of 37, put forward by a leading international design industry jury.

They win €24,000 to support their living expenses for a year and a unique egg trophy designed by Barber & Osgerby.

BE OPEN Young Talent Award

BE OPEN Young Talent Award


Three egg-inspired trophies have been created for the Awards by members of the jury, the egg symbolising nascent talent ready to hatch.

BE OPEN Young Talent Award Daniel Rybakken

Shortlisted designer Daniel Rybakken

In a statement the jury said: 'The work of the ten shortlisted candidates is of exceptional quality, but we felt that mischer'traxler's methods best reflect the spirit of this new, important design prize. Matching experimental research and vanguard attitudes with industrial production, they clearly indicate how much further manufacturing can be developed from where it is now. Their talent for introducing creative interaction into everyday objects and humanising every aspect of design reflects their incredible ability to synthesise the future of design.'

Unlike many other design prizes, the selection of the BE OPEN Young Talent Award is made on the basis of potential, rather than work achieved; the prize money supports the winner's living expenses for a year, so that they can continue to work at their own pace, without any obligation to create new product or exhibit their work.

Founder of BE OPEN Yelena Baturina said 'The Young Talent Award is yet another example of how we try to see things differently and how we encourage people to look at the world with an open mind: we're not asking for tangible results at the end of the year's work; we're not demanding commitment, although we'd like the winner to become an active part of our network. We do, however, want them to keep developing their thinking; we want to glean inspiration from these talented young minds, because they are the leading minds of the future.'

BE OPEN Young Talent Award Dennis Parren

Dennis Parren, who was awarded the Yelena Baturina Prize

An additional prize was announced at the awards ceremony in Milan: Dennis Parren was selected as the Yelena Baturina prizewinner. He was presented with a replica dinosaur egg, the trophy created especially for the awards for the Baturina prize by Front Design. The founder of BE OPEN had announced her intention to make a personal choice from the shortlist that reflects her belief in the business potential of the selected candidate.

BE OPEN Young Talent Award Anton Alvarez

Shortlisted designer Anton Alvarez

Baturina said 'The candidates for this award show outstanding qualities and the variety of their approaches and passion for invention is what drives me forward with BE OPEN - it is so inspiring to be surrounded by intensity of engagement, curiosity and creative free-thinking. Denis works with light and space, the fundamental elements. But I am also fascinated by his nomadic thematic. I think that he has tapped into a very important trend for our time: we are all global nomads, constantly on the move and we like to carry our homes with us, to some degree, to keep a sense of comfort and familiarity with us. So he is my choice for the award that represents the potential to evolve into a serious business proposition.'








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