International MELBA Symposium 2025

  The city is Sofia and the theme is:
Global Design ⇉
MELBA International Design Festival returns with its 8th edition from 6 to 16 November.
 The cherry on top this year will be the one-day MELBA Symposium!
Taking place on November 8 in Hall 1 of the "Toplocentrala", it will bring together leading figures in graphic design, illustration, product design and furniture design.
The MELBA Symposium will feature speakers and studios from over ➎ countries. The first participants announced for the event are:

 JULIE RICHOZ - product and industrial designer (France/Switzerland). In her creative process, she seeks to establish the connection between high aesthetics and functionality, transforming each product into an art object. Her clients include Hay, Tectona, Louis Vuitton, La Manufacture de Cogolin, Mattiazzi, and Galerie Kreo.

 INEKE HANS - furniture and product designer (Netherlands). Considered one of the leading names on the Dutch design scene, her work is distinguished by its focus on sustainability and social context. Her most iconic works include are Garlic Crusher, the Smallroom, and the REX – the first Dutch chair with a deposit system, made from recycled industrial waste.

 RICHARD VAN DER LAKEN - Creative Director of What Design Can Do, a social entrepreneurship agency (Netherlands). He co-founded the Designpolitie agency and the Gorilla collective, highlighting the power of design as a tool for real social and ecological change.

 MARTINA WEDZICKA-OBUCHOWICZ - art director and graphic designer (Poland). Also known as WEDZICKA, she continues to explore the boundaries of graphic communication through an experimental approach, involving glitch aesthetics, and digital effects. Wedzicka has received numerous prestigious awards for her work, including the Polish Graphic Design Awards in 2019 and 2021, as well as a nomination in the "Fresh Blood" category of the Project of the Year competition in 2018/2019.

 MARIO LOMBARDO - graphic designer, art director and founder of Atelier Oblique (Germany). Lombardo combines a distinctive approach to graphic design with a passion for fragrances, bringing these two concepts together in a search for identity and connection with the past.
 JORDAN RALPH is a designer who graduated from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin and the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark. After his studies, he worked in Copenhagen with AiAiAi and KiBiSi / BIG Architects, where he developed his distinctive style and interest in innovative, sustainable design.

 T.O.T Studio - design practice founded in 2019 by Ausias Pérez (Spain). At its core lie art, technology, and strategic thinking, united by a clear mission – to build brands with profound messages and lasting presence. The studio works in fields such as visual identity, brand development and evolution, communication campaigns, integrated communication systems, and long-term planning.

 Early Bird   tickets for the MELBA Symposium are on sale starting today! Don't miss your chance to get yours here:
 https://bit.ly/РанноПиле
⇉ Early bird ticket price: BGN 90 until October 15, 2025 or until sold out.
⇉ Regular ticket price: BGN 110.
 You also get a 10% discount if you purchase 5 or more tickets.
 The event is supported by the National Culture Fund - under the Festivals programme, and is part of Sofia Municipality's Calendar of Cultural Events.
 The symposium is kindly supported by the French Embassy and the French Institute in Bulgaria, the Polish Institute in Sofia, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Bulgaria and the Embassy of Ireland in Bulgaria. It is also supported by Fashion Days and 1664 Blanc Beer.