Critical Daily    Critical practice in graphic design

The project "Reflection on State design" was created during my course Critic - Critical Practice in Graphic Design and for the purpose of the annual exhibition of our Department of Visual Communication at AFAD in Bratislava that I was curating. The exhibition was called Designer–Critic–Editor–Commentator and was opened in Satelit Gallery (gallery of Slovak Design Centre) in December 2014. Students during the exhibition were supposed to directly participate in the selection and reflection of projects from former and current teachers/students of the department. 

This project was a textual and visual reflection made by one of the students - Andrej Barčák. Andrej reflected the visual identity project called "State design" designed by his tutor Juraj Blaško in 2012. “It is admirable that Juraj Blaško embarked on a project that highlights the problem of inconsistent identity of slovak government. I think it is necessary to reach the wider community and politicians though to load specific and constructive debate.” says Andrej Barčák in his textual reflection. He also included a visual reflection for his installation - he decided to redesign the Blaškos’ proposals in a ironic way and presented them as slide show in augmented reality. The visitors could scan the QR code on the wall above his text and watch the slideshow on tablet or mobile device.

The exhibition Designer–Critic–Editor–Commentator was presenting the Department of Visual Communication at AFAD in Bratislava as a critical platform and community of graphic designers who see the permanent reshaping of the profession. It showed that department is able to critically reflect the profession itself, social issues and design works that were produced by its students and tutors during the 15 years of its existence.