Piotr Voelkel, one of the biggest Polish producers of furniture, will be talking to the nationally and internationally awared designer Piotr Kuchciński about their collaboratin and the state of the furniture industry. At a time when Poland ranks as number four international exporter of furniture, it is important to consider how this tremendous quantative potential should be translated into a qualitative success. Furniture as an aesthetic and functional object has long attracted designers as a vehicle for their design concepts. What is the message being sent out by the Polish furniture design? In what direction is this dynamic branch of our industry developing? Our visitors will attempt to answer these and many other questions.

Piotr Voelkel – entrepreneur, engineer, art connoisseur and promoter of Polish design, patron of numerous cultural and educational projects. Co-owner and member of the management of Grupa Kapitałowa Vox – a cluster of construction, final project presentation and interior design enterprises. Founder of the Vox-Artis Foundation for the Promotion of Polish Contemporary Art. President of the Zachęta Wielkopolska Association for Fine Arts, which has been assisting the creation of the exhibition of contemporary art at the National Museum in Poznań. Presently, Piotr Voelkel has focused on projects of public benefit. He has been working on creating the School of Form – a contemporary, modern school of design. He supports the project of the creation of a Wielkopolska Design Centre in Poznań.

Piotr Kuchciński – an architect. He collaborated with one of architectural studios in Poznań, working on urban projects, designs for urban estates and public utility buildings. He is a free-lance designer of family houses and interiors. He has also produced graphic design and book illustrations. He has put into production more than 35 lines of office furniture, furniture for the home and upholstered furniture, which have continued to sell well. Since 2000, he has worked in association with the largest Polish furniture producers who place an emphasis on good quality design, including: Balma, Noti, Profim, Vox and Bejot. His contribution to the Polish design has been recognised by the Institute of Industrial Design, which awarded him the 2012 Designer of the Year.