September 17–28, 2025
Brussels Design September, Prague House, Brussels, Belgium
How does design taste? And why experience it not only visually, but also through flavor, touch, and ritual? Savour, an exhibition by the UMPRUM Product Design Studio presented during the Brussels Design September festival, responds to the evolving culture of dining. It brings together projects that explore gastronomy as a sensory experience, an act of cultural sharing, and a celebration of skilled craftsmanship.
At the Prague House in Brussels, a selection of semester projects and diploma works will be on display, created under the guidance of Michal Froňek and Jan Němeček in collaboration with the Czech glass factories Bomma and Květná 1794, as well as the Ambiente restaurant group. In their designs, students emphasize not only tradition and craftsmanship, but also the contemporary needs of gastronomy and dining culture.
The main focus of the exhibition is drinkware. It will feature two distinct project series: beer mugs developed in collaboration with Bomma glassworks and the Ambiente restaurant group, and drinkware inspired by the highly successful Czechoslovak pavilion at Expo 58 in Brussels, which became a symbol of the post-war modernist approach to craft and design. This latter collection was created in collaboration with the glassworks Květná 1794. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore not only prototypes, including conceptual models, but also finished pieces and the full design process. Through sketches and reference materials, they can gain insight into how these young designers build on the legacy of Czech glassmaking, continuing its traditions while responding to contemporary needs and aesthetics. Their work is complemented by the latest Alchymist drinkware collection, created for the Štangl restaurant by Michal Froňek and Jan Němeček.
In addition to student projects, the curators included a selection from the significant collections of the Květná 1794 glassworks, as well as examples of iconic beer glassware designed by leading Czech glassmakers and designers. Footage from the operations of the Bomma and Květná 1794 workshops further illustrates the unique and demanding nature of this craft.
The exhibition also features two remarkable diploma projects by students Jan Lechner and Ivo Jedlička. For the Bokovka wine bar, Jan Lechner designed the sophisticated L316 lighting system, which harmonizes visually with the historic building that houses the venue. Its versatility is a key feature, allowing use in outdoor spaces as well as adjustable intensity and direction of illumination.
Ivo Jedlička’s experimental project Cooking the Craft goes beyond traditional notions of design. In developing tableware, he approached the material much like a chef approaches ingredients, drawing inspiration from the processes of food preparation. This concept of merging design and cooking was fully realized through a collaboration with the educational platform UM. Together with creative chef František Kopec, they developed a multi-course menu that reflects the principles applied in the design of the tableware.
Savour invites visitors to experience design not only visually, but to truly “savor” it—through its details, tactile qualities, and the context of everyday rituals. The exhibition will be on view at the Prague House in Brussels until September 28th.
Education leadership: Michal Froněk,and Jan Němeček.
Curators: Theodor Hozák, Šimon Bečvář, Aneta Kůšová, and Matouš Abraham.
Exhibitors: Matouš Abraham, Sofia Artemeva, Šimon Bečvář, Lucie Belačíková, Laura Beretová, Tereza Bláhová, Petr Brancuský, Vincent Didunyk, Veronika Fejtová, Tereza Horičková, Theodor Hozák, Miloslav Chytil, Jan Jaroš, Ivo Jedlička, Klára Keiswerttová, Denis Koutník, Natália Krišťáková, Jáchym Kubů, Aneta Kůšová, Jan Lechner, Mikuláš Procházka, Anna Rohde, and Nikola Samcová.
