The museum's tasks forming its public service include recording, collecting, documenting and inventorying, storing, arranging and presenting material from the fields of architecture, urban planning, industrial, graphic and one-off design, photography and movable heritage.

The basic functions of the BIO Secretariat are to spread knowledge about the importance and development of industrial design, the promotion of Slovene design abroad and the presentation of top-level industrial design at home. Within the scope of its activities, the BIO Secretariat organises domestic and international exhibitions and events in the sphere of design. The following describes a selection of key activities held during 2008 and 2009.



Exhibition and Competition: The 21st Biennial of Industrial Design (BIO)
On display at the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana (at Fužine Castle) from 2 October - 2 November 2008, this comparative international exhibition of industrial design, visual communications and design concepts is one of the world's oldest design events. Besides its tradition of over forty-five years, BIO is continuously more vivid and responsive to current design movements. With its activity BIO promotes contemporary trends in international design through its selection of well-designed products and its emphasis on quality, originality and innovation.

At BIO every two years, designers, commissioners, manufacturers and students from around the world present their latest achievements. BIO presents works in three categories: PRODUCTS, VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS and DESIGN CONCEPTS.

At BIO 21 there were 126 design works from 18 countries exhibited. The Selection Committee chose the exhibits from a total of 421 submissions from 29 countries and made an exhibition that emphasised designs that offered creative and innovative solutions to current problems of contemporary life, that focused on sustainable development and social responsibility and that addressed the special needs of various groups of users.



The BIO GOLD MEDAL, QUALITY CONCEPT AWARD and HONOURABLE MENTION are a recognition of superior quality in design, while the award-winning works become part of the international design collection of the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana.

9,963 visitors viewed the BIO 21 exhibition and participated in its accompanying program.

In addition to the main exhibition and nine professional guided tours, an interesting accompanying program aimed at various target groups was prepared. Through professional talks, an international conference on creativity and innovation, and prominent design exhibitions, we wished to emphasize the importance of design and the challenges it faces in today's society.

A Series of Lectures in Design Theory: Sustainable Alternatives in Design
Organised in collaboration with the Pekinpah Association from March - October 2008, "A Series of Lectures in Design Theory - Sustainable Alternatives in Design: It's High Time We Start Losing Time" included lecturers: Dieter Rams, Ezio Manzini, Jonathan Chapman, Clive Dilnot, Per Mollerup, Victor Margolin.

Talk: Design Achievements: BIO 21 Slovenian Award-Winners
On 12 February 2009, Slovenian designers - Majda Kregar & Miha Kerin, Tina Jeřabek, Igor Ravbar, Jernej Jaroslav Kropej and Samo Ačko - presented their works exhibited and awarded at the 21st Biennial of Industrial Design.



Exhibition: Golden Age: Highlights of Duch Graphic Design 1890-1990
A project by Premsela, Dutch Platform for Design and Fashion in collaboration with De Beyerd, Museum of Graphic Design, the exhibition was on display at the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana from 20 February - 22 March 2009.

Lecture: Daniel van der Velden - Love from the best of both worlds: Design and research in the Netherlands and Europe
Daniel van der Velden – a graphic designer, writer and advising researcher at the Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht – lectured about graphic design from the Netherlands. The lecture was at the Architecture Museum of Ljubljana on 20 March 2009.

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