Those eager to explore modern community-building processes, gain insight into pressing societal issues, discover product development opportunities for renowned brands or learn how a video game can support mental health will find MOME’s Zugliget Campus the perfect destination, where the Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence exhibition has just opened, showcasing works by scholarship recipients from the autumn 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. 

In his opening address, Rector Pál Koós quoted the scholarship's namesake, world-renowned designer Stefan Lengyel, who once remarked, “Design is the conscience of the product.” The sixteen scholarship recipients embraced this ethos, dedicating five months in each semester to further develop and refine their projects.  

Drawing on experience from previous years, curators Júlia Bálint and Noémi Viski have designed a more open and accessible format for this edition. With the addition of interactive elements, visitors are invited to engage with the works more closely, touching the objects at designated points and exploring the young artists' ideas through films and flip-through publications.  

The exhibition’s lightweight wooden structure showcases a wide range of works, from clothing and vehicle designs to game consoles and furniture. The modular elements, made from recycled materials, highlight the importance of sustainability while fostering a sense of community. This is further reinforced through collaborations with MOME alumni, including Ádám Tóth and the MALOM project, as well as former architecture student Hanna Kopacz, on the exhibition’s design. 

In addition to addressing environmental and social changes, this year’s exhibition features a significantly higher number of projects that explore both the benefits and challenges posed by digital technology and artificial intelligence, as well as the not completely unrelated subject of research into mental well-being.  

The thematic pairings offer a glimpse into the collective vision of this designer generation and their similar approaches to contemporary challenges. This sense of continuity is further embodied in an archive wall displaying postcards of projects from previous scholarship recipients, serving as a reminder of the lasting influence of past students on the ideas and works of current and future awardees and their contributions to MOME's intellectual legacy. 

Stefan Lengyel is an internationally renowned designer awarded with thirty professional accolades and credited with designing the iconic Ganz articulated tram and the Calypso tape recorder. As head of the Department of Design at the University of Essen and MOME, he became one of the most influential figures in German and Hungarian design. In 2020, the Foundation for Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design launched a scholarship named after him. In addition to delivering a material reward to outstanding talents, the scholarship also places major focus on advancing the competences, practical industry experience and professional integration of students. Scholarship recipients traditionally address contemporary design issues through innovative ideas, critical perspectives, and a strong sense of social responsibility. The 2024 exhibition marks the third showcase of scholarship winners since the programme’s inception. 

Venue:  MOME GROUND, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design 
Open: until 3 November, between day 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. 

Exhibiting students: 

Gergő Áprili, Aurél Valentin Bajkov, Fanni Zsófi Baranyi, Emese Bukovinszky, Péter Bunford, Zoi Dontasz, Calla Bettina Ernst, Zalán Fazekas, Laura Fedics, Benedek Forgács, Maja Galántai, Bernadett Garai, Patrik Sándor Gál, Máté Guthy, Sára Hecker, Eszter Kain, Balázs Ágoston Kiss, Anna Kőszeghy, Kristóf Lipótzy, Sára Muszka, Csongor Boldizsár Nagy, Ágnes Petrucz, Eszter Enikő Rőczei, Maja Sárdi, Anna Sáringer, Enikő Szentiványi-Székely, Nóra Szilágyi, Fruzsina Takáts, Borbála Véghelyi, Dorottya Vértessy, Zoltán Zoboki 

Curators: Júlia BÁLINT, Noémi VISKI 
Exhibition design: Flóra FARKAS, Hanna KOPACZ, Ádám TÓTH 
Graphic design: Diána LAJOS 
Implementation: Máté BARKÓCZI, Péter TÍMÁR, MALOM Project, MOME PrintShop 

For more information on the projects, visit the website at 

https://mome.hu/en/hirek/megvannak-az-idei-stefan-lengyel-kivalosagi-osztondij-nyertesei