In a world where analogue and digital realities are merging, age-old questions take on new significance: What is real and what is fake? What is artificial and what is natural? And, how real is reality?

Focus Theme: »The New Real«

Artificial intelligence is accelerating, technology is taking over, and reality is shifting. We are witnessing a new kind of real and a transformation that spares no industry. For professionals in design, communication, media, and the creative economy, this brings profound implications. During Design Month 2025, we will explore these through the programme focus “The New Real”: What does human creativity mean in an era of artificial intelligence? How are business models evolving? What responsibilities do those designing new immersive worlds bear? The design community will find answers in this year’s programme, curated by Creative Industries Styria and featuring contributions from local, national, and international partners within the CIS network.

Festival Centre at Hornig Areal

The central meeting point of Design Month this year, once again, is the Festival Centre at Hornig Areal. Thought-provoking discussions, exhibitions, workshops, and installations invite visitors to drop by repeatedly and enjoy the atmosphere. The Festival Centre is open daily throughout Design Month, free of charge, and easily accessible by public transport.

Recap: Design Month Graz 2024 – A Platform Open to All

Participation and sharing were particularly important in last year’s program: Interactive formats allowed visitors to express their own creative power – whether in text, drawings or multimedia with AI as a tool. A “Rage Room” took liberation literally and encouraged visitors to enjoy getting rid of objects that they had long wanted to get rid of. Evening “Kitchen Talks” on five dates merged culinary delights and discourse; participants cooked and discussed with experts from various domains in a specially designed kitchen on site. Speaking of which: The Underground Kitchen was responsible for special culinary creations at the site throughout the month. A series of concerts also ensured that the festival center lived up to its name. It was open daily from May 3 to June 2 from 11.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., accessible free of charge and easily accessible by public transport, preferably via the passageway under the main station.