Design Month Graz bundles and condenses the energy of the local creative industries within one month, makes it visible to the outside world and thus makes a central contribution to anchoring the creative industries in people’s consciousness. It provides a space for innovative projects – be it experimental or commercial – and thus heightens the perception of the meaning of design: it is not about purely decorative behaviors (design as styling), but about the economic relevance (design as development and value added process) as well as the transformational power of design in economy and society.

Numerous local partners are also involved in Design Month Graz. The term “design month” acts as an umbrella brand that assembles the individual activities under one uniform appearance, without jeopardizing their independence. The Creative Industries Styria coordinates and organizes the Designmonat Graz and spans a substantive and programmatic range from a variety of individual initiatives from designers to the large local design training institutions, thereby enabling synergies and cooperation between the creative industries and “classic” companies.

This was Design Month Graz 2025

With around 50,000 visitors, over 140 events and contributions from 15 nations, the festival served as an international meeting point for design, creativity and social issues centred on the guiding theme »The New Real«: How is creativity changing in the age of artificial intelligence? What can still be considered real when virtual spaces and technologies shape our lives? These questions were explored throughout the festival programme in numerous exhibitions, installations, talks and workshops. The immersive main exhibition at the Festival Centre, Hornig Areal presented 50 video works by AI artists from across the globe, blurring the boundaries between reality and virtuality.

Read more:

A Look Back: Design Month Graz 2025 – Recap & Pictures

Innovation, Vision, and Hard Truths – Interview with CIS CEO Eberhard Schrempf