networking

International exhibitions and trade fairs were prominent sites of confrontation between two political ideologies and economic systems, each keen to prove its superiority. At the same time, these events (alongside various biennials, conferences, and workshops) were also meeting places where contacts could be made, including ones outside governmental structures.
Networking is about the exchange of experiences, expertise, and information, both inside and outside one’s own bloc. The 1970s are sometimes referred to as the decade of Eastern Europe, with a number of its professionals becoming important players in world organizations like ICSID, and a number of important events taking place in Eastern Europe, such as the 1962 Icograda conference in Bled, Slovenia, and the 1975 ICSID congress in Moscow. Eastern European locations were also selected for several Interdesign workshops as well.
While contacts with the West, which allowed a sense of belonging to a global professional community, may have been seen as a priority, there was also a push for intrabloc consolidation, driven by the Soviet Union’s own political interests. The aim was to create a unified design system and knowledge space, and also to redefine the design field from the perspective of socialist societies. The concept of ‘designing for a socialist society’ found even wider resonance during the worldwide social upheavals of the late 1960s, when the critique of consumer society, along with the social and moral role of design, came to the attention of Western design theorists as well. For example, when the Argentine-born, Europe-based Tomás Maldonado sought alternatives to Western consumer-centred design systems, he looked to the planned economies of Eastern Europe, where he was often an honoured guest.