Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design

Living Tradition

finalist project

Véda Sárai, Kuban Polina, Borostyánkői Zsófia

Living Tradition explores the deep connection between women’s health and ecological restoration by linking the wellbeing of the land and body. Drawing inspiration from Hungarian folk symbols—where floral motifs symbolize female fertility—and centuries of herbal wisdom, the work emphasizes nature’s vital role in healing and culture. Co-created sculptures use vályogtégla (adobe), a traditional earth-based material that naturally decomposes back into the soil, symbolizing a cycle of renewal. This project plants seeds of healing, culture, and connection, highlighting the interdependence between ecological health and feminine wellbeing through art and tradition.

Mater

Nonfinalist project

Maria Kazimierczak, Sahar Bedoui, Milan Janky

Mater explores sustainable alternatives to traditional construction materials, focusing on replacing environmentally harmful cement with bio-based composites by 2100. The project repurposes food waste—like eggshells, coffee grounds, and fruit peels—into a biodegradable, scalable, and energy-efficient material. Tested under simulated future climate conditions including heat, flooding, wind, and heavy rain, the prototype showed promising durability, flexibility, and biodegradability. Mater not only critiques cement’s historical and environmental footprint but also offers a speculative vision for architecture and design that adapts to a changing climate.

Beyond Looks

Nonfinalist project

Szabolcs Fábián, Mór Keresztes, Eszter Iván

Beyond Looks is an educational project that highlights the ecological and medicinal value of mushrooms through interactive learning and sensory experience. It features a pair of edible mushroom-shaped cookies—one resembling a poisonous species and the other a safe look-alike—to raise awareness about the dangers of misidentification. Accompanying the cookies is a card game that quizzes players on mushroom knowledge; incorrect answers lead to tasting a mystery cookie. Each card includes facts about different species, encouraging curiosity and learning. By combining food, play, and education, Beyond Looks promotes greater understanding of mushrooms’ crucial role in ecosystems and their healing potential.

Malu Lücking is an interdisciplinary designer based in Budapest. She graduated with a Bachelor’s from the Art Academy in Berlin in the department of textile and surface design and holds a Master’s degree in Biodesign from Central St. Martins, University Of The Arts London. Her work has a strong focus on speculative design futures and biomaterial research. Social, emotional and tactile experiences play an important role in her work. Driven by her fascination for the underwater world, for the past years, Malu’s work is all about algae. In her work, she explores the potential of both microalgae and macroalgae as a resource of regenerative aquaculture for today’s material world and the future of food. She also co-founded the material innovation start-up mujō in 2020. Currently she is working as a researcher and Acting Material Research Hub Lead at Moholgy-Nagy Art and Design University in Budapest.