The first activity within the framework of the OperaLab project, scheduled for 2012, is the Identity Design/Design Identity competition.

The purpose of the project is to showcase fresh new examples of Polish architectural and interior design in the context of the space of what ranks among the most significant interiors for the Polish art, Teatr Wielki – Opera Narodowa. The initiative is intended to show opportunities for building relations between various fields of art.

Each of the competition categories draws on strong interrelations that occur in the creative process on the line between the form and the idea. The essence of the project is to explore and demonstrate creative tensions at the junction of the consciously established relation between the idea and the form and function.

A confrontation of these elements may yield identity, a distinctive component or a set of components enabling easy decoding and connotation of a product, or architectural space, with specific values. The ever-changing city as a complex structure is a playground for thousands of such elements. Our vital concern is to have the competition show the complicated and multi-layered urban structure.

A selection of notions will be used as a point of reference for designers. They will serve as a guide in the design process.

The selected keywords are the following: identity, heritage, brand, image, style, function, limitation, prestige, availability, quality.

The winning works will be selected by a committee of experts appointed from among authorities in the fields of art, science and business. With the support of their knowledge and expertise, expert participation will allow to make the most of the potential inherent in the project.