(ffm) Creativity in all its facets and varieties: Anyone interested in art, design, crafts or the increasingly popular upcycling was in the right place in Frankfurt's Höchst district this weekend. Now in its seventh year, the 14th Höchst Design Parcours presented a colorful kaleidoscope of painting, sculpture, fashion, calligraphy, photography and ceramics. Parallel to the traditionally historic Old Town Festival, representatives of the artistic avant-garde and modernism from Höchst and the entire Rhine-Main region presented themselves both in studios and shops that had already been rented and in currently vacant shops in downtown Höchst. Among the users and "interim users" of these spaces are illustrious and already renowned names such as Miss Tula Trash, Schickimicki Schnickschnack, Bunt-kariert, Einfachgestrickt, Irdenglück and Höchst*Schön. In addition to numerous participatory activities, the fashion show of the labels Trendgeschick and Cocon.Design was another highlight.
Frankfurt's head of planning Mike Josef also visited the cultural event. He was enthusiastic about the commitment of the creative scene and the once again increased number of participants: "More than 60 labels and artists at a total of 22 temporary or permanent venues give visitors the opportunity to look, sometimes to marvel, to buy - and of course to talk about the products, the ideas behind them or manufacturing techniques." His assessment: "Behind the rough exterior of this part of town, there is much to discover. In addition to the old town, the banks of the Main or the diverse cultural life, this is precisely also the small but steadily growing scene of the creative industries."
Three from this scene were particularly in the spotlight at a highlight of the weekend, the awarding of the Höchster Designparcours prize with prize money totalling 1500 euros by Mike Josef: Jonas Nitsch, furniture designer from Darmstadt, received 700 euros for first place, Betty Montarou, ceramics and stoneware studio, Frankfurt am Main, landed in second place with 500 euros. Third place, worth 300 euros, went to Sabine Henry of Cocon.Design, Oberursel, together with Antje Parra Mora of Trendgeschick, Frankfurt am Main.
However, Josef's thanks went not only to all the participating creatives, but also to the owners who had made their shop spaces available, and to the organising team - consisting of Anne Lederer from the City Planning Office, the ProjektStadt district management headed by Jürgen Schmitt, Felix Hevelke from the Frankfurt vacancy agency RADAR, and the Frankfurt Economic Development Agency, represented this year by Anja Czioska, Project Manager Creative Industries. The City Council's praise went in particular to the sponsors who had made the award possible in the first place: the Initiative Pro Höchst, the Frankfurter Volksbank and the Lindner Congress Hotel.
The jury, headed by Susanne Radmann from ProjektStadt's district office, had previously been spoilt for choice. Following tradition, a representative of the previous year's award winner was also present in 2019: Kim Schüssler from the label moski.to, winner of the Höchster Designpreis 2018. Also present again were Ulf Kilian, artist and chairman of the Deutscher Werkbund Hessen, as well as the artist and illustrator Nadine Kolodziey, who has attracted a lot of attention with her walk-in installations.
There was also something for visitors to win: While on the trail, they could collect stickers and enter a drawing for shopping vouchers at more than ten booths they visited. For more info, visit https://www.designparcours.en
