What do MONO art & design and Wild Flower Bar have in common? They are both places with an attitude. The two are based in Budapest and showcase alluring local merchandise. These commodities inspired Alexandra Serafimovich, a Kiev-based photographer, for a delightful photo-shoot. The images depict the last sunbeams of MONO art & design’s shop window that dance on the model’s face and body.
If you are keen to breath in emerging design, art and fashion projects in Budapest, the fifth district is surely one of the foremost places to visit. Especially the three-hundred-square-meters-gem called MONO art&design. The bright roomy space in the heart of the Hungarian capital is fulfilling the functions of a concept store and exhibition hall at once. It aims to actively influence the contemporary creative scene; how people think about art and design, as well as of the co-existence of the two. It does so through various exhibitions, events and collaborations. It’s only been a few years now that the design scene started to buzz in the city. New designers are starting their brands and the local audience seems to be more and more open to this creative phenomenon. Though many events connect and keep the local design actors in vibe, a place that could stand as a constant display for a wide selection of designer goods and art pieces was missing for a long time.
The timing was just right though. The store as we’ve known it is being reinvented. In the past years, traditional retail has been challenged by both shifting consumer habits and rising e-commerce traffic. New retail concepts were born, which combine online and brick-and-mortar shopping experiences in order to remain competitive and accurate in the market. Many owners are creating communities around their stores, making them places where like-minded people can spend time, where they are introduced to new books, designers and food, and encouraged to linger. Concept stores shall be built on the approach of treating retail as media, curating its merchandise every month – like a magazine would its content. Shops are no longer merely places to buy; they are also places of learning and inspiration, even if this means slowing the journey to purchase. Yet creating the feeling that one has just stepped into a gallery has just become the norm.
This kind of notion inspired the Kiev-based photographer Alexandra Serafimovich and the creative team. The aim was to showcase some of the products from MONO art & design such as jewellery, garments and pottery accompanied with fresh flowers from the number one initiative of a kind in the city, Wild Flower Bar. The collaboration itself was right in line with the store’s philosophy; working with local designers, creatives and model. The images are a mix of beauty shots and product portrayals against the backdrop of the store’s one off interior.
The timing was just right though. The store as we’ve known it is being reinvented. In the past years, traditional retail has been challenged by both shifting consumer habits and rising e-commerce traffic. New retail concepts were born, which combine online and brick-and-mortar shopping experiences in order to remain competitive and accurate in the market. Many owners are creating communities around their stores, making them places where like-minded people can spend time, where they are introduced to new books, designers and food, and encouraged to linger. Concept stores shall be built on the approach of treating retail as media, curating its merchandise every month – like a magazine would its content. Shops are no longer merely places to buy; they are also places of learning and inspiration, even if this means slowing the journey to purchase. Yet creating the feeling that one has just stepped into a gallery has just become the norm.
This kind of notion inspired the Kiev-based photographer Alexandra Serafimovich and the creative team. The aim was to showcase some of the products from MONO art & design such as jewellery, garments and pottery accompanied with fresh flowers from the number one initiative of a kind in the city, Wild Flower Bar. The collaboration itself was right in line with the store’s philosophy; working with local designers, creatives and model. The images are a mix of beauty shots and product portrayals against the backdrop of the store’s one off interior.
MONO art & design is in Kossuth Lajos u. 12, Budapest.
