Masaryk University will host the annual conference of the British Design History Society from September 3 to 5, 2026. This event is one of the world’s most important gatherings of experts in the field of design history and theory. This prestigious event will take place in Central Europe for the very first time and will be held on the campus of the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University. The conference is co-organized by the Center for Modern Art & Theory, which operates within the Art History Seminar of the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University. The center’s mission is to advance research and teaching in the fields of modern and contemporary art, visual culture, aesthetics, design, and art criticism. 

This year’s edition is subtitled Design in an Age of Uncertainty (Design in an Age of Uncertainty) and responds to current global challenges—armed conflicts, the climate crisis, migration, and the evolution of digital technologies. The central question of the conference is what role design can play in an era of growing uncertainty. 

Leading international experts in design, architecture, visual culture, and philosophy will gather in Brno. Among the main guests will be Slovak philosopher Lukáš Likavčan, who explores the relationship between philosophy, design, and the planet’s habitability; acclaimed design historian Zeina Maasri, a member of the Royal Historical Society, and Romani Design, the world’s first Romani fashion studio, represented by designers Erika and Helena Varga and curator Lili Kriston. 

The conference will feature dozens of expert lectures, panel discussions, and presentations of the latest research. The program consists of four main thematic areas: visions of the future and the past, digital technology—new hope or a risk?, the non-human world and interspecies relationships, ecology and responsibility in design. Design has always responded sensitively to social changes—from ecological challenges to digitization to the shifting nature of environmental responsibility. It is precisely these questions that the history and theory of design, as an academic discipline, is now intensively addressing. 

For fifty years, the Design History Society’s annual conference has been one of the most important international platforms for research into the history and theory of design. Every year, it brings together experts from various disciplines and creates a space for critical debate on the role of design in society. The international conference is intended not only for academics, students, and experts, but also for the general public interested in the role of design in today’s world and possible approaches to this branch of visual culture. It will provide a space for the exchange of views, the presentation of the latest research, and the search for alternative models for the future. 

Registration for the conference Design in Times of Uncertainty is open until the start of the conference; however, space is limited. Registration information is available at https://arthistory.phil.muni.cz/dhs2026/registration. Those interested may send any questions to dhs2026@phil.muni.cz. 

The complete program and further information are available at https://arthistory.phil.muni.cz/dhs2026.