Pop-Up-Shop in THE OSLO ACADEMY
Crafts outputs in various forms for sale in the academy lobby
Our school in Oslo has a long tradition of running a shop just before Christmas. Our school is part of the crafts and arts environment in Norway and it is great when there is created an outlet for the products that come out. The Christmas shop is a kind of a Pop-Up-Shop, although it is based on different premises than the pop up concept that happens irrespective of location and institution. It is great to see visitors coming to the great school lobby, come into our new building so that they make the new campus as part of their map of culture in Oslo. The Christmas shop sells works by printmakers, jewelers, fashion designers etc. The photos tell the story. Of course there is also available the traditional Norwegian waffle and coffee. We are teaching our students (irrespective of field) to be entrepreneurs in their life and we hopefully will improve our support in that direction. The art and design education has had problems with adjusting to the present day situation when the location for our outputs have stopped being only galleries. The web like web shops (WornbyWorship is opening today in Iceland) and interaction through other more modern means is a more active location today.
Energetic student in fashion Hanne Aspelund selling her interesting products.
December 12, 2010
Tags: crafts, DESIGN, oslo, shop Posted in: DESIGN, FASHION 
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POP-UP-SHOP
Clothing and accessories. Look out for Worn by Worship
Next Agust 2011 will be 10 years since I established the first Design and Architecture Faculty in the Iceland Academy of Art in Reykjavik, Iceland. Time has passed fast, design has changed direction greatly in this decade and Icelandic society has changed greatly. Much more than I ever envisaged. The faculty turns out close to 50 graduates every year and these are different people that are now influencing the cultural environment in Iceland. They participate in projects, estabish companies, work with industry and business. And in the very pleasant environment today after the banks collapsed these young enterprising people are being heard and seen as the ones that give value to society and the economy. Actually last week was a report published that demonstrates from research that the creative industries turn over more value than the damaging aluminium industry that has been established in Iceland to much cost to the very delicate natural environment.
The shop space is a multi purpose space in Hugmyndahús Háskólanna
One of many things that have grown is something called Pop-Up-Shop. These are a great concept of hip shops that are gone before they go out of fashion as the media says. In Iceland it is a shop where young designers are able to sell and test their designs and products. This was started over two years ago by hard working fashion designers that were my students in the design faculty. The shop, as the name shows, has no location, but pops up at opportune moments in locations where there is potential and when they have enough products to display. I really enjoyed when the shop popped up in the Lunga Arts Festival in Seyðisfjörður last July and last weekend I visited my home town and visited them in Hugmyndahús Háskólanna, a location that has been hosted by the Iceland Academy for start-ups for creative companies. Here is a small photo album from the two day event showing great variety of Christmas gifts and outfits. I really love meeting them and feeling their positive stories through of course various issues that they have to face in a weak economy and a country with very little industry in this direction.
December 12, 2010
Tags: academy, DESIGN, entrepreneurship, iceland, reykjavik, shop Posted in: DESIGN, FASHION, PONDERINGS Comments Closed
ISArC and KHiO COOPERATION REPORTING
Mr Meigos discussing cooperation with a representative from the Foreign Ministry in Oslo and with Cecilie Broch Knudsen, rector of KHiO
As has been posted a number of times before here The Oslo National Academy (KHiO) and Institute Superior de Artes e Cultura in Mozambique (ISArC) have established a Cooperation Agreement within the field of design.
In this perspective the rector of the KHiO, Cecilie Broch Knudsen invited the director of ISArC, Mr Filimone Meigos to Oslo to meet her people and to participate in the celebration and the inauguration of a new KHiO campus in Oslo, attended by Sonja, the Queen of Norway and many actors in the cultural sector of Norway.
In the beginning Mr Meigos went for an afternoon visit to the design faculty of KHiO. He was received by director Stein Rökseth and by various members of staff where openings were made about potential cooperation. Halldór Gíslason took Mr Meigos through the new premises meeting people in the respective locations and discussing different specializations and how they link to activities in Mozambique.
Furthermore a dialogue opened up about pedagocy methods and how the built environment can facilitate that and out of this started discussions about studio models and Mr Meigos told about the future campus of ISArC that is being planned.
In a meeting in KHiO with rector Cecilie Broch Knudsen and Stein Rokseth, director of the Design Faculty various issues were raised about how both the institutes profit from the cooperation through transfer of knowledge in both directions. The institutions will in the future have very similar portfolios: visual arts, design and performing arts. Mr Meigos invited rector and dean to Mozambique, maybe at an opportunity when the students from Oslo are finishing their project period in ISArC in the year 2011. It was agreed that it is necessary for the leaders of the schools to have seen the conditions in the respective institutes and plans will be put in process for this.
Mr Meigos and me were invited to the Astrup Fernley Museum of Contemporary Art by the director Dr. Gunnar Kvaran. The meeting opened up a dialogue about how the museum is very active internationally in procuring contemporary art from emerging nations, in the last years from China (Asia) and Brazil (South America). Gunnar has never been to the Southern part of Africa but is naturally knowledgeable about African contemporary art. Mr Meigos described the new biennale that ISArC has recently held and intends to run the next one in October 2012. There was discussion about a potential visit from the museum for this event, since the event will be the largest dissemination of culture in Mozambique at this time and a good window to artistic activity and future potential.
In The Astrup Fernley Museum of Contemporary Art with Michael Jackson and Jeff Koons
Later there was a meeting with Theodor Barth, responsible for design theory program in design in the Oslo school. There were discussions about culture and how it is embedded in society. Mr Meigos is a cultural sociologist and his perspective is very open to cultural dissemination. Therefore the dialogue in this meeting was about how art and culture it is part of the national image and its development. Mr Meigos also proposed that Theodor should come to Maputo for the next biennale in 2012 when cultural and arts dialogue will take place. Maybe even preparing some projects with the students in Oslo and Maputo before the event.
Mr Meigos was invited to the National Museum, by Dr. Widar Hallen, director of the Crafts and Design department. Mr Meigos visited in particular the exhibition named Design and Craft 1905-2005. The exhibition shows Norwegian and international highlights of the design and crafts movements over the last hundred years. This exhibition disseminates Modernism and has been named one of the best of its kind in Europe in recent years. Mr Meigos vas inspired by the collection and the educational support that such an exhibition can do to disseminate cultural history.
The inauguration ceremony of the new premises of KHiO in Seilduken took place on Friday afternoon. This event was the spark that ignited the visit of Mr. Meigos to Oslo. There he met very many and promoted ISArC and the cooperation with KHiO and/or other actors in the cultural sector. Many ideas were sparked both about projects and cooperation but also about future execution of programs.
Mr Meigos also had a profitable meeting with Inge Lise Eid, responsible for the project between KHiO and the National Dance Company in Maputo. The school plans to start a faculty of performing arts after two years with dance, theatre and film. There was discussion about preparation for the program that ISArC will offer and how to expand the cooperation that KHiO has with the dance company to the academy when the program is in place.
It was also good for Mr Meigos to meet people from Mozambique that are studying and working in Oslo, reflections about models of support and how things work out.
The las task for Mr Meigos was an informal working dinner in Oslo with Halldór and Karsten Gjefle, who works for various development organizations, two of whom operate in Mozambique. This meeting was based on the understanding that creative people (students and teachers in ISArC and KHiO) could be included in development programs where facilitation is needed between community and the programs. There, creative actors have certain expertise as an interface. We have already some experince in this where a student from the art school has worked with and NGO in Mozambique to create an interface between the technology and the people. This example I will post soon.
Meeting with Theodor Barth
December 12, 2010
Tags: academy, art, cooperation, DESIGN, development, maputo, mozambique, norway, oslo Posted in: DESIGN, ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
FASHION FUN IN OSLO
The students in the fashion section are displaying their work now, before end of semester. This is work by 2nd year students after a fun course where experimentation with materials and styles prevail.
Here is a link to some photos from the event.
December 10, 2010
Tags: fashion, oslo Posted in: DESIGN, FASHION Comments Closed
ISArC DIRECTOR VISITS OSLO ACADEMY
Filimone Meigos, director of ISArC and Stein Røkseth, dean of the Faculty of Design in Oslo standing with the informative banners about the cooperation. Photos of ISArC students in action. They are standing ‘off’ the red carpet that was put out for Sonja, queen of Norway.
We have had a very productive week in Oslo, when the director of ISArC, Filimone Meigos has been on a visit to the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. He did actually not have much time off since we had a stiff program of meetings and visits. On the Friday there was an inauguration ceremony for the new campus in Oslo, including receptions and student party. Here is an informal photo album from the week of visit.
Mr Meigos had meetings with many actors in KHiO and in Oslo that are current or potential cooperators for the development of the ISArC program. A short report and statement of intentions is being drafted in early 2011, both to manifest a vision for the longer future and also to make concrete plans for 2011 and 2012.
December 1, 2010
Tags: academy, art, DESIGN, maputo, mozambique, norway, oslo Posted in: DESIGN, ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
ARTESAN MARKET IN MAPUTO
The fortress that is located close to Maputo old harbour
There is regularly a market of crafts here in Maputo, every Saturday morning in a square here in town, but occasionally also in the old colonial fortress. The regular market is fine if one can manage the fairly pushy salesmen. Interestingly it is clear that the men are aggressive but the lady salesmen are relaxed and sympathetic to talk to.
But the market in the fortress is different in the way that it sells products from small workshops that are actually in Mozambique, run by some support organizations or just collectives of artisans. Some part of the stuff that is for sale on the street is suspected to be not actually produced in the country or even in Africa – a common case for lots of tourist stuff all over the world.
The spaces in the fortress are very intimate and good for such small shops
Here are images from the market, – and since I am off to Europe it might happen that some of the nice Xmas presents that I am taking with me are from there.
Clothing stand
November 22, 2010
Tags: africa, art, artesan, crafts, maputo, mozambique Posted in: DESIGN, FASHION Comments Closed
KHiO WEB COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP
Christina and Zeze testing and blogging. 3 computers and of course coffee
There are actually three people now located in Maputo on behalf of my institute, The Oslo National Academy of the Arts. I am here on behalf of the Faculty of Design and to promote design as a strategic part of culture, especially in cooperation with ISArC, the new national academy here. This has been posted many a time. But the Faculty of Performing Arts in KHiO also has a cooperation ageement with the Mozambican National Dance Company, an institution that is now 30 years old, running shows and various activities. There are here two active Norwegian ladies, Zeze Kolstad, a dancer and choreographer, and Christina Skalstad, a communication and project manager. They have been here now for 11 months participating in the dance and project activities in Maputo.
We meet of course to compare notes and support each other. Today we ran a little workshop in my place to improve the communication about the work that they are doing. Both of them set up new websites and over the coming weeks will post news about their work and generally about cultural activity in Mozambique. We had great time, 3 computers and internet, set up simple blog sites and I recommend friends to have a peek.
This is exactly the strategy that we follow. It is the fundamental role of design to facilitate communication and services so that information can flow better beetween our respective institutions in both locations and to the international community.
My opinion is that the people in KHiO should be proud of the international operations that are going on. The academy also has cooperation in many other international locations, China, Palestine, Afganistan and more informally all over the world. This activity is the result of efforts in the academy and support comes from the Norwegian Government and the Norwegian Peace Institute. Norway puts today more funds into development work per capita than any other nation and we of course hope that this strategic effort makes a difference. That is why we are in Mozambique and that is what keeps us going. To think about the future generations and transfer of knowledge in both directions. We have lots to learn and we in the North are gaining lots of knowledge about conditions and solutions, both for home and for other activities. It so happens that more then 50% of users of design today live in the so called developing world and we have to make sure that our students gain knowledge and experience in dealing with the issues that come up.
Integration, cross-disciplinary activity, cooperation and transfer of knowledge from Oslo and especially to Oslo is one of the great opportunities that are going to be even greater now that the academy is finally located in one campus.
Have a peek at the blogs. Here is ZEZE and here is CHRISTINA Of course they are just starting, so give them some slack in judging their efforts, but at least I am going to be following the activity of my fellow workers. And maybe in the coming months we can also create more actual cooperation in communication and strategy here in Mozambique.
November 10, 2010
Tags: academy, communication, cooperation, dance, dance company, maputo, oslo Posted in: ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
ISARC STUDENT ACTIVITY
Fashion design students planning outfits
It gives me pleasure to disseminate the ambience and work of the students in the academy in Mozambique. There are not so many openings for the students to show their work nor information about the school. Here is a little album showing moments in the ISArC campus in November 2010, the last month of the first full year.
November 8, 2010
Tags: academy, album, DESIGN, fashion, maputo, mozambique, photo Posted in: DESIGN, FASHION, ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
ABDUL MAKES SANDALS ON THE PAVEMENT
Here is a new example of the great workmanship of Abdul and his guys. Here is an earlier blog about this excellent service. He makes the shoes after discussion about style and execution. Measures by letting the client step on a sheet of paper and he traces around. Here is a bit from the earlier text:
Up the road on the left hand side, under some steps sits a shoemaker every day working. I became curious about what he is up to and found out that he makes sandals out of leather and sells them to the locals. This interested me and I decided to order a pair for me. The consumer versus producer experience was very intimate. Abdul, the sandal maker took out a writing block and drew around my foot onto it, and we discussed the size of my big toe etc (not the most beautiful in the world as Þórarinn Nevjólfsson). Then I paid him 200 Mtcs (5,5 Euro) and he told me to come next Friday afternoon. When I returned he had made these so beautiful sandals, totally hand made, both looking the same but with that hand made touch where no two things are the same. In a world of ‘experience economy’ this is worth much more than the price one pays for it here. Now, when I pass him we say hello, it is almost as we are friends and I desperately want to order an other pair, discuss with him other styles and comfort. I have already ideas about how I want my second pair to be, and do not have to browse high-street shops to see if there is something that fits my longings. Our Western Economy of mass production and global transport, sweat shops misses this intimacy and fulfillment from knowing and developing. The gap between the consumer (a person) and the producer has become so large in today’s economy that commerce has to redesign into the relationship some kind of an intimacy, like being a Nike-person or some other brand link.
November 6, 2010
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ISArC FACES FROM STUDENT PROJECTS
Fun faces made by the students at ISArC, great fun exploration of the fusion of art and african traditions.
November 5, 2010
Tags: academy, art, DESIGN, maputo, masks, mozambique Posted in: ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
ISArC CAMPUS GROWING
The new administrative block under construction
The one year old academy in Mozambique is slowly growing and establishing itself as an institution of learning and culture. The campus is actually a rehabilitation of an earlier school for crafts and skills. That means there are primitive workshops on site for timber, metal, glass and electricity. These will become available when need prevails. The first biennale is over now, well presented in the media and there are only 3 weeks left of the first full running year. Then the school goes into summer holiday for December and January, with a process of evaluating new applicants for the next academic year. Then ISArC will run first and second year in bachelor. At the moment construction takes place for the new administrative wing (or actually a small new building) that should be ready before the start of the next academic year. After that the administration will move and more classrooms will be available. Here are images of the new block under construction and a lovely student work.
The administration is housed here today, but this will house more classrooms and studios. Lovely food tippling around between the buildings
November 2, 2010
Tags: academy, administration, DESIGN, maputo, mozambique Posted in: ARCHITECTURE, ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
ISArC FIRST BIENNALE ABOUT CULTURE
Canadian Guest (professor of pedagogy from British Columbia University). Director of the cultural management faculty Estevpo Filimpo and Mike van Graan, leader of the Arterial Network in Africa: http://arterialnetwork.org/
The first Biennale about culture and the arts in Mozambique is taking place these days (27th-30th October). It is very interesting to follow the dialogue and see how well the students of the school attend. They are motivated and really interested in the Mozambican cultural future.
The campus rotates about the dialogue about Mozambican culture, its future and how it relates to other geographical and cultural zones. There is a network of arts and creatives in South Sahara Africa and a prominent one for the whole of Africa named The Arterial Network.
The students did various projects during the weeks before the campus and have them display. Guests also run afternoon workshops that the students sign up for. They cover fields like cinema, art, journalism, pedagogy etc. The students participate and learn from visiting experts.
This is a great effort on behalf of the leadership of ISArC to start such an event immediately when the school is properly operational to set the standards for future development. It is in a way great to name the event an Biennal because it sets the benchmark for having it repeated every two years. This being the first of such events is great to experience and I look forward to reflecting on it in two years time when the next one will take place with a full house 3 years of students and many more teachers and courses taking place.
Here are a few photos from the event
Coffee break on the ISArC campus in Machava. A very proper atmosphere for university dialogue. The only drawback is that it is rather far away from the buzzing city centre of Maputo
October 30, 2010
Tags: academy, art, biennale, creative, culture, DESIGN, maputo, mozambique Posted in: ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
KREATIVE NORTH CONFERENCE
Vilhjálmur Þorsteinsson, chairman of CCP tells about the project that I initiated between the Reykjavik Business School and the Iceland Academy of Art.
KreaNord is the name of an initiative in the Nordic region, aimed at improving the framework conditions of the region’s cultural and creative industries. Since it has been my job for the last decade to run design schools and my interests are very much for inclusion of creatives in industry and society in general, I attended a conference the network set up in Copenhagen during this last weekend of October.
KreaNord was established in 2008 under the auspicers of the Nordic Council of Ministers and functions as a Nordic platform for exchange and policy development. The Nordic Council of Ministers is also the funding body of the Cirrus Network that I am the leader of, the network of schools in higher education in art and design in the Nordic and Baltic region.
The conference was well organized and surprisingly informative. Present were a mix of policy makers, people from finance and culture and art. I think there were not that many from the classical academia and I really think more people from the design schools should get involved. There was a spectrum of speakers, even a Danish Princess dropped in to lift the event. We have to be thankful for her interest in the creative and cultural economy, something where the Nordic countries are quite strong, but at the same time lagging somewhat behind in terms of fast response and venture capital for startups.
We were presented with successful examples of startups, given good presentations of policy in the EU and in the Nordic Zone. The policy recommendations were three:
- Promote strategic collaboration and exchanges within the Nordic cultural and creative industries and with other sectors for value creation, innovation and growth.
- Promote new opportunities for access to global markets, financing, and attraction of foreign investments for the Nordic cultural and creative industries.
- Promote culture and creativity in Nordic education at all levels and entrepreneurialism and business skills in cultural and artistic education.
The third recommendation is of course the one that I and my friends should take seriously (or ignore if people are that way inclined) and I hope we can develop some kind of a platform for the design schools to enhance entrepreneuralism.
It warmed my heart that Vilhjálmur Þorsteinsson, chariman of the Icelandic games company CCP told about my initiative in linking together the students of Reykjavik University and the Iceland Academy of Art. This course and competition has been run from the first days of the faculty of design in Iceland and always stimulates energy from the students. The speaker after him was Jan R. Stavik, the managing director of the Norwegian Design Council talking about how little link there is in his country between business education and the art schools. But he did also tell about my initiative in Oslo of running a common course for students in my faculty and BI, the Norwegian Business School.
There were many different discussions and performances, but the issue that I listened with most intensity to was about the difficulties that the two fields of business and art have in talking togheter. The creative people stereotype the business people (venture funds) as ignorant and non romantic people and the business people maintain often that the creative people are not organized or to be trusted. Through conversation about the education in art schools there was an agreement that more entrepreneurial teaching is needed, while people were generally of the agreement that artists and designers should be allowed to be artistic and not become completely business men.
My optimism lies in the incubators that are being set up in many countries and why? They do not have the rigid constraints of academia with intake restrictions, demanding university degrees or mentors that have master degrees or PhD. The companies in the incubators just have to have strong potential and work hard . . . and get venture capital in the end.
October 26, 2010
Tags: business, copenhagen, DESIGN, entrepreneurship Posted in: DESIGN Comments Closed
MOZCELEB, A MAGAZINE ABOUT FASHION IN MOZAMBIQUE
The cover and back of the current Mozceleb Magazine. On the right is Maria Helena Pinto posing up to Gilles and Cecilie’s mural in Danse’Artes
Mozceleb is a new fashion and culture magazine here in Mozambique. The 4th edition has come out and features some work that we have been involved in. There are posted accessories that ISArC design student ‘MamaAfrica’ has made. She has been very active in Maputo for some years, sells accessories in a number of shops and also makes outfits. She was one of the two fashion students that participated in the ISArC catwalk held last year. The main feature interview in this edition of Mozceleb is with the energetic dance lady Maria Helena Pinto, the lady behind the Danse’Artes complex where the mural was created last June when Graphic artists Gilles and Cecilie came from London and Norway and worked with the students in ISArC. (See news about this here) Maria Helena Pinto assisted the upstart board for ISArC like me last year and is a teacher in the school. It is great to see the back cover of the magazine where Maria Helena holds a beautiful dance pose draped in a blue frock all properly blended with the mural.
A large necklace made by ISArC student Mama-Africa on the pages of Mozceleb
October 13, 2010
Posted in: DESIGN, FASHION, ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
2D/3D EXHIBITION
One of the most culturally active places in Maputo is the Centre Culturel Franco-Mozambicain, a culture centre run by the French government. They import various artists from abroad and also support lots of local activity. This week, days in a row there have been openings of exhibitions and most weekends there are great concerts. The 2D/3D exhibition contains the work of two artists, a photographer: Stuart Williams and 3D – 2D illustrator: Jean-François Heurtaux. An exhibition to be recommended.
October 13, 2010
Tags: 3d, exhibition, france, maputo, mozambique, photography Posted in: DESIGN, ISAC - KHiO Comments Closed
