Stones on campus were used to load the books while the glue was drying

Today we had a workshop in ISAC where the students learned to make their own sketchbook/diary/reflective tool. This item is the fundamental tool of our trade, where we run our own internal dialogue with ourselves. Testing, experimenting and criticizing what we are trying to project. Practicing what the fancy US business calls DESIGN THINKING and we call work.

The workshop is an integral part of the new project that we are running this month in ISAC named: DETOURNAMENT. This is about looking out for new possibilities in the collision of ideas, images, signs etc., often in with an embedded political vision (environmental, social, gender driven etc.). This coincides nicely with the fact that there will be general election in the country in the end of this month.

The students folding folios and sewing together the books.

The program in the school has been the following:

In the beginning we ran: Encontros de discussão – A conference of all the students and academic staff in ISAC about the role of the school, its position in society and the differences and similarities in the disciplines. There we performed pensamento relativo as linhas orientadoas de cada curso: Arte/Design/Animacao Cultural. This has been reported here.

They are cutting the inside coloured pages for their books

This first phase was to create an orientation for ourselves and ISAC as a whole.

The second phase dealt with reality and its representation and interpretation: Realidade/Representação da realidade/Documentação da Realidade

This phase was about documentation (of for example reality), how it is directed, the inclusion of the documenter in the perspective of what is being documented etc. There we used the support of the DOCANEMA festival that was taking place in Mozambique.  Out of this work the students were required to create their own

Interpretação and Reflexão (Interpretation and reflection) During this phase we visited the Eduardo Mondlane University Library, where the students got first hand information about information technology and academic research. We had also a lecture from the main librarian in the Central Politechnic Library.

Gluing the spine of the already sewn book

Now we are working on the LIMITES (the limits) of our institution, of our personal practice and of ISAC as an institution in Mozambique and in the international community of art academies. We ask: “Who defines our limits?” Quem define os limites?

For this work it is excellent to use detournament as a tool and include the sketchbook as the practical tool for reflection, documentation and experimentation.

Professora Karina also made her own book

We had a great day, the students refused to take a break. I must thank my very good friends in Oslo and London: Maz, Doglas in St Martins and Cecilie in London (or wherever they are working each time) and Theo for teaching me the bookmaking and helping me realize how important it is that one is able oneself to make these tools and use them!

Here the capulana (African textile material that is widely used) is being prepared for being the cover

A stack of half done books waiting for continuation tomorrow

I decided to do some simple video documentation of our first days in ISAC. This is an interesting moment, when an academy is formed. We decided to run a simple conference so that we together can define the boundaries of the disciplines and to create a common understanding among the students and teachers of what the issues should really be in a university level education. We did discuss the reflective and critical fundamental element in a university where the students and teachers together discuss and experiment with ideas, moving out the boundaries of reality. We discuss the differences and similarities of the three different fields of art/design/art management (production).

These clips are very short selected documents of the activity and conversation that took place on the first day in school.

A conversation in plenum about art, design and production. ISAC director joined us for inspiration about ‘touching the soul’

Today on the 9th of 9th of 9 we started the first day of the university education in art and design here in Maputo. During the process of development we in the startup-group decided to begin with a strategic conference about what actually a school of his kind is and how the three first disciplines differ from each other.

The day was very inspiring, the students are very verbal and reflective. We did actually start by conversing a bit about the difference between a university level education and foundation. The fundamental part here is going to be the reflective element. How to develop a critical reflective mode, hopping between searching/mappin over analyzing and ending in evaluating. Only to start again every time creating a hopeful spiral of development. Here is a simple description of what we do:

1. Plenum, a presentation of a set theory diagram map of design/art/cultural production. Discussion about differences and similarities. Creative industries, art, design, presentation, touching the soul, market, artist as an individual and the faceless producer of art, creativity etc.
2. Then we went our separate ways into three rooms for the 3 different groups for some group home work defining themselves, their tasks and differences.
3. Return to the plenum where every group made a report on big flip-over about how they saw themselves different from the other two groups and how they are similar.
4. After this was time to go home with the task to reflect, discuss with friends and return with the statement:
5. “ I am a designer/artist/cultural producer because . . . . . . . “
6. This presented we have a plenum conversation about our motivations and differences between the groups.
7. After some dialogue the groups are to go to their separate rooms to create a a manifesto for their field for the coming work in ISAC.
8. Plenum return of all three groups with the manifesto and the students are to sign their name under it. (all things can change in the future)
9. After that we will have a group of design students, a group of art students and a group of students of cultural production.

Fighting it out on the blackboard what design really, really means!

We in Maputo are really optimistic for the future. Resources are scarce, things are complicated, life is difficult for the students and teachers, but . . .  there is an optimism in Maputo that I have only experienced in Reykjavik in my life. There is a drive for doing, for acting, for participating in a future that is only possible. I am not one to say that my experiences from Reykjavik have always been great and we know now history, but I can only say one thing: It was not my students in the Iceland Academy of the Arts that created the mess that Iceland is in now. They are still optimistic and work from the grassroots for a better future if only the bankers, profit whores and conservative politicians will not destroy our great Iceland before we can save it. I hope the same for Mozambique.

Karina and Maimuna conversing about the pros and cons of art and design

One of the reasons we decided to go to Mozambique was that there is enough of designers in the Nordic Countries and theCirrus Network. Actually all Western countries. So we decided to try and do our bit where there is need for people with knowledge about design and maybe also some knowledge about how to teach design. We are now in Mozambique and this is happening now with the establishment of ISAC as is many blogged here. A side task has been to use our networks to assist with connecting friends here in Maputo to the outer world. I am now in contact with people in some of the other Southern Sahara design and art schools and I would love the new schools to link to the global network of schools and designers. Our friends in the Cumulusassociation have posted news of the establishment of ISAC and we hope that some of the member schools see opportunities to start some cooperation with us here in Africa. I will attend the Cumulus Conference in Melbournelater this year to inform and link. This is all great news and keeps us optimistic about the future of design, diversity of design and expansion of Cumulus to all corners of the globe. We fare better when we work together!

Primus Motor for ISAC, Dr. Alda Costa presents a seriograph to the Minister of Education

Today, September 3rd we are very proud that the new academy is at last started here in Maputo. There was a formal ceremony in the morning with all the necessary people present, giving speeches with comments about the great future the school will have and how it will change the cultural life of this nation. We become filled with humility to be allowed to participate in this event and all the chaotic work that has been going on during the process to this day is forgotten and only feeling of proudness can be stated. We have participated as representatives from the North, from Norway on behalf of KHiO, The National Academy  of the Arts, and on behalf of LHÍ, The Iceland Academy of the Arts. It is great to get the opportunity to support and use the large pool of resources from our friends in Cirrus, the network of Nordic-Baltic design schools andCumulus, the global network of design schools.

A choir sang for us on the way to the ceremony, the mayors of the town of Matola and and the mayor of Maputo, the Minister of Education and Culture, the new director of ISAC and all of us others.

Banners lined the ISAC campus wall in Av. de Industria on the outskirts of Maputo in the town of Matola

This is not really a blog about the event, but a collection of photos hoping that those that follow our activities here can in a small way participate in our pleasure. We have tried to concentrate on the program for the design department (Dori and Karina and Soley), but in such a small group and with so many things to do before the opening we became somewhat sucked into many of the practicalities. It was very fortunate that we have managed to run some clear planning meetings earlier so that we have responses on hand when issues have cropped up. Now comes the challenge of running the education.

Here is a link to a larger photo album from the opening day.

A group of dancers welcomed the guests on the way to visit Annett Bourquin’s photo exhibition in the gallery

The Design Department at this stage: Karina Gonsalves and Dóri

Last minute touches done by Maimuna and the guys were putting up the blinds for projection room

People leaving the ceremony room. Sóley, Sílvia Braganca, Jose Paiva from Porto, representing Identdidades, a cooperative project between Porto and Maputo

Celebration mood, Dóri and José Paiva from Porto, Victor Sala, the director of ENAV and Estella from ENAV

Computers waiting to open the world of Design and Art to the students.

We are going through the finishing touches for the new school ISAC. Tomorrow morning is the opening ceremony. The applicants for studentship have got their notices and the invitations for the formal opening have gone out from the Ministry. These images show how it looks like just before opening. Not much different from other places I know. Last minute touches, furniture is waiting for being sorted into the studios and offices. The workshop from the previous crafts school is there and has a very nice feel to it. A gang of guys with mobile phones try to sort things out. The images show the architect Luis Lage and the master of many things Carrasco. My co-worker Karina is there also telling them how we want the rooms to fit our program.

The entrance to the campus of the ISArC Academy.

We sat on Saturday doing the final touches of the program for the first pilot semester in the new academy. Things are falling into place, while we also have very many odds and ends to complete. We discussed teaching programs, media lab, library, how to start the semester with discussions and study program definitions. The image shows the entrance to the campus. This morning the intake committee met in the Ministry to go through the final process of evaluating the applicants and we made the final list. The Ministry will post the results today or tomorrow.

I am very optimistic about the future of this youngest art and design school. Opening day is on Thursday morning. I post this nice mail that Maimuna sent this afternoon to show people what we are up to at the moment:

Hi all, now I’m getting confused as to what language to write in, if no one minds I will write in english..

Today we received most, if not all, the furniture (a second batch of things arrived around 2 or 3 when I was leaving today),

I will be at ISAC tomorrow with mr Momola, I have more info on what furniture goes where if anyone needs it…

So far, things are still according to plan in relation to the classrooms:

In the classroom block, the sala de professores has been temporarily taken over by the finance dept., and the multimedia room will be next to the library, so we have an extra room.

That means that we can of course use the last classroom of that block (by the bathrooms) for the sala de professores, but Lage suggested we use the meeting room for the teachers for now… so we have two options

The last large room in the admin block has been left as a wildcard… the idea was, and can continue if no one opposes, that we use the large room as a drawing studio or something of the sort…

at the moment each class room will be equiped with teacher’s desk and chair, board to write on, notice board, and at least 18 desks and tables for the students (we received 140 tables and chairs so there are a few more if needed)

Any ‘extra’ furniture from the classrooms will go to the ‘drawing studio’, and any ‘extra’ furniture for the admin offices will go to the ‘secretaria’… the computers, if and when they arrive, are not to be turned on just yet until we have the rest of the system up…

that’s all I’ve got so far, the rest is all being prepared for thursday… see you tomorrow,

maimuna

Will keep you posted.

Now the evaluation work of the applications for student places in the new Arts Academy is almost over. There was a meeting yesterday in the Ministry of Education and Culture here in Maputo to discuss the outcome of the interviews and a collection of marks for the examinations that the applicants took. We had discussions about how much each subject really should count, meaning, Portuguese, English, General Knowledge and Drawing. These images are from the meeting of the intake committee. Tomorrow will be the final meeting, but we also have to go to campus to look at how the buildings and furniture is developing.