Events
Greengaged on film
06/10/0917:01
This was the week that was ‘Greengaged’. For further information check out our blog posts at Greengaged.com.
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TED alive!
10/07/0914:30
Summer is obviously the time for design events, and now the big one, TED is on, in oxford, UK. If you don’t know about this conference, prepare to be very jealous of anyone attending, or register for next year! All is not lost however, as you can always catch up on all the talks through the videos which TED graciously upload following the event. A very interesting and promising line up for this year, as usual.
Read more at ted.com
Greengaged 09 website is live
25/06/0918:35
Greengaged, the sustainable design hub for the London Design Festival is returning for its second year with some very exciting plans. Don't wait until the event in September, get online to find out more, join the community and enter the debate on the fabulous new and improved website. The event is being developed by thomas.matthews, Kingston University and Re:Design in association with the the Design Council.
Check out the site at greengaged.com
Read the more recent DesignWeek article
Innovation to change the world
13/04/0911:18
Calling all software developers, designers, business brains and other seriously creative minds, oh, and a raft of social problems which need to be solved through some innovative thinking, and action.
Over one weekend from 19th-21st June 2009, some of the best of the UK’s software developers and designers will be brought together with those at the sharp end of social problems at the Saltire Centre, Glasgow.
Their mission will be to convert six raw ideas to change the world into six social start-ups in under 48 hours — complete with working software.
If you would like to take part, or have the ideas for problems which need to be solved (from education, to health care, the environment; something on your doorstep or stuff that effects the world) then take a look at the Social Innovation Camp website to join up.
The deadline for the big problems is Friday 22 May 2009, so check out: www.scotland.sicamp.org
The film: Age of Stupid
15/03/0922:48
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I’ve just returned home from the premiere screening of the film, Age of Stupid, unquestionable reaction is... see it as soon as you can.
And whether you see it or not, watch out for the reviews, they will be a barometer of reaction, intelligent, or otherwise. Apart from the fact that it’s not every day that you have a film telling the world it’s stupid (even if that’s getting a more popular subject, and do you have to wonder why...) it’s not often that you get a country’s Prime Minster publicly committing their whole country to be carbon neutral by 2010. Never-mind that it is the relatively small country, the Maldives; In the after film screening, a live national linkup allowed this one country to show that it is possible to make such a critical pledge, and most of all that it is not only driven by an ambition of thought, but action.
Franny, Age of Stupid’s director then both congratulated and condemned the UK for it’s aim of a 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 (the date in which the film predicts as the end of the world). Within about 10 minutes she swept environment secretary Ed Miliband aside for his unwavering commitment to his setting up of new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth (his argument suggesting that the UK needs to be a model for how to increase greenhouse gasses at a slower rate, rather than cutting them altogether, like the Maldives. Solutions are never cut and dry, for Kingsnorth or the Maldives (in the first real action needs to be balanced with highly strategic futurology, and in the second, no matter how carbon neutral the Maldives become, they will still need people to fly for the ecotourism to work), and whilst reactionism isn’t always the best policy, there is certainly clear need for new thinking, powerful response and immediate action to be taken on all fronts.
Still from Age of Stupid, image use courtesy of Spanner Films
Like most attendees of the premiere, I could write a whole blog on the issues which are contained within this film and the reactions to it (or lack thereof in certain quarters). Whilst the film has received criticism and praise in equal measure this seems to pivot on a balance between the art of the film and its content.
Two points to sum up, for now... The first view of the archive – in which Pete Postlethwaite’s character resides – shows a massive warehouse floor containing the world’s art treasures rescued by the nations of the globe and saved from the wind, fire and watery depths of climate change. How this curation of art – requiring international agreement – actually worked baffles the mind: nations were able to collaborate to save their cultural artefacts, rather than to save their people. Is our fascination with the world’s art like our addition to consumerism, there to the end? Or is it saying that if only we had embraced true creativity! Let’s say both.
Whilst the film can rightly be criticized for being a little unbalanced in some areas, like the demonization of India’s low cost airlines there are a broad number of realizations when what seem to be caricatured situations are actually real, we realise that actually the specifics aren’t the concern, it is the massive generality of Global Warming that should invite our full criticism.
Age of Stupid launches on 20 March. Check the film’s website for more information.
I’ve just returned home from the premiere screening of the film, Age of Stupid, unquestionable reaction is... see it as soon as you can.
And whether you see it or not, watch out for the reviews, they will be a barometer of reaction, intelligent, or otherwise. Apart from the fact that it’s not every day that you have a film telling the world it’s stupid (even if that’s getting a more popular subject, and do you have to wonder why...) it’s not often that you get a country’s Prime Minster publicly committing their whole country to be carbon neutral by 2010. Never-mind that it is the relatively small country, the Maldives; In the after film screening, a live national linkup allowed this one country to show that it is possible to make such a critical pledge, and most of all that it is not only driven by an ambition of thought, but action.
Franny, Age of Stupid’s director then both congratulated and condemned the UK for it’s aim of a 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 (the date in which the film predicts as the end of the world). Within about 10 minutes she swept environment secretary Ed Miliband aside for his unwavering commitment to his setting up of new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth (his argument suggesting that the UK needs to be a model for how to increase greenhouse gasses at a slower rate, rather than cutting them altogether, like the Maldives. Solutions are never cut and dry, for Kingsnorth or the Maldives (in the first real action needs to be balanced with highly strategic futurology, and in the second, no matter how carbon neutral the Maldives become, they will still need people to fly for the ecotourism to work), and whilst reactionism isn’t always the best policy, there is certainly clear need for new thinking, powerful response and immediate action to be taken on all fronts.
Still from Age of Stupid, image use courtesy of Spanner Films
Like most attendees of the premiere, I could write a whole blog on the issues which are contained within this film and the reactions to it (or lack thereof in certain quarters). Whilst the film has received criticism and praise in equal measure this seems to pivot on a balance between the art of the film and its content.
Two points to sum up, for now... The first view of the archive – in which Pete Postlethwaite’s character resides – shows a massive warehouse floor containing the world’s art treasures rescued by the nations of the globe and saved from the wind, fire and watery depths of climate change. How this curation of art – requiring international agreement – actually worked baffles the mind: nations were able to collaborate to save their cultural artefacts, rather than to save their people. Is our fascination with the world’s art like our addition to consumerism, there to the end? Or is it saying that if only we had embraced true creativity! Let’s say both.
Whilst the film can rightly be criticized for being a little unbalanced in some areas, like the demonization of India’s low cost airlines there are a broad number of realizations when what seem to be caricatured situations are actually real, we realise that actually the specifics aren’t the concern, it is the massive generality of Global Warming that should invite our full criticism.
Age of Stupid launches on 20 March. Check the film’s website for more information.
DesignArt bends over backwards?
02/02/0918:54
Sebastian Brajkovic: Lathe V, Bronze, embroidered upholstery, Edition of 8.
Over the past few years the term ‘DesignArt’ has been growing in use. That’s not Design and Art, or even the old educational combo Art & Design, but one word, ‘DesignArt’. Whilst this is clearly a rather fuzzy label, it is an attempt to reflect the sprawling borders of creative practice.
Generally fuzzy labels can obscure the point, but if nothing else it gives writers and bloggers something to bash against to help determine and define the scale of any paradigm shift in practice, and the markets and audiences it serves. With a training as an artist, and years experience as a designer, this is a title which intrigues me as I’m constantly jumping over the parapet to see what design can learn, borrow, and steal from other creative models, no matter how divergent. If DesignArt is a new model of practice to be taken seriously, why stop there, shouldn’t we also consider DesignLiterature, DesignAirtrafficcontrol, or DesignCircus?
There’s no doubt that multidisciplinary practice has something to offer the world, which specialism cannot, I’ll be writing more on this in a following post which looks at connection between sustainability, the markets and the need for design practice to adapt to those changes. Having worked as an installation artist for a number of years, it does feel like the world of design catching up the world of art in a lot of ways. And there’s a lot to glean from art practice,context is 50% of the work, understanding human relationships to space and to objects, storytelling, the list goes on.
So what are we to make of the market being created for DesignArt such as that of Sebastian Brajkovic, currently on show at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery (a business which specialises in promoting the converging fields of art and design through editing limited-edition works). On analysis, the majority of the galleries DesignArt practitioner’s are actually defiantly artists, rather than designers. (Marc Quinn, Atelier van Lieshout, Ron Arad, Wendell Castel, Ingrid Donat and extends to the current generation : Sebastian Brajkovic, Robert Stadler, Pablo Reinoso, Demakersvan, Xavier Lust, Vincent Dubourg and Mathieu Lehanneur.
Maybe it’s about recognising the role which art brings to a world; it is our cultural lifeline, the thing which keeps us growing, innovating and creative, and yet in less certain economic times it might otherwise be demoted. Personally, I feel that the longer that DesignArt refuses definition, the better; the questioning which pushes practitioners from all backgrounds to extend their practice, to risk working across boundaries, will create some interesting and engaging results.
You can see the work of Sebastian Brajkovic at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in from 5 February to 14 March: http://cwgdesign.com
Further links on DesignArt can be found through:
Designs on Christmas
18/12/0800:30
There’s no end of virtual Christmas cards this year, and generally you have to ask if it’s as much inspired by thrifty thinking as much making a step towards becoming more sustainable. Most companies’ physical cards are leave something to be desired at best and their virtual versions seem to follow the same character; so it’s nice when the fellows at the Design Council do something a little bit more enticing.
Are you ON for Christmas? The Design council have decided to focus on the small things which have a larger affect. Hopefully this shows a central commitment recognise the indelible link between ‘good design’ and ‘sustainable design’, how many Christmas tree lights will it manage to turn off by converted web visitors, that fact will remain in darkness unfortunately. But it’s great that the sustainable message will mean something for larger numbers of companies. Check out the Design Council’s virtual Christmas card
Recent statistics show that one billion Christmas cards, weighing 20,000 tonnes, will end up as waste this Christmas.
Buy the Golden Fleece
23/11/0818:02
Turning into a major institution, this is your chance to buy work by some of Scotland’s top artists through to those who are to be tomorrows big hitters.
Works from David Shrigley, Nathalie de Briey, Toby Patterson, Alisdair Gray and many more are being offered with startlingly low reserves, and you can actually give a silent bids online too if you’re not able to attend the event in person. Some of the most interesting artists have set the lowest reserves to encourage all bidders which is great to see.
Read more about this event, taking place on 6 December at 6pm in Glasgow, the dedicated website has plenty of information and it’s great to see this fundraising event getting great support from so many established and talented artists:
thegoldenfleece-auction.blogspot.com
Climate Safety: Keep your eye on that big old ball
09/11/0814:24
image: George Monbiot
Interested to hear what any of these speakers have to say? Wish I was around for this talk, it should be fantastic!
Caroline Lucas
George Monbiot
Jeremy Leggett
Kevin Anderson
Tim Helweg-Larsen
A short and simple summary of the latest climate science followed by a discussion of what we’re going to do about it.
On Thursday 27th November from 7-9pm, The Public Interest Research Centre will present the Climate Safety report at Friends Meeting House, Euston, London.
The ‘Climate Safety’ report gives a clear and simple summary of the latest science, and shows how our current handling of the problem has exposed us to serious and growing risks. Modelled on the Australian ‘Climate Code Red’ report, ‘Climate Safety’ delivers a clear message that to have any chance of maintaining a safe climate, we must rapidly decarbonise our society, preserve global sinks, and address the problem with an unprecedented degree of seriousness.
Even with a commitment to 80% carbon cuts by 2050, “Climate Safety” warns that our current policy response does not match up to the scale of the challenge. Come along to this event which promises a discussion exploring ways to get beyond ‘politics-as-usual’, and to achieve ‘a full emergency response’. Worth a punt isn’t it.
If you are interested to come along then take a look check out climatesafety.org
Following the talk you can now download the climate safety report here
City Eco Lab
07/11/0811:19
In the words of John Thackara....
“If you know of another event about city-regions and design that includes permaculture, mushrooms, spin-farming, fritzing, open money, peak protein, alternative trade networks, dry toilets, sustainable urban drainage, alternate reality games, watershed planning, seed banks, de-motorisation, and VeloWalas – go to it. That way I won’t suffer remorce for my encouragement of long-distance travel. Otherwise, here are highlights of the encounters and presentations planned for the event”
Aimed at encouraging visitors to think about ways to interface with a sustainable world, the event will run from 15-28 November in St Etienne.
If you’re passing through the ‘Massif Central’ area of France you could do worse than check it out. For more info: biennalesaint-etienne.citedudesign.com
There is still a sense that sustainability is this ‘otherworld’ which we need to be forced into making a connection with. To some extent that’s understandable (ideas about Permaculture have ‘only’ been talked about for the past 30-40 years), people obviously take a little while to take new ideas on board.
I hope that the exhibition activates a positive change in the visitors who experience it. I also wish for a parallel approach that actually puts the knowledge and tools in peoples lives. Is it a dream to imagine a real life strategic project to promote social change, along the lines of Jamie Oliver’s ambitions to instigate change in the way society eats, but more successful than that. Aren’t we in danger of perpetuating the issues of sustainability as a freakshow, something which is put on display and shown to be ‘different’.
Perhaps I should just go and check it out, I might just find something new there, who knows.
No rain in the Tate Turbine Hall
21/10/0818:42
This erstwhile exhibition will be an engaging encounter for any visitors (particularly if you have an interest in the use of scenarios for visioning exercises!). This is the work of Dominique Gonzalez Foerster. The context for what is encountered in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern is set in text before you enter the space (see above image).
The visitor becomes participant to the imaginary event.
IKEA meets contemporary art space, where are the boundaries, where are the differences, how does it make you feel...
Nothing is quite as it seems, with perfect replicas of work owned by Tate Modern, of Louise Borgeois and Alexander Calder and others; these sculptures are larger than their originals, they confess to being props only when tapped on closer inspection. This isn’t a work about physical objects, but one of a socio-psychological encounter. Definitely worth checking out!
This exhibition runs at Tate Modern until 13 April 2009.
For more information visit tate.org.uk
The future for designers
29/09/0819:13
“We won’t have a future which needs design.” That’s enough to get even the most aesthetic designers out of their shells surely? It’s interesting to see the range of approach here to the question of our changing attitude and action towards the development of sustainable design. There’s a confusion from some of those interviewed about how to get to grips with sustainability, lets look to people showing by example as well as raising the level of debate.
Design and sustainability: resources
23/09/0823:47
Here are a few organisations working in the
intersections of design and sustainability. I don’t
usually throw up a set of links without further
detail, but I’m working through a list of things I’d
like to comment on, for now see what you make of this
mix:
bc.gdc.net/practivism/
AIGA Center for Sustainable Design
designcanchange.org
bc.gdc.net/practivism/
AIGA Center for Sustainable Design
designcanchange.org
Sustainable Branding
10/09/0808:32
How
can socially responsible businesses build authentic
brands for a
more sustainable future? That's the question at the center of an
upcoming workshop series entitled "Branding for Sustainability"
featuring top executives from:
Gap Inc. (September 17 in San Francisco)
Whole Foods (September 22 in Austin)
Eileen Fisher (October 20 in New York City)
For further information take a look at brandingforsustainability.com
more sustainable future? That's the question at the center of an
upcoming workshop series entitled "Branding for Sustainability"
featuring top executives from:
Gap Inc. (September 17 in San Francisco)
Whole Foods (September 22 in Austin)
Eileen Fisher (October 20 in New York City)
For further information take a look at brandingforsustainability.com
Greengaged: the LDF sustainability hub
07/09/0819:21
The London Design Festival is about to kick off and thomas.matthews have been busy with [re]design and Kingston University to curate and launch the event's first ever 'sustainable design hub'. It's a free event, based at the Design Council. Featuring debates, workshops, exhibitions, seminars and master classes, it brings together an exciting mix from all sectors of the design industry with strategists, chemists and magicians to focus on sustainability issues, exchange ideas and carve out new roles for design.
To look at the programme and book your free place visit greengaged.com
100 months to save the planet ...and counting
30/08/0821:53
One of a number of similar projects which are great too look at, what is the barrier to signing up though. Real action needs personal motivation, which of these projects can hope to achieve that result? Not to diss the motivation of those who have developed the project, but when thinking about issues like ‘credit crunch’ we know that people don’t necessarily respond to logic until it’s too late. Particularly when they have the feeling that there is safety in numbers (if we’re all doing it one way, it must surely be right...?) Making the issue of climate change personal is perhaps the key, how does it affect YOU, not your neighbour. The Internet is becoming a great social network, but can it develop as a space to create personal motivation to make change on the ground....
Check out the site at onehundredmonths.org
Inspiration on TED.com
15/08/0819:12
I cannot enthuse highly enough about the TED conference, and I’ve never even been; each year a broad selection of thinkers and doers are brought together to share knowledge and insights, these include designers, technologists, futurologists, cultural seers, bio-memeticists, explorers, etc., etc. The list keeps getting broader and longer, but always fascinating.
How is it possible to rave about such a wellspring of innovative thought and action without having been to a single event? Every last talk can be found online of course, at TED.com.
Have a good poke around the site. There are a few duds in any conference, however you’ll be hard pressed to find that here (one or two perhaps), mostly the content will fire up anyone’s hunger for knowledge, exploring the unknown, making the all important link between learning and creativity.