I have a great pleasure to share good some good news with you! Latvian designer, the leading person in RIJADA and Design Drive group and also my friend Rihards Funts (see him on the picture, in the middle) won an international design competition in Vinius (Lithuania). The competition “NEFORMATE 2009” was organized by “Lithuanian Design Forum” and its aim was to stimulate designers to create furniture for public spaces. More than one hundred projects from Baltic states, Scandinavia, France and Spain were submitted.

Bench DOMINO is inspired by typical Latvian home made benches in countryside households. Rihards found the sitting principle, when the wall or fence is used as back of the seat, unique and particularly comfortable. . This type of bench is usually located in front of a house near the main entrance, which often faces the street.

The concept of the bench is to make it possible for the user to adapt the bench to his taste, wishes and needs. DOMINO is a “Green Seating” project that encourages people to apply used materials such as planking, doors, furniture, snowboards and others.

The production process of the supports is fast and simple: just punch and fold the metal sheet. Once mounted, the construction is very strong. The supports are made from zinced steel and are colored with weatherproof powder coating.

And once again- Bravo for Rihards!

P.S.: When I will finally live in my own house, I will certainly order from him some bench legs!

Photos by Valdis Jansons.

Herman de Vries is a Dutch artist (1931), who’s currently exhibiting his work at the Kroller-Muller museum that is located in a beautiful area of Netherlands, in the middle of a forest (yes, there are some..).

He writes his name in lower-case “to avoid hierarchy”.

,,Nature in itself is enough and must be enough for people as well, ” he states. He thinks that nature doesn’t have to be elevated to the state of art as it is beautiful and interesting in itself. He believes that humanity does to nature an injustice by making a difference between nature and culture or between art and non-art. It is not necessary to explain nature or to attach symbols to it. Anyone who observes nature attentively will encounter a wealth of ideas.

Samples of earth from all over the world rubbed on paper.

Poster for an exhibition.

One of my favorite pieces..

(zoom in)

artist, himself..

It’s a book I found amazing since the first time I saw it six months ago. Beautiful and shocking. It tells what we (at least me as a long time vegetarian) don’t like to know- the pig is EVERYWHERE!!

The book ,,PIG 05049,, by Christien Meindertsma is the result of three years long research. It is also an example of simple and beautiful graphic design.

,,The idea of this book arose from my interest in the invisible lines that link raw materials, producers and consumers world wide. In a strongly globalised world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to trace these lines and due to the increasing scope and complexity of the meat processing industry, the consumer has hardly any idea of the route an animal takes to the various finished products.” says Chrisien Meindertsma. She claims the book is not meant to be a manual for vegetarians or people who, due to their religious convictions, don’t eat pork. It is an impossible manual- impossible to follow for those who live in our ,,developed,, Western society.

Here are some examples of the long list:

Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells used to transport oxygen around the body. Recently hemoglobin derived from pig blood has been started to be used in cigarette filters. It creates an ,,artificial lung,, where harmful reactions take place before the chemicals reach the smoker.

Bone ash is added to fine bone china to achieve a high strength and translucency. Amongst other things it is used to make hand painted figurines.

Glycerine is an alcohol made through hydrolysis of pork fat. Glycerine can be used in toothpaste.

Gelatine capsules are used to hold oils or ingredients suspended in oil.

In the production of wine, bear and juices gelatine can be used as a clarifying agent. Gelatine reacts with the tannins and bitter substances and absorbs the cloudy elements that can then be separated from the drink.

Fatty acids derived from pork bone fat are used in body lotions.

Bone glue can be used to prepare wall before applying wallpaper as well as an ingredient in the paper itself.

And so on and so on… we find pig in nearly 200 products.

Is it ethical? Do we have rights to know what we pay for? Are the producers interested to inform us? Is it better to know or not to know? Well, at least, if we don’t know what we don’t want to know, then we can’t feel bad about it…

P.S. The book is Christien’s graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven.

P.S. The photos of the products above have nothing to do with the beautiful pictures in the book.

April has been full of sun, gardening on my balcony, sewing dresses, walks in nature and some studies’ related stress. I’ve also had a chance to discover some more beautiful secret corners of Netherlands.

I’ve received the first prize in unique design category in the competition organized by Latvian design magazine Deko.

And- no I haven’t been in Milan this year. But thanks to my friends I’m gonna publish some nice photos very soon!

Over the last few months there have been a lot of discussions about the creation and content of Latvian cultural canon. Finally the list is approved and I would like to show you the design part of it. More information you can find here.

Ethnographic seat Stulpins. 17.-21. century.

The interior of diplomat accreditation hall in Riga palace. Designer Ansis Cirulis. 1923.-29.

Minox photo camera. Designer: Valters Caps. producer: VEF. 1936.37. At the time it was the smallest and most innovative photo camera in the world.

Motocycle “Riga 12″. 1970/80. Designer : Gunars Gludins. Producer: Sarkana Zvaigzne.

Latvian posters by Juris Dimiters, Ilmārs Blumbergs, Gunārs Kirke, Laimonis Šēnbergs, Georgs Smelters and others. 1970/80.

Latvian money by Rihards Zariņš, Imants Žodžiks, Valdis Ošiņš, Gunārs Lūsis, Jānis Strupulis, Olga Šilova, Arnis Kleinbergs, Artis Zvirgzdiņš and others.

I was tempted to put a question mark in between breaks after the title of the post. But, after all, even if the chosen design pieces are not superior to other exceptional designs created over the last century in Latvia, I think they give a good impression of our design roots.

The Dutch design blog design.nl published a few days ago a surprisingly refreshing interview with the “bad guy” in Dutch design Bas van Beek. His opinions express very well some feelings I’ve been trying to formulate lately.

“Van Beek’s point is that the big name Dutch designers are doing nothing original. Rather, they are designing for a bourgeois mentality that itself is hankering for a long-lost era that was decorated with pretty things.

“Designers are fully aware of this new market of wealthy people who desire such status symbols,” he says. “It’s made up mostly of middle-aged women who wanted to be artistic and had ambitions to paint, but gave up to have children … now they want to buy the objects of designers like Hella Jongerius, but what they actually want to buy is her fabricated identity.”

Using Hollywood as an analogy, Van Beek says all Dutch design does, and seems to understand, is romantic comedy. “But there are many more genres,” he says, “Thriller, documentary, drama, bad films and B-films … I’m just trying to explore those genres. In Hollyood, all genres are accepted and all genres need serious critique to survive. It works like a self-cleansing apparatus.”

Crisis definitely has numerous positive side effects…development of diy culture, a more conscious way of consuming… The Repairing Manifesto by Amsterdam based Platform 21 has recently become very popular. I really hope it will be more than just a trendy way to show off.

Here are some points from the manifesto:

4. Every time we repair something, we add to its potential, its history, its soul and its inherent beauty.

5. Repairing is a creative challenge. Making repairs is good for the imagination. Using new techniques, tools and materials ushers in possibility rather than dead ends.

8. Repair- even in good times! If you think this manifesto has to do with the recession, forget it. this isn’t about money, it’s about a mentality.

9. Repaired things are unique. Even fakes become originals when you repair them.

And as Li Edelkoort said in an interview to the same Dutch blog “I believe that many creative people will consider these circumstances a gift, necessary to bring about change.(..) Design will always be able to find new scenarios. Once you’re creative you’re not afraid, you will always be able to make something out of nothing, improvise, find solutions. Solely because we’re creative, the design community is less handicapped than the rest of the world. In that sense, we are all very lucky.”

I was looking once again at the book “Design Academy Eindhoven- House of Concepts” published by Frame in 2008. It shows the work of a wide range of graduates of DAE. I think the list with designers that graduated DAE and are (inter)nationally recognized (which is not, of course, an ultimate sign of success & quality of their work, but still..) is quite long. Here I posted just some of the most active and visible ones (in my opinion). But there are many more of them, including my dear teachers!

I believe you will recognize many of the objects pictured here. Well, all of their authors have something in common. You can see that it’s not an accident if for the last 10 years DAE has become almost a synonym of Dutch design.

Here they go (in a random order), my “virtual” colegues from previous years:

Hella Jongerius

Jurgen Bey

Frank Tjepkema

Tord Boontje

Richard Hutten

Marten Baas

Piet Hein Eek

Joris Laarman

Wieki Somers

Max Barenbrug

Bertjan Pot

Joep Verhoeven (Demakersvan)

Studio Job

Chris Kabel

Of course, these designers are one of the reasons why I chose to study here. Even if I’ve changed my opinion quite a lot about the Dutch design over the last couple of years, I’m still happy to be where I am.

If you want to know more about Latvian design, you HAVE TO look at the activities of Design Drive!

The project was created to popularize design thinking, develop a culture that uses Latvian design products, promote the accessibility of Latvian design to a broader audience, enhance the understanding of Latvian manufacturers regarding design instruments and the important role of designers in creating competitive products and to promote the movement of design culture in Latvia. Design Drive hopes to become the creative platform for Latvian and European designers in Latvia, giving them the opportunity to exchange ideas, experience and knowledge.

Latvian designers want to be socially active, share their ideas and contribute to Latvian and European culture. Latvian designers currently participate in international design conventions and biennials and study at prestigious design schools across the world. Unfortunately.

A notable collection of Latvian designs was developed to create a foundation for discourse between designers and Latvian society. Considering the development peculiarities of the field in Latvia, all products are produced by the actual designers. Participants of the project include 12 Latvian designers, eight manufacturers and craftsman. The collection was exhibited in Latvia’s first pop-up style store at Martas iela 1 and mobile shops on the city streets and in parks. The Design Drive project was unveiled on 14 October, 2008, within the framework of Dizaina mēnesis and was included in the celebration programme for the 90th anniversary of the Republic of Latvia.

For two weeks during October 2008, Design Drive became an active communication hub in the city, where all kinds of people with all kinds of interests and knowledge could meet. Design Drive started a new form of service in Riga – a store where communication between the seller and the buyer is vital (Design Drive sellers are the designers themselves). These conversations often resulted not with a purchase, but with new knowledge or an idea for a new project.

In 2009, Design Drive was invited for the first time to visit the Cēsis Exhibition Hall in Cēsis, Latvia; the project was a huge design event in the city. The exhibition hall hosted a notable exhibition, a creative room for children, a design shop and lectures on “Design Thinking”.

In order to stir the creative spirit in children and their parents, Design Drive designers hosted open Saturday Workshops at Martas iela 1 during February 2009. Saturday Workshop visitors are invited to express their creativity and develop their imaginations with toys made by the designers, as well as to create their own toys. The high count to the Saturday Workshop and responsiveness of the visitors has inspired the designers to work on a similar approach to design services in Riga.

The Design Drive project is open to designers and people with ideas and who are ready to invest their time and resources in bringing these ideas to life.

The Design Drive project was developed by the designers of the RIJADA Design Studio.Design Drive was born to be a platform for the exchange of ideas between designers in Latvia and throughout Europe.

Design Drive wants to create a world of Latvian design ideas and invites designers from around the world to visit Latvia. If you have design ideas and interesting projects that you want to share with society, Design Drive will be your support base for presenting your project in Latvia. If you would like to learn more about Latvian design, we would be happy to come visit you and show you products and design concepts made in Latvia host a creative workshop for children and their parents and tell you all about design ideas in Latvia.
Design Drive participants include experienced designers who are recognized not only in Latvia, but also in international design competitions and exhibitions – Rihards Funts (RIJADA), Ilze Zaceste, Juris Krūmins, Zane Homka, Baiba Linga-Berzina, Ieva Laurina, Diana Boitmane, Andris Teresko, Baiba Lindane (BU design), Ugis Gailis (BU design), Gundega Zake, Eva Vevere, Peteris Buks, photodrapher Valdis Jansons.
The project is implemented through the collaboration of the RIJADA Design Studio and Tasty Creative Space.

Project Manager: Rihards Funts RIJADA T: +371 29131152, @: rihards@rijada.lv
Online resources: www.tastyshop.lv, www.designstore.lv, www.rijada.lv

Pictures from Design Drive archive.

Why not? 100 chairs in 100 days by Gamper Martino.

Doung Anwar Jahangeer (he won the South award for his mobile, fold-away shop)

A couple of years ago I had a very different point of view. I wanted to do design. I could imagine myself doing all kinds of things except designing a chair. I thought that the world is already full of furniture. So- why should I contribute to this over production?! I still think there is too much stuff around, but… If I’m planning to spend at least next 10 years working as a designer, there are chances somebody will ask me to do that. So, it’s time to get prepared. At the Design Academy we have to design a chair for De Witte Tafel restaurant in Eindhoven (the chosen one will be produced). And I have to say that I even enjoy the process!

Marcel Breure Vassily chair.

Its true that there are soooo many chairs around that it is a real challenge to create something new and exciting, that would would have an added value. It is vary rare that a new chair gets my attention. Most of the things we see around are just replicas of what we’ve seen before or uncomfortable egocentric creations of people who call themselves designers.

I found a blog that shows recent (mostly) creations in chair design, and I find it quite fun to look at. You can check it out here .

Last weekend I saw a great installation by Danish art group Superflex in Boijmans van Beuningen museum in Rotterdam.

Copy right chair installation.

So, I take a deep breath and keep on going with MY chair.

Today we had a lecture at the academy by Kiki van Eijk and Joost van Bleiswijk. They graduated the Design Academy Eindhoven 8 years ago and are both doing pretty good now. They presented each their work and told briefly about how they started and where are they now, about the money they spend for Milan presentation every year since 2005… Well, sure, some nice pieces, lots of things you couldn’t figure out ,,WHY??,,. In fact lots of things to think about… but maybe telling these things now would be too much gossiping (: . But what I felt the most concerned about was- how the school is shaping our brains! Most of the times you can clearly recognize a DAE student or graduate. There’s this idea about a “Dutch Designer”. And I have a feeling that it is even in the air we breath every day at the academy! Without even noticing it, I have accepted it as well in most of it’s aspects!

Well, maybe there is nothing really bad about it! I just find it curious that we are so willing to put on ourselves this big brand of the school we are studying at… Sure, it has also something to do with paying respect to the ,,one,,who has educated you…

This morning I assisted to a presentation about Olafur Eliasson’s work. Being Islandic, he doesn’t like to talk about his origins and tries no to accentuate the fact that he is a “Scandinavian artist”. I see it as a totally opposite approach to the question. Maybe more honest ? He’s not trying to take advantage to be an artist from a small, in a way exotic country. And he doesn’t need to!!

Kiki and Joost were also talking about the “posh” side of design- when you have to present it. I have the feeling that as an artist- the more known and recognised you are, the less you have to worry about this. I was surprised that being a world famous artist he has on youtube some pretty crazy video that you might think belongs to a 18 years old one. It put a big smile on my face this morning (:, there are some really funny parts! And, in case you don’t know his work- you have wasted your life till now…