Årsmöte hos regionalföreningen i Örebro

Daniel och jag kastade oss iväg med tåget till Örebro efter jobbet för att träffa Svensk Forms aktiva regionalförening, som hade sitt årsmöte i tisdags. En dryg timme hann vi med, innan det var dags att ta tåget tillbaka till Stockholm. Men det var det värt. Daniel som är chefredaktör för Form, berättade om tidningens utveckling och tog emot en hel del intressant feed back. Jag berättade om Svensk Forms nuläge i stort med internationaliseringen och ambitionerna med Form. Roligt att se en så engagerad regionalförening, som satt fart på såväl designer som arkitekter i stan. Regelbundna formfrukostar, nystartad PechaKucha och i somras en stor Sigvard Bernadotte utställning. De gillade magasinformatet och var glada att såväl grafisk design som industridesign och processen bakom produkterna skulle få plats i tidningen. En dam hade prenumererat sedan 1955, med H55 som startpunkt.

It is important to take the opportunity to meet with our regional Svensk Form societies every now and then, to share ideas around design development, and our work in general within Svensk Form. They are really the back bone of our Society. Especially now with our new investment in Form, magazine for design and architecture. Daniel Golling, editor in chief and I took a fast train to Örebro and back again to Stockholm over the evening. We had an interesting dialogue with the 20 something members who had gathered at Kapitän design studio.  We also loved their smörgåstårta.

 Svampen greets us in Örebro

Mats Olsson welcomes Daniel Golling to Kapitän design studio

Jewellery designer working with recycled plastic, pet bottles and fibers

 Jonas Linder welcomes us all to Design Studio Kapitän which he runs together with his wife Anneli

 Daniel Golling talks about Form and the issues to come

 Inger (?) in the middle has been a member and subscriber since 1955 - off and on

 The Board of Svensk Form Örebro

Lime green seems to be the colour of the day in Örebro

Jag vill tillbaka till Konstfack - middag på en ö i havet

Inledde lördagskvällen med att lycklig vandra omkring i de olika verkstäderna på Konstfack, tillsammans med den tillresta juryn från 15 europeiska länder som kommit för att göra årets urval i tävlingen European Design Award - ED-award  De har hållit på i över fem år nu, och bedömer bidrag inom området visuell kommunikation och har i dag kommit upp i över 32 kategorier - förpackningar, videos, reklamkampanjer, grafisk design, illustrationer....  Över tusen bidrag har skickats in och juryn arbetar i 3 dagar varje år i en europeisk huvudstad. Juryn kommer från tidningar och organisationer specialiserade på området. Tidigare hade de ett samarbete med Cap och Design, men efter ägarskifte har de inte återupprättat samarbete. De vill gärna samarbeta med Form, men kanske Cap och Design egentligen är den naturligaste samarbetsparten. Eftersom jag deltog i prisutdelningen som hölls i Stockholm 2008, har vi hållit kontakt och nu hjälpte jag dem med kontakter på Telefonplan som en lämplig plats i Stockholm. Fastighetsägaren Vasakronan genom Dag Levander och Konstfacks Thomas Herrström har välkomnat dem på bästa sätt. Kvällen inleddes som sagt med rundvandring på Konstfack, och sedan bjöds vi på en experimentell middag med kombination av traditionell menukomposition, hållbarhetsinformation och nya smakbrytningar och upplevelser, som industridesignstudenterna och partners i designbyrån Whats What bjöd oss på. Själv smet jag sedan vidare på privat 50-årskalas. En mättad kväll

Not enough many Swedish entries to the ED-award  , says the jury, who is right now meeting at Telefonplan Stockholm for three days. Hard work with over a thousand entries to select in over 30 cathegories within visual communication. AD:s and editors from 15 prominent European magazines and organisations. The jury has become like a family over the years, but would love to welcome a Swedish partner also. Formerly they had a collaboration with Cap and Design. Thomas Herrström, teacher at the industrial design department and jack of many creative trades and initiatives, organized the jury meeting in collaboration with their Swedish representative Jonas Uddman, and offered an inspiring round tour to the various work shops of Konstfack, before we were welcomed to an experience filled dinner, prepared by the design trio Whats What 

 Jonas Uddman, representing ED Awards in Sweden, Thomas Herrström Konstfack, who arranged the visit at Konstfack and Telefonplan for the jury, and Greek Demetrios Fakinos, founder of the ED Award

 Jury members from Italy, Germany and Great Britain discussing with Ikko Yokoyama, in charge of international relations at Konstfack

Inspiring work shops of Konstfack, graphic design, printing, glass and ceramic, industrial design prototyping, jewellery..... you name it, lots of space, latest equipment - to envy - I would love to go back to school again! 

Students working on a Saturday night - here talented Simon Klenell working w glass

 Chairman of the jury, Jacek Mrowczyk of 2+3 D Design magazine of Poland together with Demetrios Fakinos from Athens

More students working on a Saturday night

The former chef and sommelier, Bengt Brummer, who studied at Grythyttan, later at Parsons School of Design, and now at Konstfack industrial design department, is serving the jury an experience food concept dinner in the middle of the hall the "White Sea" The idea is to inspire the guests with experiences related to the food, and also with sustainable aspects, without taking away the joy and the traditional compsitions. We surely enjoyed it all. Bruno has formed a design trio with two friends www.whatswhat.se   which has received a lot of attention lately, not least for their new lamps for Svenskt Tenn, which were launched during the design week, and which I loved.

An extremely hot ceramic tray is given to all guests, onto which we ourselves poor a bit of complex flavoured sauce, which creates a wonderful sound and an experience of rich flavours to enjoy and to enhance the appetite. The tray later serves as a warmer for the plate to come

 Industrial Design professor Teo Enlund of Konstfack discusses with Silvia Sfligiotti from Milano Alizarina, an engaged jury member

 All reading Form in English of course

Creme Brüle flavoured with Thyme and melon, linked two by two with your neighbour

Hur kan svensk design bli mera konkurrenskraftig internationellt?

Verkar som om mitt blogginlägg försvunnit i etern, om den kväll som arrangerades i Svensk Forms lokaler i onsdags av IAA - Inspring Excellence in Communicaitons Worldwide. Ett  internationellt nätverk av bl a kommunikationsbyråer och företag som träffas kring olika ämnen och mingel. Kvällens tema handlade om Svensk designs internationella konkurrenskraft, och Electrolux designchef Henrik Otto, tillsammans med mig hade inbjudits som talare och sedan en fortsatt diskussion med publiken och inbjuda presentatörer som Susanna Barrett tidigare BVD och Oscar Magnuson, designer. Foton från kvällen ligger redan uppe på www.iaasweden.com

You have to be more proud of your high genera quality of design in everyday life, the functional basis and the historical heritage, was the conclusion made by Susanna Barrett, former creative director at BVD, graphic designer born in Canada and having lived in Sweden many years, ENJOY IT, BE PROUD OF IT. JUST LEARN TO PACKAGE IT AND TO COMMUNICATE IT BETTER. She considered our humble "jante" attitude both as a drawback and as an asset. So true, so true. Design as a driver and modern competetive weapon, was the theme of the friendly and lively evening, organized by International Advertising Association Sweden  at Svensk Form Wednesday night March 23. Henrik Otto and I gave each a presentation on our view, very similar, on the strength of our historical heritage, at the same time the need to look forward. I was asked to talk for 25 minutes, but felt it would not work under this informal circumstances. Better with open discussion. More photos can be found directly on the IAA webb A really nice meeting, perfect format for discussion and get-together.

Henrik Otto, Senior VP Global Design at Electrolux

Anna Blomdahl, project manager Design S, 17 Swedish Designer and also now Ung

Designer Oscar Magnuson and the organizer of the evening Robin.. share the same view and glasses, design Oscar Magnuson of course

Mina hjärtan i Brasilien och Japan

Igår fick jag testa flera av mina internationella lojaliteter. På kontoret jobbade jag hela dagen med Italien,  på lunchen var jag bjuden till UD på avskedslunch för den brasilianske ambassadören, och hängde på mig den fina brasilianska orden jag fått när vi jobbade med de brasilianska konstutställningarna Viva Brasil Viva i början av 90-talet i Stockholm, och in strömmade all den kärlek vi fortfarande känner till Brasilien, ett land som nu blomstrar för fullt och är jätteviktigt för Sverige. Sao Paulo är visst Sveriges andra största industristad. På eftermiddagen svidade jag om i japansk mundering för att vara med och inviga den japanska utställningen på Östasiatiska museet som jag berättade om häromdagen. Här var stämningen förstås fylld av allvar och solidaritet med de lidanden som japanska folket och deras land nu kämpar med, samtidigt som just ritualerna, traditionerna och den stränga disciplinen som man fostrats med sedan Edo-tiden hjälper i kris. Det är just den eran som speglas i utställningen, som är liten, men ett fint koncentrat av objekt som berättar om livet, hantverket och karaktären som ligger till grund för dagens samhälle på många plan. Cyklade förbi No Picnics nya kontor på Storgatan 23, som hade liten invigningscocktail after work.

Threw myself  between my different national loyalties yesterday, formed during the years we had the privilege to live in different countries. A farewell luncheon was given at the Foreign Ministry for the Brazilian Ambassadro Antonino Mena Goncalves, who has done a terrific effort during his four years here to stregthen the already strong and good relations between Sweden and Brazil. In the afternoon I rushed over to the Östasiatiska museet  to inaugurate the new Permanent collection of 300 Japanese objects together with the Japanese Ambassador Mr Yosiki Watanabe and Princess Christina. (forgot my camera at Svensk Form) the museum had arranged a beautiful ceremony with No Theatre, Taiko Drums, Ikebana installations and held a silent minute to honor the many victims of the disaster in Japan. The lifestyle that was formed during the Edo-era, in the cities and under the Samurai rulership, gives us a good idea of how the discipline, concentration, craftmanship and traditions were formed, that also prevails in today's Japan. Ended the day, visiting the new amazing offices of the innovative industrial design company No Picnic, who gave an opening cocktail for some of their clients. We would all like to start working there tomorrow. (Nopicnic is making our booth in Milan.) 

Farewell luncheon at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for the Brazilian Ambassador to Sweden, Mr Antonino Mena Goncalves, here with the host Secretary of State Mr Gunnar Oom

 

Jonas Elding, one of the Architects behind the new fantastic offices of No Picnic, here together with his Japanese wife Jun, known as famous singer "Little Viking" during the time we lived in Japan

Reception room at No Picnic's new offices

No Picnic Collaborator since the beginning, Stefan Magnusson,  in double version

 I was glad to see how well they display their Design S trophees in their office - the right way to do it

Luncheon room