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Design Indaba presents Karlssonwilker in South Africa:
A real-time design adventure
South Africans are all too aware of the idiosyncrasies and nuances within our rainbow of a nation. Indeed, local creatives are often lauded for the uncanny mirror that they present our nation, drawing on the very pathos and humour that fuels our daily interactions. Of course, these creatives are borne of the South African culture.
The question then is, what mirror would non-South Africans show up to our nation? In the light of the upcoming World Cup and increased international attention tuned into our country, this question becomes particularly pertinent.
In an exploration of "live" South African design and the ways in which South Africans represent themselves through design, creativity and the media, Hjalti Karlsson and Jan Wilker from New York design firm karlssonwilker inc will be exploring exactly these questions. The pair will spend two weeks in South Africa as a guest of Design Indaba absorbing the real-time of South Africa. They will present their findings at a bespoke presentation at the Design Indaba Conference in 2008.
The Design Indaba Conference has always been about more than just gazing at end products, rather inviting designers to take the audience of creative peers into their confidence, presenting the "anatomy of a design". The karlssonwilker presentation will offer a uniquely local twist on this, presenting a bespoke work made in South Africa, about South Africa and presented in South Africa.
The first part of this process is happening now, in November and December. Wilker and Karlsson will travel from New York to South Africa on November 25 and visit Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town before returning on December 6. Design Indaba has invited the students of Vega the Brand Communications School's Imagination Labs to participate in workshops with the duo as they explore South African culture, streets, cuisine, creative communities and charm.
One can only speculate on how these extreme contrasts to which South Africans have become accustomed may impact on the foreigners' perception of the country. That said, Karlsson and Wilker are not strangers to cultural contrasts. Karlsson comes from Iceland and Wilker from Germany, and they met while working in the design studio of Stefan Sagmeister in New York.
Karlssonwilker inc. is a design studio based in New York, founded in late 2000 by Icelander Hjalti Karlsson and Jan Wilker from Germany. Their first monograph tellmewhy, was published in 2003 by Princeton Architectural Press. Major clients include Puma, MoMA, MOCA, Warner Brothers, Universal Music, MTV and Capital Records. The firm's award-winning work has appeared in various design publications and magazines.
Vega the Brand and Communications School's, Imagination Labs give matriculants from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to explore the creative world. Many of these students are unaware of the variety of dynamic career options available to them. The focus of the lab programme is on personal exploration and creative experimentation, however, learners also investigate and document the processes and methodologies of a variety of creative thinkers.
Design Indaba has attracted the world's brightest talent from across the creative industries since 1995 and grown into a multi-tiered annual experience. In 2008, Design Indaba will fortify as the South African Design Week, with the Expo and Conference programme running over a week from Saturday 23 to Friday 29 February, 2008.
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Watch this space...
Design Indaba develops design talent in Gauteng
Design Indaba, Wines of South Africa and Woolworths, together with Australian graphic design guru and DI alumni, Ken Cato, will be hosting a workshop in Johannesburg, which aims to reinforce the concept of diversity in the wine industry in South Africa...
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Oscar Pena Workshop Series
In the assignment plus ONE minus ONE. The aim of the project was to change one aspect of an existing product to improve it and to align it with a chosen identity...
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Ilse Crawford Workshop Series
Feast 1 (n) Joyful anniversary, one that recurs on different, same, date; 2 annual village festival, sumptuous meal, esp. public one given to many guests; 3 gratification to the senses or mind...impressions of Africa...
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Paula Sher Workshop Series
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Hip Hop/Vukanai Bafazi! Project
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Cape Town:Bags
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Port Elizabeth: Personal History
The workshop in Port Elizabeth aimed to encourage young South African design students to acknowledge and embrace their personal history... |
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A Frosty Day in Durban
"A Frosty Day in Durban", the inaugural event held in Durban on 24 August 2001, was a great success. It exposed participants to the best global practices of working in the disciplines of design...
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Cape Town: Tourism is Everyone's Business
The second workshop was held in Cape Town on 26 October 2001 at Cape Technikon in association with Cape Metropolitan Tourism. The theme was to promote Cape Town amongst its citizens... |
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Brought to you by
Developmental partners
Produced by
Suppliers
The Jupiter Drawing Room
Sappi
Toyota South Africa
Paarl Media
Bizcommunity
Media Partners
Architecture +
Axis
BIS Publishers
Clear
Icon
Modern Media
Novum
+81
Supporters
The Department of Trade & Industry
The Department of Minerals & Energy
Anglo Platinum
The Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport Western Cape
Media Supporters
Creative Review, Dezeen, Designtimes, Design Week, Egodesign, Enjin
Project H Design, Surface
Special Thanks
Brandhouse, Cellucity, DEPTH, Escoffier Catering, Madame Zingara, ID Solutions, Jan Malan Umzingeli, Nac Makana, Omni Graphics, Phoenix 5, Redwood, SCAN Display, Wicked Pixels, Masters & Savant, Vega: The Brand Communications School.
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