Reykjavík Grapevine - 31.07.2015, Page 36

“The design process
and its products help
people to assess and
better understand the
environment in which
they live, as well as
the opportunities that
lurk therein.”
There it is, at the end of Nowhere, nes-
tled in a building that serves as the local
community’s church and a concert hall.
After making its way through various lo-
cations in Europe, the exhibition is finally
returning home, to its place of origin.
The exhibition is meant to provide an
overview of the conceptual framework
behind ‘Designs From Nowhere’, placing
special weight on the facets that take
place within Eskifjörður and its neigh-
bouring Norðfjörður. It tells the project’s
story, and provides a glimpse into the
experiences it has triggered, providing
space for the participants to examine
why this community-centred endeavour
wound up receiving a prestigious award
and travelling the world. The work on
display reinforces the initiative’s goal,
which is to establish and suggest long-
term community projects that underline
hidden and unexplored opportunities in
the area.
Community
‘Designs From Nowhere’ has been
steadily growing and developing since
2012, and this autumn, after a year of
achievements, the project enters yet
another phase, heading forward at
full force. A new phase is commenc-
ing, with hands-on
development of the
second generation of
products from the re-
nowned participating
designers. Having se-
cured funding for on-
going development,
the project is grow-
ing, adding designers
as well as creating
new opportunities for
local talent.
The project’s main strength seems
to lie in its adaptability to circumstance,
and in response to growing public in-
terest; its next stage will be more com-
mercially focused. This development is
in part inspired by recognition from the
Icelandic Design Awards, and is further
driven by the idea that it is a vital part of
an ongoing branding campaign for East
Iceland as a creative community. With a
number of artisans, companies and in-
stitutions partaking, the project portrays
and celebrates the collaborators’ input
and the community’s participation.
The multifaceted endeavour initially
set out to explore the production po-
tential of East Iceland, and to that end
four renowned designers were invited
to East Iceland in 2013 to work in close
collaboration with the locals. The focus
of the current exhibition in Eskifjörður is
on the work of Þórunn Árnadóttir (IS),
who worked with a local company and
craftsman, and the works of Max Lamb
(UK), which are produced by the neigh-
bouring stonemason in Norðfjörður. The
two will be participating in further devel-
opment for the project's second phase,
along with a slew of new participants, a
mix of internationally acclaimed design-
ers and local talent.
We shape our environment
It may have come as a surprise that the
first ever Icelandic Design Award was
handed to a project operated out in the
middle of nowhere, far from the Reyk-
javík design hustle and bustle, run by a
bunch of design scene
nobodies. However,
a glimpse at the ex-
hibition should dem-
onstrate clearly what
the project is about,
and provide hints as
to where it’s headed.
Curator Karna Sig-
urðardóttir is hope-
ful for the turnout to
the workshops this
autumn, as the project committee aims
to raise the commercial potential of the
products with independent exhibitions,
along with a tour of European Design
Weeks in the coming year.
“It was clear from the beginning that
we are not making ‘souvenir’ items for
tourists to pick up on their way,” says
Karna. “We want the designed objects
to represents East Iceland, the materi-
als, the myths and the value of creative
thinking. This is not the first time Ice-
landic designers take Iceland’s culture
and materials as a starting point for their
work, but it is also interesting to see how
foreign designers approach it. That is
one part of the ‘Designs From Nowhere’
philosophy.“
As the exhibition attests, the works
all have roles or significance beyond the
obvious. “All objects bear a meaning of
who we are, we shape our environment
with the things we create, want, buy
and use,” says Karna. “The idea is not
only to design products with reference
to old traditions, stories and knowledge,
but also to strengthen an infrastructure
for creative thinking and production of
artistic work in East Iceland. The design
process and its products help people to
assess and better understand the envi-
ronment in which they live, as well as the
opportunities that lurk therein.”
She continues: “In this way we in-
vestigate what kind of reality the com-
munity wants in the future. Hence, inter-
nally the project and its objects play a
complex role within the setting of East
Iceland, and the pieces are also a part of
a much larger context. As they travel the
world on exhibitions and in retail, they
spread the values of the East Iceland
community and tell the story across fur-
ther afield.”
Austurland: Designs from Nowhere and
the Icelandic Design Award 2014 — Ex-
hibition in Eskifjörður runs until mid-
September in the Cultural Centre. Open
weekdays from 17:00-19:00 and by ap-
pointment for groups. Contact Þórunn
Gréta Sigurðardóttir (thgret@gmail.com)
for further details about the exhibition
and Karna Sigurðardóttir (info@designs-
fromnowhere.is) for information about
the project.
36 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 11 — 2015DESIGN
More
From
Nowher
e
It may seem absurd, passing by Iceland’s largest aluminium smelter in the moun-
tainous Eastfjords landscape to visit an exhibition that celebrates creative thinking,
small-scale production and local know-how in culturally relevant activities. Yet, there
it is—under the steep mountains of Eskifjörður, just like that smelting plant—the latest
recipient of the Icelandic Design Awards: ‘Designs From Nowhere.’
Photo provided by
Designs From Nowhere
Words
A.M. Finnsson
All you need
in one place
www.handknit.is
ONLY
SWEATER
SELECTION,
NO KNITING
MATERIAL
Eskifjörður Culture CentreUntil mid-September
Austurland: Designs from Nowhere
and the Icelandic Design Awards 2014