AVS. Arkitektúr verktækni skipulag - 01.12.2003, Síða 23

University of the
Arts
Svavar Eysteinsson, Graduate Student
Only those who have been to an art
college know what an Art College is.
Preconceptions spring from igno-
rance, and the students of the
lceland University for the Arts know
this all too well. At times, students
have had to defend their existence,
and that of the school, for those who
consider it something unnatural to
have an art educatíon at a university
level. Questions like, „Are you not
just fiddling around all day and get a
BA at the end?“ is classic and invites
answers like ,“No, we are learning to
make something that nobody wants
to buy so inviting that you will buy it.“
Or, „I am designing a sofa that you
can brag about on the lcelandic tele-
vision program about interior design,
‘Innlit Útlit.
What is new and unusual is often
attacked by „the establishment."
Although lcelanders líke novelties, as
a nation, not all were in favour in giv-
ing art students similar qualifications
to those of other universities. But
what is it anyway to have a paper
stating you are an artist, musician,
actor or a designer? Yes maybe, but
people who suffer from vivid imagina-
tíon and initiative have to find refuge
and asylum somewhere to learn to
live with their illness.
I am speaking here today on behalf
of legalised designers who, during
three years, have received instruction
on how objects could look as glam-
orous as possible. A number of long-
suffering artists has come and afford-
ed us a look into their world of fanta-
sy and how one should support
one's ideas. They have taught us
their classic ideology, which has
been handed down from person to
person and nothing can destroy.
During this time, the Department has
undergone great changes, as it is
nothing but formless clay in the
hands of the students and people
who have the only aim to make
Design Studies in lceland the coolest
in the world.
The future is bright and the opportu-
nities endless. Although the Design
Department has for a long time been
an incubator for ad-agencies, work-
ing for companies on getting con-
sumers to buy products, the studies
in the department have not concen-
trated on that. It has only somehow
been a natural development. Design
is a powerful tool, which can also be
put to bad use. As a designer, you
can easily sell your soul and every-
thing Goddur taught you for a wad of
money, left in the end with a bad
conscience from having taken part in
the endless propaganda for useless
and bad products nobody needs but
everybody pretends to need. You
may have designed some junk which
has no user value and falls apart the
first time it is used. Or manufactured
hurtful images that warp social atti-
tudes, be it looks or gender roles. Or
sold ideas that contradict your own
and lost your freedom as an artist.
Then you awake to a rotten society
and see your fingerprints all over it.
That is one choice. Another one is to
use this powerful tool to get people
to thínk about issues that matter.
Contribute to a mind-change where
it is necessary, and make our every-
day life more beautiful. There is plen-
ty to do: preconceptions, violence,
inequality, capitalism, pollution, envi-
ronmental protection, war and
peace. Just like other artísts, the
designer has to look at his or her
environment critically. With his knowl-
edge, the sky is the limit. What you
do does not necessarily have to
make money for someone else.
Yet another choice is to go and do
something else.
With more diverse technology, the
distance between design and other
art media has become smaller. This
can strongly be seen in the gradua-
tion exhibition. Designers do not
depend on anything, neither form nor
media and even less are they a
crutch for capitalists. Everything can
be used, 2D, 3D, sound, video, iron,
wool, chair and dress.
On behalf of my fellow students, I
would like to thank other students
and staff for their co-operation and
wish them success in finding them-
selves in the future. ■
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