Monthly Archives: November 2011

1200 Buildings Commission: Enhancing Melbourne’s Sustainability Performance through Public Art « Carbon Arts

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The 1200 Buildings Commission is a pilot public art project responding to the energy and sustainability performance of a commercial building within the City of Melbourne – the Green Spaces at 490 Spencer Street in West Melbourne. The Green Spaces building is an early entrant in the City’s 1200 Buildings scheme, which aims to facilitate the energy retrofit of 1200 buildings within the municipality, making a significant contribution towards meeting the City of Melbourne’s target of carbon neutrality by 2020.

Carbon Arts is working closely with the City of Melbourne, Guy Wilson of Fort Knox Self Storage and Dave Collins of The Green Spaces to deliver a $30,000 commission by the end of 2011. Eleven artists, designers and architects have been selected to provide proposals for the space and share in the development of a new public arts program. The public arts program aims to leverage the efforts of signatories to the 1200 Buildings scheme by making these largely invisible efforts visible to the public and engaging all Melbournians in the Eco-City vision.

Links: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/1200buildings/Pages/1200BuildingsPublicArtCommission.aspx

via 1200 Buildings Commission: Enhancing Melbourne’s Sustainability Performance through Public Art « Carbon Arts.

Culture The Kaleidoscope Video

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This post comes to you from Engage by Design

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/31618259?title=0&byline=0&portrait 500 331]

What is the Kaleidoscope Project?

Interviews and conversations with experts on sustainability, design and innovation, reflecting theory and generating actions between a diverse range of disciplines including design [product, fashion, graphic, web, architects and interiors], science, art, activists, business, psychology and academia.

The 5 Kaleidoscope Videos, split into four different values; Balance, Meaning, Innovation and Culture. During each interview we asked how each value is seen and practised today and how they should be practiced in order to move towards a better future. The last video focuses on the tools and skills that we need to get to that better future, acting as a call to arms for designers and professionals about the need for rethink the way we practice our disciplines.

This short film is about Culture.

 

Engage by Design is a social enterprise developed through the final Master research of Rodrigo Bautista and Zoe Olivia John in sustainability and design. As a consultancy they specialize in strategic interventions that aim to support the transformation of your product or service into a more sustainable one.

Engage by Design’s research arm intends to act as a platform which enables dialogues and actions between a diverse range of disciplines around sustainability and design.

Rodrigo Bautista – Rodrigo is an Industrial Designer and has worked in many different industries including media, products, services and telecommunications. Today his work focuses on strategic interventions and tools to apply sustainability and design instruments within a company.

Zoë Olivia John – Zoë’s background in Fashion & Textiles has lead her into the research and development of better ways to integrate learning about sustainability for Higher Education students and tutors, particularly within the F&T programme. She is interested in finding new ways to readdress our value structure from one of linear economic quantity to one of circular quality.

Go to Engage by Design

Call for Applications: INTERNATIONAL LAND ART WORKSHOP

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Date: October 5-19, 2012

Venue: Sang Arts Village, Sang near Tamale in Northern Region of Ghana

Date: February 10-24, 2012

Venue: Abetenim Arts Village near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

International Land Art Workshop is a two-week group residency.  It is designed to bring together creative persons such as artists, architects and engineers to create works by use of materials from the environment.  The participants will live and work together in an Arts Village in a rural township for knowledge sharing and cross-fertilization of skills over the two-week period.  By land art (or earthworks, environmental art) we imply: (1) Works created with materials from the environment involving air, water, earth, stone, and wood, or (2) Site-specific installation (with natural or industrial materials) within a landscape to create an aesthetic experience.  Thus, the theme is open; but permanency of work is encouraged, ephemeral would be only if it is the most appropriate means to communicating the idea.  The realized work may become a part of the Arts Village or sited in a public space in nearby village.

Organizers will provide accommodation and food; an accepted applicant will contribute participation fee of $100 / €70 toward food.  The international participant is responsible for own travel costs and proposed project.  We suggest that participants apply for travel grants through their national art councils or other sources.  To apply, send CV, statement/sketch of your proposed work, and a sample of your existing work to info@nkafoundation.org/ nkaprojects@gmx.com.  Submissions will be reviewed until space is filled.  For details on our projects go to www.nkafoundation.org.

In Ghana: Nka Foundation, Box Up 1115, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi.

In Burkina Faso: Nka Foundation, 04 BP 399, Ouagadougou 04.

PDF Land Art Workshop

Balance The Kaleidoscope Video

Engage by Design, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This post comes to you from Engage by Design

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/30905677?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0 500 331]

What is the Kaleidoscope Project?

Interviews and conversations with experts on sustainability, design and innovation, reflecting theory and generating actions between a diverse range of disciplines including design [product, fashion, graphic, web, architects and interiors], science, art, activists, business, psychology and academia. This project tackles these conversations with two supporting outcomes.

The first is the 5 Kaleidoscope Videos, split into four different values; Balance, Meaning, Innovation and Culture. During each interview we asked how each value is seen and practised today and how they should be practiced in order to move towards a better future. The last video focuses on the tools and skills that we need to get to that better future, acting as a call to arms for designers and professionals about the need for rethink the way we practice our disciplines.

This short film is about Balance.

Engage by Design is a social enterprise developed through the final Master research of Rodrigo Bautista and Zoe Olivia John in sustainability and design. As a consultancy they specialize in strategic interventions that aim to support the transformation of your product or service into a more sustainable one.

Engage by Design’s research arm intends to act as a platform which enables dialogues and actions between a diverse range of disciplines around sustainability and design.

Rodrigo Bautista – Rodrigo is an Industrial Designer and has worked in many different industries including media, products, services and telecommunications. Today his work focuses on strategic interventions and tools to apply sustainability and design instruments within a company.

Zoë Olivia John – Zoë’s background in Fashion & Textiles has lead her into the research and development of better ways to integrate learning about sustainability for Higher Education students and tutors, particularly within the F&T programme. She is interested in finding new ways to readdress our value structure from one of linear economic quantity to one of circular quality.

Go to Engage by Design

Call for Proposals 2012 Cheng Long International Environmental Art Project in Taiwan, “What’s for Dinner?”

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Artists from all countries are invited to send a proposal for a site-specific outdoor sculpture installation to be created during a 26-day artist in residency (April 11 – May 7, 2012) in Cheng Long, a small rural village near the southwestern coast of Taiwan in Kouhu Township,Yunlin County. This art project is an expansion of the 2010 and 2011 Cheng Long Wetlands International Environmental Art Projects, going into the Village as well as the Wetlands. The selected artists will work with elementary school children and community residents to create large-scale sculpture installations focused on the theme of “What’s for Dinner?”  The artworks should reflect on environmental issues surrounding food production and emphasize organic aquaculture.  Artworks will be in village public spaces, on abandoned buildings, and in the wetlands nature preserve, and artists will use recycled materials and natural materials to create their artworks that will stay on exhibition through 2013.

Proposals Due:  Feb. 8, 2012

Artists Notified by:  Feb. 22, 2012

Residency in Taiwan:  April 8 – May 7, 2012

Selected Artists Receive:  NT50,000 (US$1,662), round trip economy airfare, accommodations and meals for 26 days in Taiwan, local transportation, volunteer help to find materials and make the artworks

Send the following by email to Curator, Jane Ingram Allen, allenrebeccajanei@gmail.com

  1. Description of your proposed sculpture installation giving estimated size and materials to be used (limit 1 page as a .doc or .pdf file).
  2. Sketch of your proposed work as a .jpg or .pdf file (less than 1 MG in size)
  3. Images and image list (title, date made, dimensions, materials/media, and where located) of 6 previous outdoor sculpture installations (6 .jpg files each less than 1MG in size)
  4. CV or resume showing exhibitions, awards, residencies, education and experience as an artist (.doc or .pdf file)
  5. Contact information:  Name, Present Address, Nationality, Email address and Website (.doc or .pdf file)

For more information visit the Blog at http://artproject4wetland.wordpress.com or contact Jane Ingram Allen, allenrebeccajanei@gmail.com

The Kaleidoscope Videos

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This post comes to you from Engage by Design

‘You’ve described a very interesting project and one that could fill a critically important void.’

David Orr.

The Kaleidoscope videos are conversations with experts on sustainability, design and innovation, aiming to reflect and generate actions between a diverse range of disciplines.


We interviewed a variety of people who have been working around sustainability for years all with different approaches; Science, Business, Graphic, Fashion and Industrial designers, Psychologist, Architects and Academics from different parts of the world; the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, Austria, Spain and Germany.

Participants:

Ramon Arratia European Sustainability Director at InterfaceFlor

Eric Benson Graphic Designer Co-founder of Re-Nourish

Dr. Jonathan Chapman Reader & Course Leader of the MA Sustainable Design at University of Brighton

Jo Confino Executive Editor of the Guardian Chairman & Editorial Director of Guardian Sustainable Business

Dr. Kate Fletcher Slow Fashion consultant & Reader in Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion

Mark Gawlinski Senior Lecturer in Leadership specialising in Organisational Change

Nick Gant Co-Director of the Inheritable Futures Laboratory & Co-founder of BoBo Design

Ken Garland Visionary & Co-creator of First things First manifesto. Ken is a Graphic Designer & visiting lecturer at many design schools across the globe

Dr. Caneel Joyce Lecturer at the London School of Economics

Dr. Mike Pitts Sustainability Manager at Chemistry Innovation & Project Leader Resource Efficiency at Technology Strategy Board

Nathan Shedroff is a pioneer in Experience Design. Writer, lecturer and chair of the MBA in Design Strategy at California College of Arts

Ignacio Urbina Polo Industrial Designer and assistant professor at Pratt University, New York and Venezuela

Alberto Villarreal Industrial Designer & Co-founder of Agent

The videos are split into four different values; Balance, Meaning, Innovation and Culture. Asking how each value is seen and practised today and how they should be practiced in order to move towards a better future. The last video focuses on the tools and skills that we need to get to that better future. Acting as a call to arms for designers and professionals about the need for rethink the way we practice our disciplines.

The videos will be released one by one over the coming weeks and are a starting point for conversation showing different points of view and perspectives from all around the world.

Please interact with them, leave a comment, challenge them and most of all share them.

All the content you find here is Creative Commons. Please reference Engage by Design.

 

Engage by Design is a social enterprise developed through the final Master research of Rodrigo Bautista and Zoe Olivia John in sustainability and design. As a consultancy they specialize in strategic interventions that aim to support the transformation of your product or service into a more sustainable one.

Engage by Design’s research arm intends to act as a platform which enables dialogues and actions between a diverse range of disciplines around sustainability and design.

Rodrigo Bautista – Rodrigo is an Industrial Designer and has worked in many different industries including media, products, services and telecommunications. Today his work focuses on strategic interventions and tools to apply sustainability and design instruments within a company.

Zoë Olivia John – Zoë’s background in Fashion & Textiles has lead her into the research and development of better ways to integrate learning about sustainability for Higher Education students and tutors, particularly within the F&T programme. She is interested in finding new ways to readdress our value structure from one of linear economic quantity to one of circular quality.

Go to Engage by Design

Green Theatre Network Meeting held at Arcola Theatre and Tent on 24th November

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The event was an opportunity for members of the Green Theatre Network to meet up, share progress, discuss issues and find new ways to improve sustainable practices within theatres. The morning consisted of discussions and updates, particularly from members of the network who gave brief summaries on their latest sustainability initiatives. There were also discussions on the future of greening theatre and what we can ideally achieve by 2025.

The variety in projects ranged from new LED lighting techniques, introducing Green Riders into contracts, energy monitoring and measuring, Climate Week 2012 progress and more. It was inspiring and exciting to see how each theatre or company is using different initiatives to be more sustainable.

The event was organised by Julie’s Bicycle, an organisation working to integrate sustainability into the arts.

Go to Arcola Energy

Economical and Eco-Friendly Clothing Art

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The tagline of creative collective Sewing Rebellion is “Stop Shopping, Start Sewing!” Founded by Carol Lung-Bazile, AKA FrauFiber, in 2006, this eclectic group of men and women sew to save money and impact the way Americans think about clothing and garment production. The nearly lost arts of mending and reusing clothing are explored twice monthly in Brooklyn. New chapters of this organization are popping up all over the United States, encouraging thousands of men and women to become sewing-empowered. Many international chapters have opened, bridging differences in culture and economics to bring people together around the sewing machine.

The main aim of Sewing Rebellion is to provide individuals with the skills necessary to fix clothing and create exciting new garments out of articles that would otherwise go to waste. In fact, cutting down on consumer waste is one of the stated goals of the NYC Chapter of Sewing Rebellion. Every year, millions of used clothing items are thrown away or sit in closets and thrift shops, gathering dust. It doesn’t take a masters degree in sustainability to see that these items contribute to landfill overcrowding and encourage garment manufacturers to continue producing cheap, expendable clothing. The garment industry is notorious for exploitation and the widespread use of sweatshop labor.

Sewing Rebellion members hope that encouraging consumers to fix worn or broken items will help cut down on demand for poorly-constructed articles. In turn, they hope a decrease in demand for cheap, new clothing would force manufacturers to pay their employees living wages in return for constructing high-quality, durable garments.

Recent press about the Sewing Rebellion movement has highlighted how the group helps consumers save money and teaches fun, essential sewing skills. Ranging from instruction on darning socks and replacing buttons to repairing zippers and refitting dresses, group meetings offer something for sewers and aspirants of all levels. A recent article in the Washington Post highlights the economic and environmental advantages associated with learning how to repair clothing. Repairing pockets, replacing buttons, and sewing busted seams helps consumers extend the life of their clothing. Replacing fewer items means spending less money. This is a fun form of frugality that is well-suited to tough economic times.

Sewing Rebellion chapters also encourage members to seize upon and express their own unique sense of style. Millions of Americans buy the exact same shirts, jeans, skirts and outerwear from the same stores every year. It is difficult to look unique in a clothing market saturated with cheap items that are similar in quality and appearance. Reusing and repurposing old garments is a wonderful way for individuals to recycle waste and to express their own taste. Garment swaps sponsored by the group encourage individuals to take advantage of the old maxim that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Frau Fiber’s movement has caught fire as a fun and stylish way to save money and reduce waste. Economic struggles have encouraged many individuals to find creative ways to protect their pocketbooks and to get the best value out of the things that they own. Sewing Rebellion is a collective of women and men who embrace the ethos of frugality while promoting creativity and style awareness. The less you shop and the more you sew, the more you save. The logic underlying Sewing Rebellion is beautifully simple.