Im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung “Öffentlichkeit assoziieren – Zur Sozialfunktion von Kunst und Kommunikationsdesign”, findet an der Merz-Akademie ein Vorlesung von Alex Demirovic statt.

Alex Demirovic befasst sich in seinem Vortrag mit Öffentlichkeit versus Privatheit aus der Perspektive der Soziologie. Was erzeugt Privatheit, was Öffentlichkeit und wie bedingt sich dies gegenseitig im Alltag, in den Medien, in den Institutionen? So einfach der Gegensatz einerseits zu erklären sein scheint, so komplex ist andererseits die Formation von Diskursen, die privat bzw. öffentlich als Dispositiv erzeugen. Wie ist der gesellschaftliche Raum beschaffen, der ein “die Individuen assozierendes Sprechen” ermöglicht? Welchen Beitrag dazu leistet das Design der Institutionen und welchen die Institution des Designs?

Mittwoch, 17. Dezember 2008, 19.30 Uhr, Aula der Merz Akademie, Teckstraße 58, 70190 Stuttgart

[Show as slideshow]

The International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) shows objects of the Belgian designer Charles Kaisin. Subject is “the usage of recycled materials in modern design objects.”

Since 40 years the IDC offers a platform, where design experts, companies and an interested audience can communicate. More than 500 exhibitions, conferences, seminares and workshops have so far been shown. In connection to the creative cities exchange “BRU VIA BERLIN” between the two cultural metropolises Berlin and Brussels, IDZ Berlin shows design from the Belgian capital region, or more precisely, of designer Charles Kaisin.

Themed “Bewegung and Recycling” (Movement and Recycling) 30 works of Kaisin are presented on rotating sockets – supplemented by the 90 metres long bench “K-Bench”, that was primarily planned for the Museum of Modern Art in Luxemburg (MUDAM).

Door windows to bowls

Central topic are objects made of recycling stuff: a door window of a washing machine is transformed into a salad bowl, old bottles get a second chance as drinking cups and old plastic bags utterly become fashion. With his recycling objects, Kaisin wants to show “a new perspective for the becoming and decay of products.”

To which extent bags, sticked newspapers and dismounted washing machines can lead to serious solutions for sustainability is quite clear: to none. The idea of putting trash to fashy stuff like Freitag bags or else is not so new and more a romantic idea of “trash transformation”. Also the word “movement” in the exhibiton title sounds a bit vague in my ears. Anyhow it could be a nice entertainment for the general public and a place to meet for a small design talk.

The exhibition is open till November 7th. More information on the website of the IDZ.

Isn’t it strange that in 21st century’s design world, there’s still the problem of the paper cup that it is too hot for our fingers? We still need an additional paper label or even a second paper cup to prevent our hands from getting burnt.

*This CUP is part of the exhibition “100 CUPS” showing 100 transformed paper cups.

Marco Siebertz and a guest in front of the 100 CUPS. Photo: Carsten Fork

Last Sunday the exhibition “100 CUPS” as part of the “new talents 2008 – the junge biennale koeln” closed its doors. Marco Siebertz must have been happy with the result of those 9 days in the Cologne docklands “Rheinauhafen”. Especially on the weekends hundreds of visitors strolled in and got fascinated by the 100 paper cups that strung orderly on the CUPboard.

The designer, who was invited to show his talent on this new interdisciplinary biennale, is interested in objects of everyday life and was always wondering where all those paper cup come from and why it is such a growing trend. Involving the psychologist Darina Barooah, he did an analysis about the social implications of “paper cupping”. He found out that the paper cup e.g. is a strong symbol for our performance society: “The cup is a strong symbol. It says: look here! I got not time to sit and relax in a café. I’m already heading towards my next appointment. I’m important.” Moreover Marco Siebertz thinks that the paper cup will be an ersatz (replacement) for the more and more outlawed cigarette. “There are certain similarities in the attributes: as a cigarette, the Coffee To Go is made of paper, becomes warm, it gives you access to a druglike substance, you can grab hold of it and most important: you can suck it!”

As the design researcher did not want to strain the visitors with too much analytical input, he decided to give the exhibition a visual centre that was meant to attract interest to the visitors – what it did indeed! Siebertz produced 100 variations of paper cups that partly refered to the analytical part, but also where connected to completely different (e.g. political or social) contexts. Those mostly satirical designs opened the chance to the viewer spending more time with an object that is usually a mere transient good: you drink the coffee and throw it away.

Some CUPS: the LoC(k)-UP, War-on-Terror-CUP, Social-CUP, Free CUP and Tele-CUP - Photo: Carsten Fork

There is for example the ”Hurry-(C)UP” – a paper cup with a hole at the lower part that is closed by a removable strip. When you follow the instructions saying “open here” and you remove the strip there’s not much time left to empty the cup without spilling most of your coffee. “This cup is a reference to our accelerated lifestyle”, says the designer. Or there is the “Pay-Attention-CUP” which has ten holes that the user has to concentrated upon keeping them closed with his fingers for not pouring the coffee.”T(w)o-Coffee-Go” however is a more satirical one: two cups with legs that walk together.

A bit sterile, but chique: the freshly inaugurated Rheinauhafen. - Photo: Carsten Fork

The exhibition received a lot of feedback. Many visitors drafted and designed their own ideas on blank paper cups, newspapers reported about it, e.g. the “Kölner Stadtanzeiger“, newspaper of the Cologne region. As also many asked for pictures of the exhibition, ROGER LiVE will continue publishing one cup a day from the exhibition.

A big thank you goes to Carsten Fork for providing the pictures. There is also an audio guide description in German that explains the exhibition.

A cup in your hands, a plug in your ear and a top on your laps – »cocooning« is a common social behaviour, e. g. in the commuter trains. To immerse yourself even more into your own ego – this CUP idea can help you.

*Part of the exhibition “100 CUPS” showing 100 transformed paper cups.

A “Coffee To Go” can warm our hands in cold times. Anyhow, usually in direct contact with the skin, the cup is too hot – so we need additional paper wraps. With these attachable gloves you avoid getting burnt and you are keeping also the backs of your hands cozy and tender.

This paper cup is part of the exhibition “100 CUPS” showing 100 transformed paper cups.

A double for the weekend: When you’re walking round the city with a »Coffee To Go« – ever thought about that your paper cup might want to have the same rights? Allow him to make friends!

This paper cup is part of the exhibition “100 CUPS” showing 100 transformed paper cups.

Surely there is a broad range of different types of designers: there the graphic designer, product designer, interaction designer, interface designer, social designer, illustrator, web designer… .

But in ROGER issue no. 2 the editors already found out that designers can be classified in the way they design themselves: there are the NAKED (e. g. Starck, Sagmeister), the COLOURFUL (e. g. Karim Rashid, Esslinger), the WHITE (Colani) and of course first of all the BLACK (endless list).

There’s one stereotypical item that connects all of them: their black framed eyeglasses.

This paper cup is part of the exhibition “100 CUPS” showing 100 transformed paper cups.

A coffee specialty that was invented by Starbucks… no, the Italians, I mean. But some even say it was brought to Italy by Austrian soldiers that wanted to drink their local coffee specialty “Kapuziner”. Anyhow, it’s probably a visual reference to the costumes of the Capuchin monks – wherever they came from.

This paper cup is part of the exhibition “100 CUPS” showing 100 transformed paper cups.

Adam and Eve have already been tempted through an apple – both were thrown out of paradise because of this frailty and have the responsibility for humankind to exist. As the malheur already happened, today we can enjoy our Apple(s) without remorse.

This paper cup is part of the exhibition “100 CUPS” showing 100 transformed paper cups.