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The graphic studio
There is an extreme change of working situation in ENAV now. The school has moved to another building in Rua Bagamoyo, one of the oldest streets in Maputo. In the day the institutions and shops are open but in the night this is the sad street of prostitution.
For some of the departments the change is not good. The building is smaller than the former one and the working situations difficult. The design department is a lucky one. We have two big air conditioned rooms, one filled with computers for design work and the other with focus on film and animation. The change from teaching in a small and to warm room with four old mini-macs to a big room with 15 new imacs is enormous.
We, the teachers place emphasis on the fact that it is the creativity, design thinking, understanding of visual language and forms, composition and framing that will make a good design. But in the computer and internet age it is important to have access to computers and time to practice. Instead of being four students on each computer, fighting about the minutes each spends, each student has an open access to a computer when needed. Today I begun teaching web design. First task is to open a simple wordpress site.
A study trip to Iceland and Norway
Two of my students Rejão and David will come with us tomorrow to Iceland for five weeks over the christmas. They will go for a study trip and the task is to make documentary work; film and animation about environmental issues. Rejão is a talented illustrator and a growing animator and Davids talents lie within film, collage and conceptual work. We are hoping that they will make a good team with these different talents and the collaboration will bring out something interesting. They have already started to collect material here in Maputo and have made a short video art-work that they like to present there north. They have been focusing on garbage and pollution. These students are talented and work hard.
The project is supported by the FK program I am in on behalf of Kulturskolen i Fredrikstad and ENAV, the school I work in. The Iceland Academy of the Arts supports the project by offering facilities and teachers.
Here is the description of the project and below is a pdf documents with the project description in english and portuguese to download:
Background
Today it has become an undisputed fact that the whole world has to deal with a large environmental problem. Global warming is on the increase and an endless production of things can not be sustained. To turn to a more sustainable lifestyle it is necessary to be creative in communicating the problem and designing new ways of living. Designers and artist have the skills to motivate and open peoples eyes in a creative and effective way. Their work is to design our daily things and select materials and sources. An essential part of the environmental impact that products generate, is decided on the design stage.
This project is inspired by the work the students of ENAV did in relation to the World Wide Views on Global Warming meeting that took place in Maputo. The Students worked for one week creating an exhibition about global warming in front of the hall where the meeting took place. The weeks before the students were given lectures about global warming and shown films to gain a better understanding about the subject matter.
The students became very inspired and interested in continuing to work with environmental issues. A group of students called Bantuart is now finishing a project description of a street performance they want to make about global warming. Other students have also presented some ideas.
Hopefully it is possible to establish an interdisciplinary environmental group in the school where students in design, art, ceramics and textiles will work through the year on different projects addressing environmental issues. There are many things to address and opportunities to participate in national and international events dedicated to the environment.The project
The studytrip is meant to be an inspiration to the students in ENAV. Two students will travel to Iceland and Norway for one month. These students have a growing and promising competence in film, illustration and animation and therefore the ability to communicate their experiences in a creative way.
The students will visit places that are related to environmental issues, for example recycling and waste management. They will meet designers that work in a sustainable way and have workshops with professional people within design, film and art to train and improve their competence.
During the month before the trip the students will work on research in Maputo. They will record and collect visual material to take along and work with while on the trip in the medialabs provided.Objectives and goals
Increasing the competence of the students that will travel.Produce material that can be valuable for the Mozambican society.
To inspire the students of ENAV to address environmental issues in a creative way.
Transfer of knowledge and know-how in tackling environmental challenges.Deliverables
A film/animation from the material collected in the trip.A presentation of the trip and their experiences.
Other material will depend on the ideas that will come up during the process.Participants
MONOZI (An FK supported program):Kulturskolen i Fredrikstad
Escola Nacional de Artes VisuaisTeachers, DogS:
Soley Stefansdottir. Working as an FK participant in Maputo
Halldor Gislason. Developing a cooperation between ISAC; the new Art and Design Academy in Mozambique and KHiO; Oslo National Academy of the Arts
Iceland Academy of the Arts (Provides facilities and teachers)Students:
David Pinto Calvo Aguacheiro, graphic design student in ENAV
Rejao David de Carvalho, graphic design student in ENAVProject description
descrição do projecto9/9/9 First Day of School in ISAC
A conversation in plenum about art, design and production. ISAC director joined us for inspiration about ‘touching the soul’Today on the 9th of 9th of 9 we started the first day of the university education in art and design here in Maputo. During the process of development we in the startup-group decided to begin with a strategic conference about what actually a school of his kind is and how the three first disciplines differ from each other.
The day was very inspiring, the students are very verbal and reflective. We did actually start by conversing a bit about the difference between a university level education and foundation. The fundamental part here is going to be the reflective element. How to develop a critical reflective mode, hopping between searching/mappin over analyzing and ending in evaluating. Only to start again every time creating a hopeful spiral of development. Here is a simple description of what we do:- Plenum, a presentation of a set theory diagram map of design/art/cultural production. Discussion about differences and similarities. Creative industries, art, design, presentation, touching the soul, market, artist as an individual and the faceless producer of art, creativity etc.
- Then we went our separate ways into three rooms for the 3 different groups for some group home work defining themselves, their tasks and differences.
- Return to the plenum where every group made a report on big flip-over about how they saw themselves different from the other two groups and how they are similar.
- After this was time to go home with the task to reflect, discuss with friends and return with the statement:
- “ I am a designer/artist/cultural producer because . . . . . . . “
- This presented we have a plenum conversation about our motivations and differences between the groups.
- After some dialogue the groups are to go to their separate rooms to create a a manifesto for their field for the coming work in ISAC.
- Plenum return of all three groups with the manifesto and the students are to sign their name under it. (all things can change in the future)
- After that we will have a group of design students, a group of art students and a group of students of cultural production.
Fighting it out on the blackboard what design really, really means!We in Maputo are really optimistic for the future. Resources are scarce, things are complicated, life is difficult for the students and teachers, but . . . there is an optimism in Maputo that I have only experienced in Reykjavik in my life. There is a drive for doing, for acting, for participating in a future that is only possible. I am not one to say that my experiences from Reykjavik have always been great and we know now history, but I can only say one thing: It was not my students in the Iceland Academy of the Arts that created the mess that Iceland is in now. They are still optimistic and work from the grassroots for a better future if only the bankers, profit whores and conservative politicians will not destroy our great Iceland before we can save it. I hope the same for Mozambique.
Karina and Maimuna conversing about the pros and cons of art and designINSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE ARTES E CULTURA HAS STARTED!!
Primus Motor for ISAC, Dr. Alda Costa presents a seriograph to the Minister of EducationToday, September 3rd we are very proud that the new academy is at last started here in Maputo. There was a formal ceremony in the morning with all the necessary people present, giving speeches with comments about the great future the school will have and how it will change the cultural life of this nation. We become filled with humility to be allowed to participate in this event and all the chaotic work that has been going on during the process to this day is forgotten and only feeling of proudness can be stated. We have participated as representatives from the North, from Norway on behalf of KHiO, The National Academy of the Arts, and on behalf of LHÍ, The Iceland Academy of the Arts. It is great to get the opportunity to support and use the large pool of resources from our friends in Cirrus, the network of Nordic-Baltic design schools and Cumulus, the global network of design schools.
A coir sang for us on the way to the ceremony, the mayors of the town of Matola and and the mayor of Maputo, the Minister of Education and Culture, the new director of ISAC and all of us others.
Banners lined the ISAC campus wall in Av. de Industria on the outskirts of Maputo in the town of MatolaThis is not really a blog about the event, but a collection of photos hoping that those that follow our activities here can in a small way participate in our pleasure. We have tried to concentrate on the program for the design department (Dori and Karina and Soley), but in such a small group and with so many things to do before the opening we became somewhat sucked into many of the practicalities. It was very fortunate that we have managed to run some clear planning meetings earlier so that we have responses on hand when issues have cropped up. Now comes the challenge of running the education.
Here is a link to a larger photo album from the opening day.
A group of dancers welcomed the guests on the way to visit Annett Bourquin’s photo exhibition in the gallery
The Design Department at this stage: Karina Gonsalves and Dóri
Last minute touches done by Maimuna and the guys were putting up the blinds for projection room
People leaving the ceremony room. Sóley, Sílvia Braganca, Jose Paiva from Porto, representing Identdidades, a cooperative project between Porto and Maputo
Celebration mood, Dóri and José Paiva from Porto, Victor Sala, the director of ENAV and Estella from ENAV
Computers waiting to open the world of Design and Art to the students.Campus Waiting to become Arts Academy
We are going through the finishing touches for the new school ISAC. Tomorrow morning is the opening ceremony. The applicants for studentship have got their notices and the invitations for the formal opening have gone out from the Ministry. These images show how it looks like just before opening. Not much different from other places I know. Last minute touches, furniture is waiting for being sorted into the studios and offices. The workshop from the previous crafts school is there and has a very nice feel to it. A gang of guys with mobile phones try to sort things out. The images show the architect Luis Lage and the master of many things Carrasco. My co-worker Karina is there also telling them how we want the rooms to fit our program.
Study Program and Space Planning
We sat on Saturday doing the final touches of the program for the first pilot semester in the new academy. Things are falling into place, while we also have very many odds and ends to complete. We discussed teaching programs, media lab, library, how to start the semester with discussions and study program definitions. The image shows my very capable coworkers Maimuna (arts education from Pretoria University) and Karina (product design education from Lissabon. This morning the intake committee met in the Ministry to go through the final process of evaluating the applicants and we made the final list. The Ministry will post the results today or tomorrow.
I am very optimistic about the future of this youngest art and design school. Opening day is on Thursday morning. I post this nice mail that Maimuna sent this afternoon to show people what we are up to at the moment:
Hi all, now I’m getting confused as to what language to write in, if no one minds I will write in english..
Today we received most, if not all, the furniture (a second batch of things arrived around 2 or 3 when I was leaving today),
I will be at ISAC tomorrow with mr Momola, I have more info on what furniture goes where if anyone needs it…
So far, things are still according to plan in relation to the classrooms:
In the classroom block, the sala de professores has been temporarily taken over by the finance dept., and the multimedia room will be next to the library, so we have an extra room.
That means that we can of course use the last classroom of that block (by the bathrooms) for the sala de professores, but Lage suggested we use the meeting room for the teachers for now… so we have two options
The last large room in the admin block has been left as a wildcard… the idea was, and can continue if no one opposes, that we use the large room as a drawing studio or something of the sort…
at the moment each class room will be equiped with teacher’s desk and chair, board to write on, notice board, and at least 18 desks and tables for the students (we received 140 tables and chairs so there are a few more if needed)
Any ‘extra’ furniture from the classrooms will go to the ‘drawing studio’, and any ‘extra’ furniture for the admin offices will go to the ‘secretaria’… the computers, if and when they arrive, are not to be turned on just yet until we have the rest of the system up…
that’s all I’ve got so far, the rest is all being prepared for thursday… see you tomorrow,
maimunaWill keep you posted.
