During autumn 2011 Riga will become the meeting place for the Nordic and Baltic designers. For two months, starting from October, series of events in different fields of design will take place at the Riga Art Space. One will never guess who we are. We’re peacefully exquisite like a bright summer night filled with gentle shadows and warmth that comes from the heart of the sea. We’re glaring and rebellious like the alarming Northern winds. We’re unpredictable and unstoppable and that’s how we live. It’s our sea which defines us as a people who are in love with versatility: the excitement of the forever changing seasons and the simplicity of the day spent by the seaside. It’s our aim to keep constantly changing. However, we share one thing which is unbendable and fixed; it’s the future of the North and there is a place for the sea in it. In the autumn of 2011 we come sixteen steps closer to our vision of a clear and living Baltic Sea.
There are many faces of design – it can be fashionable, industrial, functional or even controversial. What if all these characteristics of one field of creativeness could be brought together in one project dedicated to our vision of the future of the North? We believe that it could be a gateway to success. That’s why this summer sixteen renowned design professionals from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have been selected to develop sixteen different projects with one goal in common – a clean and beautiful Baltic Sea. There are no limitations to the mode or the scale of the projects. We are looking for cutting-edge designs that define us as responsible and future orientated inhabitants of the coasts of the Baltic Sea.
The results will be featured in the NORDIC BALTIC DESIGNERS EVENTS IN RIGA 2011 as the main event. Sixteen designers will exhibit their ideas developed especially for the event and a group exhibition of their prior works will be organised as well. To bring even more creative virtue to the project, each designer will record a video diary during the process of the development of their individual works which will be later put together in a documentary film.The following designers have agreed to participate:
Cecilie Manz (Denmark)
Johan Carlsson (Denmark)
Kaija Poijula (Finland)
Hannu Kähönen (Finland)
Björn Dahlström (Sweden)
Jessica Signell Knutsson (Sweden)
Helle Frogner (Norway)
Runa Klock (Norway)
Katrin Olina (Iceland)
Krads (Iceland)
Mare Kelpman (Estonia)
Martin Pärn (Estonia)
Rasa Baradinskiene (Lithuania)
Juozas Brundza (Lithuania)
Ieva Kalēja (Latvia)
Pēteris Bajārs (Latvia)
Apart from the sixteen designers exhibiting the results of their work there will also be other design related activities featured in the Nordic Baltic Designers Events in Riga 2011. Various workshops, lectures, discussions and meetings are organised to bring Nordic and Baltic design people together. During the two month long period of networking events professionals, students and entrepreneurs are welcome to exchange their ideas, gain experience and develop new collaborations.
ORGANISERS
The Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers’
The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia
The Nordic and Baltic embassies in Riga
The Danish Culture Institute
Riga Art Space and SIA Rigas Nami
Curator: Kari Korkman, Helsinki Design Week
The Nordic Baltic Designers Events are part of the Design.Future 2011 festival organised by Design Information Centre (Latvia). More information: Culture Adviser Ginta Tropa, Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Latvia, phone: +371 67820055, e-mail: ginta@norden.lv