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To the simple, but provocative question “What is design?”, which implies a never-ending string of varying answers, Herbert Dubin, the father of Latvian design theory, replied as early as the 1960s, “Design is social responsibility”. Higher design education is, in a way, an indicator of the vague national design process. The annual “raids” conducted by DS at the Latvian Academy of Art reveal that the process is gradually changing and is turning in a positive direction. The title “Environmental Art” for a division which, on the one hand, lives under the roof of an art institution, while on the other hand, is in direct subordination to the Design Department, is decidedly ambiguous. However, the idea about environmental art as public space, or as art objects that decorate the environment is an old school approach: one from the past. Ambitions have been gradually replaced by responsibility towards one’s contribution to the public space – if a particular object is not able to raise the importance of art, it gains a minus sign: instead of improving the quality of the environment, it does precisely the opposite – sullies the public space. There are no more meditation zones or pavilions amongst this year’s graduation works, which were popular up until now: behind these walls, the authors tried to shut themselves off society and reality. It is known that this world is aggressive and has swollen with unsolvable problems, while the designer is a torch bearer, a philanthropist, who does not hide and evade, but accepts responsibility and serves society. With the development of the social tendency of design at the Academy of Art, lifestyle magazines – those brand guide books for snobs – feel disappointed. There are fewer beautiful and stylish things, which are being replaced by socially oriented projects, usually systemic processes, which are based on research and in which design acts as an instrument. These projects range from simple devices, which provide the opportunity for recycling in home conditions, to complicated projects, which are contributed to by various social groups – designers, craftsmen, the handicapped – and as a result, the physical product that is created is just one level of the achievement. The design process gains a multidisciplinary meaning: one of the individual graduation works, as well as the exhibition of graduation works have been created in collaboration with the Bank University – the marketing of which was directed by Dita Danosa.
At which point does the beginner – a green and all-knowing cucumber – transform into the next professional? It is when they try to convert their flight of fancy into a conveyer format. This is when they often come undone. The world is cluttered with products, and, for a designer to endure, their ideas have to be competitive. However, the beginning of an idea does not make the author rich. Misunderstood concepts of copyright often trips up new Latvian talent and causes companies to distance themselves from designers, slowing the development of possible product designs. The designer is not a technologist, however they are responsible for following the creation of a product to the end of the process, working in a team with engineers, technologists, manufacturers and finally – merchants. The professionalism of the designer is determined by their ability to create a qualitative product, while taking into account the chain of conditions, in the same way an architect has to take into account the client, the existing building regulations, the available finance, construction possibilities and has to undertake monitoring of the construction of the project. To put it mildly, it is not easy for students to get a “taste of life” in the Latvian situation and implement their projects in an industrial setting, given the stagnant conditions of the crisis. However, two of the most distinct manufacturers of Latvian industrial products – “PAA” and “Nakts mēbeles” – are traditionally friendly with the Latvian Academy of Art and collaborate with it, irrespective of both manufacturers’ known skepticism of the role of the designer in their companies. During one year (for two semesters) the third year students of the Environmental Art division of the Design Department of the Academy, under the leadership of Barbara Āpare and Juris Krūmiņš, worked to design products suitable for industrial manufacture, and followed through their creation in manufacturing plants. The students offered ideas, while the companies provided the opportunity to use their material technical basis, workforce and their knowledge of technologies and the market. Which side was the winner? The experience and points of view differ, however a few products created in the bath company look like they will be so successful, that they speak for themselves.
Pēteris Treicis, “PAA”: “Our business has collaborated with the Academy of Art for a number of years; we view this collaboration as our investment in society and as nationally important work – generating interest in technologies and manufacturing among students, improving their practical experience and qualifications. During the collaboration, a wider group of people get to know us – particularly people linked to art and design. Through collaboration with lecturers from the Academy and preparation for seminars with the students, we refresh our experience in the process of creating design products, define our work tasks more precisely, gain a viewpoint that is unencumbered by narrow professionalism and develop extraordinary solutions to problems. Ultimately we have a good time, because everyone: we, as well as the students and lecturers are interested in what we are doing.”
Juris Griķis, “Nakts mēbeles”: “In our collaboration, the task for the students was to create extras – additional furniture, accessories – for a bed, which is currently being produced by our company. However, students went into the “wild blue yonder” with the task (perhaps one of the works came close, although it was conceptually mismatched with the bed model). In the beginning I argued with the young authors, but later I assumed that the teaching process at the Academy of Art implies playing with the functional form of objects, their content and meaning, and I allowed the students to express themselves. The Academy of Art remains at this level, and after completing their tertiary education young designers are not ready for real work in the industry.”
Jānis Valdmanis, student: “I really value our collaboration – during the “design” period the dialogue with the manufacturer was very qualitative. As we began our collaboration, there were no artistic inhibitions on behalf of the “PAA”, just technical guidelines, which you could not really call limits. What more could a designer want! Now I have a slight knowledge of the opportunities presented by thermoformation.”
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