Dizaina Studija. Telpa Forma Laiks

Indra Merca: born Riga, 28.12.1982. Studied at the Latvian Academy of Art since 2006, began in metal design, now in the Environmental Art Department. Completed the Metal Design Department of the Riga Design and Art School (2004), studied at the Riga Secondary School of Arts and Crafts (1997–1999). Supplementary study at the painting studio of Vita Merca (2003–2004) and drawing studio of Guntars Gabranovs (1994–2001). Competitions and awards: winning entry in “Minimum/Maximum”, the Latvian Academy of Art design competition; encouragement award in the poster competition Publiskie spoguļi (Public Mirrors), winner of the logo competition for the Republic of Latvia Ministry of Finance EU Cohesion Fund (2006); second place in the AIDS Support Centre advertising competition; second place in the Ventspils city souvenir idea competition (2003).

The genius of artists and their proxy continue to be deified by Latvians. A creative personality has the right to a special perspective, the right to occupy an exhibition space and address the users of culture through their own “I”. Just try to ban a Latvian author from doing this. Style magazines also promote the designer as Creator to the wealthy public, as someone who presents a new cult item each season. While the mass media complain about rising social intolerance, it turns out that a new generation has grown up here, who see things differently: they wish to communicate and not only wish to be heard, but also to listen. Because individuals in society are basic, interconnected elements, which exist in a state of movement and interaction, and detect each other’s signals and transmit them onwards. The cultural space is also public, and each must be responsible for their contribution: whether this will be useful for someone else or whether it will be contaminating.  

Indra Merca, still a young student, has already managed to wade through the quagmire of doubt, to get her bearings and conviction in the network of design coordinates. She gained her first skills in art as an apprentice – by experiencing metal processing technology with her own hand “from go to whoa” (meaning, from the sketch to victory through the production of a ready-made product). Her first wider design view – in the context of time and place – was provided by Jānis Brants, director of the Metal Design Department at the Riga Design and Art School (at that time with the status of a college with a five year study program). An obvious continuation of her education followed, in the same direction but at a higher level, at the Latvian Academy of Art. But this is when the ‘break’ came, which gave her a change of direction – a decision was made which indicates a mature character. An artist is egocentric; they create work due to internal motivations – whether they are guided by a feel for beauty or a feeling of indignation. They expect to meet or do not meet someone else who detects this frequency. If they are not successful, then they stay alone on their own patch. And it seems that the “applied” departments of the Academy of Art are dividing themselves off more and more from the dynamics of life. In the meantime the designer is the medium: the middleman between society and an idea, a scientist who studies a need, sees a problem and offers a solution. Energy is created by openness, by being together, by having a finger on the pulse of society (the last sounds a little odd: during our conversation creative ideas sparked from Indra, but her left hand was wrapped in a black mitten – while preparing for a competition, she had recently sliced the end of her finger). It is a shame that the succession of design theory in Latvia was severed: the theme of “design being a social responsibility” was studied by Herberts Dubins as early as in the 1970s.

The aims of the Environmental Design Department at the Academy seem diffused, with fields of interest partly overlapping with studies in other departments. Merca considers this to be an advantage: a field of opportunity opens out, and if the essence of the thing is understood, you can work in any direction (Merca had previously been considering studies in landscape architecture), and each school only provides you with the basis; further development is in your own hands. Perhaps it is precisely because of this she is an active participant in a wide variety of competitions.  

Easy Cup (a disposable, collapsible coffee cup in the format of a business card which can be printed on, with a volume of 170ml) was a project which was developed over the space of a year until it won the Dizaina Studija competition Dizaina izaicinājums (Design Challenge); amongst other things being featured in the Academy of Art’s exhibition “Minimum/Maximum” at international furniture exhibitions in Stockholm and Milan. The message communicated by the design: the slogan “design serves the people” (Indra considers that objects need key words: a code which can be understood by people), the influence of Japanese “green thinking” (space-saving items made from eco-friendly materials), a carrier of information (it is possible to have the cup printed like a business card, advertising leaflet etc). The possibility exists for the cup to be re-used, depending on the material it is made from. The most difficult part of the research process was technology; MAP specialist Jānis Skujenieks acted as consultant as well as printing and publishing lecturers at the Academy of Art, Artis Ērglis and Juris Petraškevičs; the possibilities were inhibited by paper tests and Merca’s own experiments melting polymer coatings. There was a long-term process to reach a successful mock-up with a simple, material-saving layout (together with designer Jānis Mercs). Currently the most appropriate materials have been deemed to be the synthetic fibre Tyvek (55g), Curiosu soft (120g) and Craft (packing material).