Computer Arts - UK (2019-06)

COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM

Nikki Gonnissen, one-half of Dutch
design studio Thonik, talked about design
as a powerful tool to bring awareness and
highlight the unjust, as images of the
studio’s amazing work for the Socialist
Party, the Holland Festival and many more
were presented. And then to close
LADFEST, Zach Lieberman took to the
stage with his code poetry – a
demonstration of how artificial languages
can be used in an expressive way. Cutting
edge technology, yes, but applied to the
human for nonfunctional beauty.
It became clear that Lieberman thinks
about the future of design as an
accumulating process, one that pays
homage to the design masters of the past,
who didn’t have computers to create new

possibilities for their art. Quoting the

legendary Osamu Sato, who said that

“the work of past ages accumulates and is

remade again”, Lieberman invited

us to see the past as something that “is

there for you to engage and interact with”,

an activity that speaker Spanish Jaime

Alvarez (also known as Mr. Kat) does

when he takes inspiration from pre-

Hispanic cultures to give life to his joyful

character designs [not to mention Lance

Wyman, over on page 59 - ed].

Behind all its highly articulate talks, the

Latin American Design Festival is a melting

pot of backgrounds, nationalities,

inspirations and approaches. Although its

goal is to encourage regional talent, its

impact could be felt globally.

1. Take advantage of criticism
   “Show your work when it’s vulnerable,”
   says Thomas Kronbichler, so you can go
   away and improve it. Also, that would
   help you to be sure if you like it or not.
   If someone tells you, ‘I don’t like it red,’
   then you know you want it exactly to
   be red! You only find out if you’re okay
   with an idea or a concept if someone
   challenges it.”


2. Don’t forget the importance
   of aesthetics
   “If the solution isn’t beautiful, I know it’s
   wrong,” says Ryan Honey.


3. Think of curation as an act
   of creation
   “Finding is creating,” says Marc Kremers.
   “Discovering new content on the
   internet and using it in a creative way
   is far more interesting than passively
   consuming what’s online.”


4. Make art that amazes, so you
   can influence people’s lives
   “An open mouth is a pathway
   to somebody’s heart,” believes
   Zach Lieberman.


5. Stand against world contamination
   and spread the message of
   environmental consciousness
   “I refuse to teach my students to pollute
   the planet,” states Andrew Gibbs.

FIVE KEY

TAKEAWAYS

FROM LADFEST

Clockwise from

top left: Niklaus

Troxler talks

about jazz and

design; guests

returning to

the auditorium

after the

break; Thomas

Kronbichler

from Studio Mut;

merch from local

designers at the

print market of

the event.

JUNE 2019 EVENTS