Exhibition, Seminar/Conference

KHiO in Milan: You're not to

Events:
The exhibition is open from 13.4. until 22.4.
There will be organised designer talks and social events, ‘Design breakfasts’ on the morning of 16.,17. and 18.4. Follow us on facebook.
Venue:
Cascina Cuccagna, via Cuccagna 2/4, ang. via Muratori, 20135 Milano.

The name and the theme for the exhibition, You’re not to, is framed in the spirit of Dano-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose’s famous novel A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks. The book brings forward a concept called the Law of Jante, which is considered to be the culmination of Nordic humbleness to favour the collective effort. The Law of Jante frames ten axioms as life guidelines such as ‘you’re not to imagine yourself better than we are.’ or ‘you’re not to think anyone cares about you’. These questions challenge us as individuals, but also in our thinking parallel the roles of the designer in today’s and tomorrow’s contexts. The enquiry stimulates maybe more than anything our tolerance for otherness. Sandemose’s text from 1933 is still valid by addressing some of the prevailing conditions in our societies, where our social environments are yet very polarised. As the world is in transit emitting cultural diversity like never seen before, the appreciation for heterogeneity remains in doubt.

"Our critical approach in the design practice is necessary both to respond to the complexity of the world, but also to challenge our own industries and their conventions. For a Norwegian, the Law of Jante is something ironic, to be self-critical, and maybe it is also a good reflection of the times", says Sigurd Strøm, the Professor in furniture design at KHiO. Antonio Cascos Chamizo, one of the exhibitors, follows up: "There are important questions that lie beneath the facts of globalisation that stretches the design to relate to beyond aesthetics and function". His exhibited work, A guide to cannibalism investigates the challenges of overpopulation.

The ambition is to engage in a public debate, both with the professional and wider audience, of the current state of our societies and how design relates to it. Within the recent paradigm shifts in design practices, there is an interest to investigate the emerging territories, what furniture and interiors may be. You’re not to -exhibition puts on display a series of student works as experiments to approach a variety of surfacing issues in the present cultures by celebrating the otherness and the taboos. You’re not to is revisiting the Scandinavian democratic design ideals with a 21st century shift from a Norwegian perspective. The exhibition is structured around the individually crafted 1/1-design prototypes as research specimen.

"KHiO encouraged me and gave me space to question the conventions and roles of our profession", continues Mr Chamizo as referring to his Master thesis work. "We see that design education is about nurturing our relationships with the world around us, and to search for designerly means to intervene. Our pedagogical and research approach is based on a critical dialogue and collaborative learning. This helps us to explore the emerging domains design relates to", states Toni Kauppila, the professor and the head of the programme.

For further information on the You’re not to exhibition and press pictures, please visit yourenotto.com.
Follow us on facebook and Instagram @yourenotto #yourenotto

Exhibiting students:
Antonio Cascos Chamizo, A guide to cannibalism//Christopher Caleb Hansen, Life on Mars: The great indoors//Mari Koppanen, Fungamentalism//Charlotte Kristine Kristiansen, Behind closed doors//Martine Nilsen, Appeal//Hannah Nordh, D[anger]ous//Martha Samyn, Hold me, please//Emma Staubo, Boundary beings and where to find them//Marcus Voraa, The key to a label//Nebil Zaman, Personal space.

The programme of Interior Architecture and Furniture Design is part of Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO), which originates from the Royal Norwegian Drawing School from 1818. The school has now developed into a contemporary multidisciplinary art institution with departments in Design, Crafts, Fine Arts and Performing Arts. The design education and research are framed by this inspiring and fruitful framework, where the programme is in-between several disciplines, taking advantages of the rich dialogue with multiple voices.
The agenda is to work with the social spaces and with the objects and things related to it in the contemporary and uncertain future ahead of us. The context is framed by the ever-evolving cultures in our societies. The programme eschews of making fixed definition for the study disciplines, but rather challenges the students and faculty to research and investigate the peripheries. The ideology is to prepare the students to explore the unforeseeable future with professional design skills.

The programme offers a 3-year BA education and a 2-year MA in Design specialising in the respective fields.

For other student works, please visit livespace.no

Contact information:
Professor Toni Kauppila, toni.kauppila@khio.no
Professor Sigurd Strøm, sigurd.strom@khio.no
Assist. professor Karin Knott, karin.knott@khio.no
Project management Ingrid Aspen, ingrid.aspen@hkv.no

Exhibition design: Assist. professor Karin Knott
Graphic design: Martine Scheen
Product photography: Assist. professor Bjørn Blikstad
Project partners: Designers Saturday Oslo, 3M, Fritzøe Engros AS, Atelje Lyktan, Grohe Norge A/S, Skøyen DesignCenter, Lenovo, Xlinc,
Royal Norwegian Embassy in Rome.