N WIND 04 | ENG

2015 January–February

CREATIVE NORTHERN ENERGY

Perspec tives

Scale of perspectives You have an idea. How long will you work on it, trying to make it happen? A few months, a year or few, a decade?

Imagine that your next word would resonate for decades, for centuries. Do you really have something to say?

Why don’t you ask this question everyday? Silentium est aureum – silence is gold, but today we mostly aim for bronze.

Nowness: it might sound trivially, but we really live here and now and we’d rather have bronze, but in this life. The economy of nowness spins the wheels of reworking, making us living in constant repetition. It is difficult for us to look into the future – direct perspective – because we want it now; we are afraid of time and outlook perspectives, because they cut through the echo opening the absence of conceptional approach, insight and professional dedication. “I try to avoid repetition, because I want to create new things,” – says Katie Paterson, an artist with exceptional scale of perspectives for her projects. Her most ambitious project marks the first pages of this N WIND issue.

Future Library: 100 years, 100 writers, 100 books, published in 2114. The project is commissioned by Bjørvika, previously the largest port terminal in Oslo, today becoming a part of the city itself. Future Library is part of the Bjørvika arts program Slow Space: last year a thousand tress were planted in Nordmarka, a forest just outside Oslo, which will supply paper for a special anthology of books to be printed in one hundred years time. “For foresters centuries are part of their daily work, looking to the future they really see it. They didn’t question this project – this allowed me to understand how relative time perspectives are,” – Katie highlights in many interviews

and continues saying she chose such long time period on purpose, even though she will not see the final result.

To refuse the result in this life – a rather big challenge, but Katie’s idea is on the way to come true: the trees are growing, the Future Library Trust has been set up. The Trust is taking care of the forest, selecting the writers every year, keeping the written stories. The stories are kept in secret and will be all revealed in 2114. The first author to contribute to the project is Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, who agreed to participate saying: “At least you believe that mankind will exist for 100 year!”

Promising projects are often marked with uncertainty.

Original concepts are waiting for technological advancement, scientific hypothesis – for the right research, art projects – for the generation to value them. Future Library is constructed in a way to stop the mantra of nowness: some of the participants are not yet born, and there is a big chance that we won’t have the opportunity to read the books published after 100 years. And will people be reading books at all after a century? Will Norway exist?

Culture and creative industries are able to create a new perspective for other industries. Do we really think about the potential, provided by the forest, the metaphor of the opposite of nowness? Not concentrating on the repetition allows the perspective to show up – for another viewpoint or a real vision of the future.

Katie Paterson, the driving force behind Future Library, planting one of the thousand fir trees.

Sincerely yours, N WIND www.futurelibrary.no www.katiepaterson.org

N WIND ENCOURAGES TO CHANGE INSIDE AND ECHANGE BETWEEN

Monthly magazine about culture and creative business in Northern Europe

ISSN 2351-647X 2015, Nr. 4 Published by UAB BLACK SWAN BRANDS Address Šiaulių g. 10 / Žemaitijos g. 13, Vilnius www.nwindmag.eu hello@nwindmag.eu www.facebook.com/nwindmag

Editor Tautė Bernotaitė, taute@nwindmag.eu Authors Dalia Bagdžiūnaitė, Rasa Barčaitė, Tautė Bernotaitė, Tadas Jonauskis, Dovydas Kiauleikis, Madis Ligema, Nerijus Mačiulis, Giedrė Stabingytė, Aldona Steponavičiūtė, Tadas Svilainis, Agnė Tuskevičiūtė, Aistė Paulina Virbickaitė, Karolis Vyšniauskas Advertising, distribution, projects Dovydas Kiauleikis, dovydas@nwindmag.eu Design Laura Tulaitė, Tomas Mozūra, tomas@nwindmag.eu

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Cover Jón Gnarr Hörður Sveinsson, 2014

Printed by UAB „Lietuvos ryto“ spaustuvė

PROTAGONIST

Warning!

Surreal mammals ahe

TAUTĖ BERNOTAITĖ

A comedian who hates boredom, sharks and politics, became the mayor of Reykjavik due to a joke and managed to change the world.

ead

“I became anxious that they wouldn’t stop talking, that they would just talk and talk and talk... [...] No journalist could tolerate coming here for even the minutes, thinking: “Yeah, ok, the most boring people in the world are right here. So I think I’ll go down to the city pond instead to take pictures of the ducks”. These were the words of Jon Gnarr about the press conference for mayor’s election; it was all in the documentary “Gnarr”.

Jon gave a speech on The Moomins that day. He delivered it with a straight face, like one would be discussing unemployment issues or public debt.

The audience was addressed with statements like the one about Freken Snork not being a Mumin, contrary to popular belief. Jon noted that she’s in fact a Snorky and she only adapted principles of the Mumin society. And Groke is the only persona non grata in the valley, because he’s simply a bore!

Jon has tried to avoid Groke all his life. Comedian, TV presenter, author of books and various scripts, ad creator, once a bass player in a punk rock band called “Runny nose” – he’s the person that everyone did not take seriously when his candidacy for the mayor’s position in Reykjavik was announced. And it wasn’t a serious announcement, but it was absolutely real.

Iceland was hit by a potent economic crisis in 2008. Jon found out that his country is going to start following the programme of International Monetary Fund (IMF). That meant that one of the first operations after joining the programme is making huge budget cuts in the sector of arts. As an independent artist for most of his life, Jon was obviously frustrated by this prospect. He though: “what if I invent a new kind of politics?” So he created a political party named The Best Party.

“Hi everyone. I started The Best Party as a joke. [...] I said right from the start that I’m going to quit if this whole campaign turns out to be boring.

And as things have gone on I’ve started having doubts – it was all becoming too serious and annoying, the last few days have been very difficult.

So after thinking things through carefully I have decided to withdraw the Best Party from the city elections”, Jon Gnarr stated during the next official meeting. Even his colleagues stood still. “Just kidding!”, he cried out after an intense 9-second silence. “Now it’s finally getting exciting! I’ve risen from the ashes like a phoenix”.

According to Jon, modern politics is the ultimate boredom, and we can see a display of this opinion in his every move. The whole history and campaign of The Best Party was like and antidote for him. Even the birth of the party was on Facebook – Gnarr just wrote messages to his friends persuading them to join him with powerful arguments like “you won’t have to do anything”. All of them agreed, it was supposed to be just a joke!

Iceland grew fond of Jon since his teenage years, and most members of the party were artists of Reykjavik.

But what kind of new politics did The Best Party create? Firstly, it was all completely non-poJon Gnarr. Photo by Hordur Sveinsson

litical for them. Party members did not associate themselves with any particular views – Jon explained the party to be more like a “democratic rescue group”. There was no programme or even guidelines, Jon just wanted to help the people of Reykjavik and have fun while doing so. He asked individuals what kind of values they would like Jon’s party to represent. Honesty? Great!

And he warned them that he’s probably going to break all the promises. But you have to make a promise you can then break, right? Right. Gnarr promised free towels in pools, dinosaurs from the Jurassic Park roaming in Iceland and a polar bear in the zoo. This was Jon’s own little way to make fun of the indifference of politicians towards global warming issues. Additionally, members of the party sang a song in the tune of Tina Turner’s “You’re simply the best” as their anthem, after getting the blessing of Tina to write Icelandic lyrics. Try YouTubing “Besti Flokkurinn” – no one makes music like the Icelanders, even if they’re politicians.

What if I invent a new kind of politics?

How can one be sure whether Jon’s party really, honestly meant to help the city? The answer is simple – look at the results. When the campaign got its momentum, more people from Reykjavik started showing support for this new type of politics. It’s possible that they thought they had nothing to lose, or maybe they finally caught a glimpse of an undistorted image of themselves in politics. It came as a huge shock to most opponents, yet Jon Gnarr became the mayor of Reykjavik in 2010, calling it the highest-paying job he ever had. And the longest-running job, he added later.

Jon’s term of office was four years. When he was about to sit in the mayor’s chair, Iceland was caught in an economic whirl due to irrational decisions made by big banks – the public was constantly protesting. Reykjavik accommodates a third of Iceland’s population, so fixing the problems of the capital basically meant a salvation for the whole country. So a bunch of artists who slipped through the crack of politics because of a joke and towel promises had a serious task ahead of them. Thankfully, surprising things started happening when an immpressive leader took the wheel.

It goes without saying that when Jon Gnarr actually sat in the mayor’s seat, he couldn’t make decisions that were based entirely on humour anymore. Hence, the second part of his plan came to life – helping people. A solid leader should have a long-term perspective while helping others, so

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Gnarr had to close schools down, axe budgets, raise taxes. Some of his supporters were a little less amused by that than they were by a Tina Tuner song, but his bold moves actually helped the capital recover. He told N WIND magazine: “I didn’t hope to be re-elected, so there was no fear of implementing drastic methods”.

We video chatted with Jon right after Christmas. He periodically threw in the Icelandic “yes” (I think), which sounds a lot like the “yo!” from most hip-hop songs – I was sure that a tough guy was at the other end. Accordingly, his respectful manner secured his image as a proper star – not a newly born one, and not one which is about to die out anytime soon. Extravagant in front of a crowd; calm and steady when in person. Gnarr would never make anyone feel stupid, partly because he experienced treatment in a psychiatric clinic for two years as a child, all because of a false diagnosis. Anyway, he made holes in the wall back then.

I’m wearing this bowler hat especially for the interview. I know you adore surrealism and Rene Magritte, so I wanted to earn some points.

Right, surrealism is of an extreme importance for me. And the hat is beautiful!

they will be judging the real You! It takes a great amount of courage to stay with your beliefs, and also to know your limits. Confessing that “this is too complicated for me, my brain can’t handle this” is much harder than pretending to understand. Nobody is inside your head, nobody can see what you understand. During one of the first interviews as the mayor, I replied “I don’t know” to a journalist’s question. He was stunned – “how can you say that? The mayor has to know!” Yes, I have to know. I don’t, but I will surely get into that. It was a bit awkward - headlines after the interview read “The mayor doesn’t know”.

How did you feel?

One part of my brain said to the other: “you’re such an idiot”. But people started thanking me for the interview. I asked: “why? I didn’t know!”. Apparently, it was important for them to see a politician confess that for the first time. They said that I was modest, I replied that it may be stupidity (laughs). But the brutal straightforwardness, in the long term, gave me much more than it took away from me.

This kind of honesty is sometimes hard to believe. A though came to mind when researching for this interview – “there has to be something

Thank you. How was your Christmas?

Very good, thanks. It was a peaceful time, even though the weather in Iceland was unexpectedly unpleasant.

What kind of presents did you get? Towels? (laughs) I received a few books, shoes and some clay pottery from my son.

Are the shoes for cowboys? I know you’re going to Texas soon.

I am! But no, they’re not cowboy boots. American, though.

Just one more Christmas question – have you ever met The Yule Cat (a monster from Icelandic folklore, kidnapping people who didn’t get new clothes for Christmas)?

I didn’t meet him, but I was certainly scared of him. From the age of 4 until about 10, I used to take a glance out my window just before sleep, looking out for the Yule cat. It’s a strange phenomenon if you think about it – the cat will get you if you’re poor and you’re safe if you’re rich.

Either way, there are much weirder Christmas traditions which involve eating of kids and so on.

PROTAGONIST

You were a musician, a comedian, a politician.

Who am I talking to now?

Well, this is Me. I had all these roles, but it was Me who had them. When I became the mayor, people asked me if I’m afraid to become a politician. I think everyone was kind of waiting for my personality to change, but it didn’t.

Probably this is the attribute which lead people to support you – you don’t seem to change your entity under any circumstances. Still, many people fear what they really are. Is it so risky to be yourself?

Honesty is definitely dangerous, it makes you vulnerable. If you’re open, people can judge you, and

Even though as a kid I felt hopeless, I chose not to stay grim he’s hiding!” Are there things you’re not fond to talk about?

No... Well, unless... My big family, I suppose – five kids and my wife, who hates publicity. My goal is to guard them from the unwanted attention. But I’m not hiding them, just protecting. (thinks for a moment) No, I think I can talk about everything...

My failures in life and my stupid choices are a big part of my comedy. People used to think my mind was very limited when I was little – I was having a hard time reading, writing, I couldn’t understand math. The words “you’re not smart” were said to me a lot, so even when I watched animation, I identified myself with the stupid characters. On the other hand, I tried to see myself in personas like Chaplin or Donald Duck, who had leading roles. I think my intelligence was just different – I could always make people laugh, and I would use that often in school. Being the clown was much more useful than being the fool. School wasn’t too hard for me – it was just too boring.

When I realised the peculiarity of my intelligence, I turned my limitations into elements of comedy.

You have said before that the unconditional pursuit of dreams keeps you moving forward. What dream are you chasing now?

I’m trying to find the source of all dreams and dive right into it. Every once in a while I get

haunted by a feeling that everything, including time, is just an illusion. I wish I could feel nirvana, the magical form of existence, but dreams are a way for the brain to send us hints about what we should actually do. For example, my childhood was pretty sad, full of obstacles and despair. I felt like a small stupid mouse which got trapped in a maze. It looked like I was not going to find my way out, but there was a moment when I discovered I don’t have to follow the twists and turns – I can poke holes in the walls and go through them!

I had loads of dreams then – that Nina Hagen (the singer know as the godmother of punk rock) would be my girlfriend, that I would become Someone...

Most of it seemed completely unrealistic and impossible, but I chose not to stay grim.

Was it that moment when you felt that comedy is the antidote?

I was very inspired by music at first, actually – by specific lines of particular song lyrics. And I used to watch a lot of comedy on TV – that helped me learn English. Also, I was fascinated by the punk rock culture – I sensed that it has a very similar origin to the one of comedy. Punks never saw themselves as serious people, they never played music well, and, in most cases, they weren’t attractive, rather disgusting (laughs). John Lennon was also an idol, and his song “Imagine” was

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the ultimate piece on dreams. Thus I decided to not be the odd one out or the victim, not to be the one who can’t even spell his own name.

And you learned a lot more – to write books. The last one came out just after your cadence ended – it’s called “How I became mayor of a large city in Iceland and changed the world”. How did you change it? (laughs) I perceive myself as the first mammal in the world of dinosaurs. They stamp their huge feet and say “grrr, we’re humongous”, but their time is about to run out. There will be much more little hairy mammals like me. I change the world simply by being myself and surviving.

You never let us forget that the world of politics is boring, but you always had a relationship with it – you saw your father put up communist posters in the basement, later you released a comedy CD with “Hitler’s” songs on it. Did your relationship with politics change after spending four years in the epicentre of it all?

I was always interested in political theories and movements. The power that ideologies have to bring people together simply amazed me, and political phylosophy as well. But not modern politics – it’s all very predictable and fake to me. I grew up in a fairly political environment – my fa-

ther was a true communist, charmed by the likes of Stalin, and waiting for his holidays in the promised land – Bulgaria! As an opposition for communism, I stumbled upon anarchism. I was surrounded by politics, I was interested in it, but I couldn’t identify myself with any of the existing movements. Probably the cornerstone here was my introduction to surrealism and the manifesto of Andre Breton, which radiated of politics for me.

When Iceland was hit by the bank crisis, I saw a possibility to use this ideology. Many components from The Best Party’s campaign were highly influenced by the manifesto of surrealists. A. Breton wrote everything, I just implemented it: give idiotic speeches, shout insane promises out, and people will love you. I followed the rules consistently and we made it. Today I don’t care about modern politics again, just like I didn’t care before my cadence.

What was the origin of your party?

My comedy routine had several parodies of politicians in it. One guy was named Simpleton. Audiences loved the improvisations of Simpleton - he was a simple, happy, honest man, who gives himself some space to lie if he warns everyone about it. A crime TV show taught me that if a person begins the sentence by “to tell you the truth”, it’s definitely going to be a lie. Simpleton was differ-

ent, he used to say: “now I will lie to you and you will feel terrific”. I started a blog of Simpleton, filled with thoughts about life, like: “if Bjork was a whale and she would create marvelous melodies, would we still kill her?” It was so much fun, and people enjoyed the company of Simpleton.

Suddenly I learned that it’s very easy to register a new party, so I did that and named it The Best Party, assuming the name would make it obvious which party to vote for. When I came home that day, I asked my friends to be a part of it. Ottarr, a friend who worked in a bookstore forever, asked me about the ideology of my party. Since it was a chat via Facebook, I spontaneously wrote “anarchosurrealistic”. He said yes right away. Ottarr still works in politics, and not on a city scale anymore – he’s in parliament! This is probably another proof of how I changed the world.

How did people react to the joyless decisions you had to make?

Most of them were upset and disappointed. From my experience of being a father of five, I can say that I made some decisions knowing people will thank me later.

Can you share any examples of decisions like that?

Sure. The biggest energy company in Reykja-

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vik, in charge of water and electric supply, had a lot of debt. I had to fire a considerable amount of workers in that company and raise the price of water and electricity by 20 percent. People were furious – cheap energy was one of a few aspects that comforted them.

Still, I had to do it, otherwise Reykjavik would face an energy crisis as well. When we pieced the city’s budget together, we saw that there is not enough money for schools, so we connected a few schools into one. From my point of view, it was the only reasonable decision, and other politicians were afraid of it just because they cared too much about their next cadence. I’m afraid of tons of things – I always look out for sharks, even in pools. But the truth never scares me.

Your cadence came to an end in 2014. What accomplishments are most important to you?

Probably the most tangible achievement was the preservation of Reykjavik’s energy company and the preparation of the city’s strategy plan for 2014-2036. Some folks say that politics before The Best Party and after it are two completely separate things. Some even say that I’m one of the most influential politicians throughout Iceland’s history. But we really just brought politics down from the pedestal and made it all available for others.

PROTAGONIST

In your opinion, should the Northern nations (Scandinavia, the Baltics, Finno-Ugric people) separate from the European Union to form a unit of their own? How promising would a block like that be?

I think it would be an important and almost necessary step. Scandinavian nations collaborate for ages. Iceland is not a part of Scandinavia geographically, but it is culture-wise.

We’re sort of like a tomato in a bowl of salad – a fruit, but considered to be a vegetable since we’re in a salad. The Baltics also have strong bonds with Scandinavia, but the main barrier is the language. For example, Danes, Norwegians and Swedes can easily understand one another, other countries can’t. I believe the Baltic countries should be recognised as Northern nations. We have an annual summit of heads of capitals of the Northern region – Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Reykjavik, Torshavn and Nuuk. I’m sure the Baltic countries, as well as Scotland, should be invited really soon. I would see this unit as the new European Union, since this region has similar problems, interests and culture.

But, as I said before, we can’t have progress like this if we don’t agree on English being the main language of the region. It would make us stronger both as independent countries and as a whole.

Lithuanians have a lot of love for Iceland.

How do you see your country?

The essence of Iceland is coexisting with nature. Many areas in the world have a tidy and sort of well-bred nature, where only humans are dangerous. Nature is actually the most dangerous thing in Iceland – not war,

not even the people themselves. Some of the largest volcanoes live here, and we witnessed the biggest eruption in the history of mankind. It’s kind of like living right next to a loaded nuclear weapon. Nevertheless, we always lead the field in poles about happiness.

I guess the nature just makes us humbly appreciate things we have. In summer, visitors can get the idea that Iceland has the best climate in the world – just look at all the local faces, pleasantly swimming through the waves of heat. But it’s a terrible summer (laughs).

Will you participate in the election for municipal councils of Vilnius?

I believe I had my share of being the mayor.

Who will become the head of Vilnius?

It’s still unclear, but we definitely need changes.

Well, as I said before, change is on its way.

It’s quite a harsh period for Europe now in terms of political and economic affairs.

Is that why you’re leaving for Texas? (laughs) No, I will work as a guest lecturer in Rice University. I hope to share my experience as the leader of The Best Party, explain my views on democracy and show ways to improve it. It will be mighty interesting.

Let the bo TAUTĖ BERNOTAITĖ “I’m a fashion lover to the fullest extent, act of the shoot was always my biggest passion, so naturally I´ve chosen a path that would reflect that”, said Sigrun Asta Jorgensen, who summoned an impressive amount of talented Icelanders for the photoshoot of Jon Gnarr. She received two diplomas from Reykjavik’s Academy of Arts – as a make-up artist and a stylist, the latter being a very successful and happy path of her life for the last two years.

It was your first time working with Jon Gnarr.

Any impressions?

Jon was certainly memorable, fun and plain magnificent – just like I imagined him. I know it’s hard to believe it, but he’s always natural.

What’s your take on Jon’s style of clothing?

I think there are at least a few characters living inside of Jon and he sends their messages out via style. Even though he’s all vintage without excep-

A witty ey Tautė Bernotaitė Hordur Sveisson, the almost-personal photographer of Jon Gnarr, talked to N WIND magazine about photoshoots with this famous character of Reykjavik and told a story about the catastrophes that drove the photo artist back to Iceland from Denmark.

What would you like people to associate your photos with?

Originality, humour and greatness.

Jon Gnarr on Facebook: www.goo.gl/8qCWND Documentary „Gnarr“: www.goo.gl/LzAtlq

Photoshoot Photographer: Hörður Sveinsson. www.hordursveinsson.com Stylist: Sigrún Ásta Jörgensen Make-up: Ástrós Erla Benediktsdóttir Space: social hostel KEX. www.kexhostel.is Clothes: “Kormákur og skjöldur” – Jon’s favourite vintage clothes shop. www.herrafataverslun.is

You’ve taken shots of Jon Gnarr several times.

How do YOU see him?

I’ve loved Jon Gnarr’s comedy since he started his radio program way back. Iceland is very very small, so I think I’ve shot Jon about 10 times for various reasons. He’s always fun in front of the lens, up for whatever shenanigans you want him to do, be it to dress up or jump on a trampoline.

What was the idea of the N WIND photoshoot?

This time I didn’t really have a lot to do with the planning. I’ve been extremely busy these days with an upcoming project so Sigrun, the stylist, basically planned the location and look. Then I just arrived and did my thing!

When were you born?

I was born in the great year of 1981, January 22nd to be precise. That means I just turned 34 years young this month (yay?).

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bow tie be tions, Jon’s style has a scent of a manifesto. Vintage style became rooted in the culture, interiors and clothing styles of Iceland, so the gentlemen imbibed it pretty well.

How did the photoshoot go?

Everyone was on time, except for Jon – he was early so he could have his coffee at the restaurant while reading a newspaper. The shoot was pretty easy and full of pure joy, since Hordur has worked with Jon before.

What was the idea of this photoshoot? How did you choose the style?

We wanted to show Jon just like he is. There were no arguments about what he’ll wear or where will we shoot, he just said “OK, I’ll bring some of my clothes”. He brought a green bow tie that his son made him for Christmas. Jon loved it, we loved it, so we let the bow tie be a part of the shoot.

What would you like people to recognise your

style from?

I’m still looking for a signature creative expression. I know I will find it if I keep on improving.

Icelandic music simply thrives. And other arts?

I wouldn’t suggest that any other field would be as prolific, yet I notice a lot of progress in fashion and many visual arts over the past few years. The scene is rising, a lot of foreign artists find their homes here and sync into it.

How do you see Northern Europe today?

I haven’t traveled all over it, but I was in Lithuania last summer! I enjoyed Vilnius, Kaunas, Šiauliai and Nida. Before the trip, I was sure this country was much smaller.

How would you describe Iceland’s aesthetics and the cultural atmosphere itself?

Compared to Europe, we have a very young culture! Our urban development is barely a few hundred years old. Geographical location is probably

what mostly influences Iceland’s culture and aesthetics: 4-hour flight to the USA, 3-hour flight to Paris. It is an open-minded country and it’s fairly easy to influence it. Of course, Icelanders respect their mythological heritage and the unique nature. People love the landscape, the daylight.

ye You studied photography in Denmark. When was that?

I started back in 2005, but I still have my last semester left, I plan on finishing it no later than the year 2035.

Did you also study graphic design?

I graduated from the university of arts here in Iceland in 2012, worked at an advertising agency for six months after graduation and quickly realised that a 9-to-5 job was not my style. So I took up freelancing again AND I’M HAVING THE GREATEST TIME OF MY LIFE! Any achievements you’re proud of?

My kids think I’m pretty cool and I once won a “Magazine photo of the year” award here in Iceland, I’ve never won the lottery though.

You studied in Denmark and returned to Iceland, which is a bit rare for young people who study abroad. Why did you go back?

I lost my job as a photographer’s assistant, got hit with a glass bottle in a bus, my little son lost a fingernail in a very small accident, and ALL THIS IN THE SAME WEEK. My girlfriend at the time was pregnant and I got offered a job back in Iceland.

Plus, Iceland rules, and Denmark sucks.

So how did you feel when you were living there?

I kind of wish I had spent more time there – I love Copenhagen, but I hate Viborg, the town I studied in. Overall I felt good, but that’s probably because of my friends and family I had there.

We know that Iceland’s music industry is huge, and a personal education in music is almost mandatory here. How do the other arts manage?

Would you be satisfied with photography studies back home?

You can study photography successfully here in Iceland now, but back in 2005 I felt that it just wasn’t for me, so I ventured with all my stuff (it weighed exactly 1 ton). There are some nice schools but you can’t study it on a university level here yet.

How do you see the region of Northern Europe?

In my opinion, it’s totally excellent and awesome.

INTERVIEW

Jon is always up for whatever shenanigans

Can Icelandic photography conquer the world?

We have a ton of up-and-coming Icelandic photographers – Saga Sig, Hordur Ingason, Magnus Andersen to name a few. There is a lot of originality here, a lot of energy, many elves and volcanos, and, of course, Sigur Ros is here to keep our moods up!

www.hordursveinsson.com

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Scandinavian design myths Wood Natural Democratic Affordable Modern Rasa Barčaitė

Subject

Scandinavian design has been at the forefront of global fashion for many years. The Scandinavian combination of minimalism and functionalism is also rapidly invading Lithuania – at the expense of grandma’s carpets covering the walls, armchair-filled dining rooms and dingy, unwieldy cupboards. But have you ever considered that Scandinavian design isn’t simply design but also very cleverly thought out publicity for Scandinavian countries? In short, when you buy Scandinavian design, you also buy into the Nordic image, an image which is several decades in the making.

Widar Halén, an expert on the Norwegian design industry and the history of Scandinavian design, brought up the topic of Scandinavian design during a visit to Vilnius in autumn, providing some unusual insights. When asked about the

prospects of Lithuanian designers on the global market, he stated that it is absolutely possible to break through if we take a non-traditional approach and follow the example of Scandinavia.

This gave me pause for thought. Is that in reference to aesthetics? Forms? Or does the answer lie deeper?

The first logical step is defining Scandinavian design. For me, this movement is best reflected in furniture and architecture. Clean and simple designs that harmoniously unite elegant minimalism and functionalism from materials evoke natural and organic imagery. “Should Lithuanian designers follow this aesthetic direction?” I asked Mr. Halén, who took no time to respond that the answer lies elsewhere. He suggested discussing opinions and myths surrounding Scandinavian design that that may have stuck around for a little too long.

Mr. Halén started the discussion with a reference to myths with good reason – a decade ago, the historian and some of his colleagues organised a travelling exhibition – “Scandinavian Design Beyond the Myth: 50 Years of Design from the Nordic Countries”, later, myths were the topic of several lectures in different countries, Lithuania included, for students from the Vilnius Academy of Arts. What’s more, as Halén stated, Scandinavia’s experiences is very well suited to Lithuania: “There are good reasons to consider the Baltic countries a part of Nordic culture; your design has a lot in common with that of Scandinavian countries.”

The stereotypical image of Scandinavian design, according to the design historian, was formed by the very same abstract characteristics that I listed at the beginning of the discussion. The greatest myth about the mystical and stereotypical “Homo scandinavicus” is democracy, that is – Nordic design is universally accessible. As Mr. Halén states, the democratic angle was a great

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Arne Jacobsen’s chair Ant, created in 1952, is one of the most copies design objects in the world and an example of how (un)democratic Scandinavian design is. Even though the chair has humble beginnings – it was designed for a canteen of pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, – today original designed Ant cost €369.

Young designers are struggling to break the classic notion of 19501970s of what Scandinavian design is. Ditte Hammerstrøm tried to draw attention to this problem by creating Chair for the Person Wishing to be Heard in 2002. The author describes is as the chair that can be placed in your home next to the television, at your workplace, or in a public square near the parliament.

Photo by Jeppe GudmundsenHolmgreen nuotr.

one in a world recovering from the effects of the Second World War when the Nordic countries, led by exceedingly democratic governments, were trying to bounce back.

So, a furniture exhibition in London in 1951 was the location where the world was first introduced to Scandinavian design as we came to know it. It was described as exceptionally democratic, universally accessible, reflecting the values extolled by the Nordic governments (and running counter to the opulent tastes of the French and Italians). “On one level, it really was a democratic style because it created jobs for many people in factories. But on the other hand, when organising the “Scandinavian Design Beyond the Myth” exhibition, we found that many objects from that time were very expensive and made from high quality materials, which not everyone could afford,” stresses Mr. Halén and adds that the Scandinavian objects that were so appealing to the world, such as Arne Jacobsen’s chair “Ant” actually cost, several hundred euros.

The discussion inevitably turned to the IKEA phenomenon. According to Mr. Halén, when this Swedish company broke through to the global market, it became a universally applied example of inexpensive Scandinavian design. IKEA em-

bodied this concept of democracy and the shops that spread across the world in the 70s definitively seared this perception of Scandinavian design into the collective conscience of the world.

Until then, examples of Scandinavian design in international exhibitions weren’t the cheapest but mass production and cheaper raw materials allowed IKEA to fulfil the aforementioned democratic goals.

Another myth that, according to Mr. Halén, is no longer as prevalent is that Scandinavian designers were deeply affected by their national identity. Why did no one emphasise the fact that the designers were and still are deeply affected by globalization and technological advancement?

“What’s most interesting is that very few historians or design researchers delved deeper into the Scandinavian design phenomenon, books still had the same descriptions, reciting the same phrases without seeking any deeper explanations. Even the often-emphasised simplicity of forms and la-

conic nature of Scandinavian design – how is it different from Japanese design? Or Dutch design?” asks Mr. Halén rhetorically. The influence of Japanese design on Nordic design is of particular interest to the historian, who is currently working on a new project which centres on the influence of Japanese culture on the Nordic countries at the end of the 19 th century, when Japan opened its doors to the rest of the world; his interest in Japanese culture was most likely also influenced by the year he spent living there.

Halén stressed that these myths about Scandinavian design were created by Nordic marketers. They realised that Norway, Denmark, Sweden or Finland on their own are too small and too weak to be ambassadors of design on a global scale. So what’s stopping them presenting themselves in a way that is already familiar to many?

Everybody was familiar with Scandinavia, a region that has been culturally and historically intertwined for many centuries, so Scandinavian design became a convenient way of advertising themselves at exhibitions.

“Marketing is a necessity for design from any country. Without a marketing strategy, a product will find it very difficult to break through to the global market, where the biggest countries are

11

Scandinavians work only with natural materials and colours? Finnish creator Eero Aarnio designs, such as this classic Pastil chair from 1968, are made of plastic and appeared in many sci fi movies.

Photo by eero-aarnio.com

on top. Commercial aspects of art are in part responsible for many ideas in design,” says Halén, finishing his talk with an emphasis on marketing.

So why do we need to demolish myths about Scandinavian design? Especially if this deeprooted image of the “Homo scandinavicus” is profitable and continues to keep Scandinavian design globally relevant? According to Halén, demolishing some of these myths is necessary in order to see the future potential for Nordic design: “Many young designers do not feel appreciated because of the continuing worshipping of the old Scandinavian style. In Denmark, for example, where reproductions of works by old designers are especially popular, it is difficult for young designers to make an impression, because the shadows of the past are too dominant.”

Subject

Nonetheless, young Nords are slowly overcoming the barriers created by these myths. The best example of this was on show at the touring exhibition of Scandinavian jewellery “From the Coolest Corner: Nordic Jewellery”, which came to Vilnius in November and was introduced by Widar Halén. The jewellery exhibited was colourful and experimental in terms of materials, such as waste and And what about forecasts for design across the world? Halén stresses the importance of smaller countries. In his opinion, manufacture of design objects should slowly shift back to local markets, small factories will become more important, the combination of hand-made and industrial will

Humour, irony and theatre are slowly making a comeback in design

make a comeback and supplant the mass-production of China. “As a result of globalisation, the world is becoming too shiny and superficial. Due to this, in the near future, small cultures and their identities will receive more interest,” said the historian, touching on a topic that is of particular interest to me – the future of Lithuanian design – and emphasised the Lithuanian display at this year’s London design exhibition, which caught the eye of many critics.

Halén is aware of the features and peculiarities of Lithuanian design and thinks that we have some great designers of furniture and textile products. Special mention went to lamp designer Živilė Lukšytė, furniture designer Edvardas Kasčiukaitis and vase designer Rytas Jakimavičius. As the historian stresses, the main issue facing young Baltic designers is that local galleries are not very open to conceptual art so, in order to help Baltic design move forward, we should help them move towards more conceptual design.

According to the historian, we should join Latvia and Estonia and start a Baltic design movement.

It would be useful in terms of geography. “First of all, not everyone knows where the individual Baltic countries are, however, many have heard the Baltic name. That the Baltic is known across the world is proven by the Baltic exhibition that took place in Malmö in 1914, which was a significant event in Northern Europe,” stressed the historian and joked that, even today, there are people who think that Norway is the capital of Sweden. If we combined forces, it would be easier in terms of ideas, too, as we have more similarities than differences. So all that’s left is to hire a few marketing aces, work out all the artistic similarities between the three countries and then start to conquer the world? Halén left this question open for us to analyse ourselves.

It should be noted that Scandinavians are exporting their lifestyle and ideologies through immaculately manufactured and great looking products. An advert such as this attracts far more tourists than a simple direct advert.

So Halén’s idea about a Baltic design movement sounds attractive. One question remains – will it be difficult to come to terms with the idea of Lithuanian-designed products becoming well known under a more general label of Baltic design?

12

DON’T BARK – BITE

I am not your friend.

In the hedonistic and conformist world most of the notions became arbitrary, politically correct and polished phrases – in politics, literature, marketing. The world “friend” became a void.

I will be your enemy, it will make you put your act together, because only a complete cipher has no enemies. The enemy has a clear semblance, it forces you to stay alert. The enemy of your paralyzed soul, of your floppy body, of your withering life.

I don’t need your marketing friendship. I need a worthy opponent, which will force me to stay vigilant myself. Don’t waste time on excuses and conformist philosophy, don’t bark – bite. Firstly bite yourself to feel that you’re alive. If you felt the pain – move on, even so there’s no tomorrow, but you’re not dead either. Do what makes you tick, muscles will develop in the process, which will transform you more than the actual result.

There’s still hope that you will end your life with valkyries, not quietly on the old man’s bed.

Sincerely, Your enemy www.doberman-inside.eu

What Will Wake the Drowsy Art Market?

From the 2014 international art fair in Riga.

Antanas Žmuidzinavičius “Dzūkų kaimelis“.

Photo by Aistė Paulina Virbickaitė

Photo by the Vilnius Auction

“N WIND loves numbers – the most expensive works sold at fairs, the most marketable branches of art, and so on”, – my editor tells me. I sigh.

Once again I will have to write about something that is virtually non-existent – the art market in the Baltics.

PROPORTIONS

Too many artists. The Lithuanian Artists’ Association has almost 1500 members with a similar number of people in other artistic associations or working unofficially. The numbers shouldn’t be surprising – approximately one and a half thousand Bachelor degree students are currently studying in the Vilnius Academy of Arts alone!

SUBJECT

Not enough buyers. The middle educated urban class that has not yet fully formed over the past 25 years can already buy an expensive telly, but are still skeptical when it comes to purchasing artworks. For some reason some of them are under the impression that art costs thousands, even though you can find great artwork (especially photography or graphics) for a few hundred euros.

The rest courageously admit it – I don’t understand anything about art, it’s ridiculous, I’d rather get something from Vuitton with a discount. There is nothing terrible about that – essential changes need time and we are learning very quickly.

The result? The cultural field in the Baltics is entirely dependent on state sponsorship. The Lithuanian Council for Culture, which gives grants to individuals, is drowning in thousands of applications. I am not aware of any Lithuanian gallery, which actively hosts exhibitions and does not write projects asking for state funding to help with these activities or with participation in art fairs. The Vilnius art fair “ArtVilnius” is itself mostly financed from the budget and would likely not survive without it – the attendance fee for galleries (1000 euros) is significantly smaller than in famous Western European fairs, but our galleries still find that it is a lot and frequently doesn’t pay off. On the other hand, Riga has shown us what happens when big projects are prepared without state sponsorship in our lands.

The first Riga International Art Fair that took place recently surprised us with its bazaar-like mood, and was filled with naked women, sweetly surrealist motifs, and paintings of flowers.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE

I see conversations about the art market as a type of education. A multitude of artists and artworks achieved worldwide fame only after particularly successful sales. “So what is it that made this worth more money than I will ever earn?” – we wonder and give the artwork a more attentive

look. But the numbers are so high that it is difficult to comprehend them as real: hundreds of millions sound not unlike the depth of a black hole – perhaps it exists, but not in my life.

The Baltic States are easier to talk about in this regard – the prices are humane and comprehensible. For example, officially the most expensive painting sold in Lithuania is Antanas Žmuidzinavičius’ (1876-1966) “Dzūkų kaimelis”, which was sold at the Vilnius Auction for approximately 53 600 euros – the price of a modest apartment in the capital. This record would easily be topped by some of M. K. Čiurlionis’ (1875-1911) artworks, but his work doesn’t appear in official auctions.

We do, however, have an Estonian example – a little painting by the realist Johann Koler (1826-1899), who is close to Lithuanian Čiurlionis in influence to national culture, was sold in the “Baltic Auction” in Tallinn for 83 600 euros. There are stories that the works of famous Latvian classical painters Janis Rozentals (1866–1916), Vilhelms Purvitis (1874– 1945) or Johann Walther-Kurau (1869–1932) are priced at around 100 000 euros, but I was unable to find any outcomes of official auctions online.

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There is no place for contemporary art in the Baltic art market

The ARTVILNIUS fair The ARTVILNIUS in numbers fair in events N WIND presents statistics illustrating the development and path towards financial independence of the main art fair in the Baltic region.

The head at the ARTVILNIUS fair, Diana Stomienė, tells us about the growth of the event as it pertains to atmosphere.

ARTVILNIUS’09 92 art galleries – 31 countries.

20 000 visitors.

Artworks sold for Lt.

A lot of attention at the 2014 event was given to photography, for the first time we presented the project zone in a separate hall, where we exhibited the private “Lewben Art Foundation” collection of contemporary art, and where there were curated exhibitions. In 2015 we will continue this tradition – each year we will present a new collection and new exhibitions of contemporary art.

90 000

ARTVILNIUS’11 60 art galleries – 17 countries.

17 000 visitors.

Artworks sold for Lt.

150 000

Early 20th century fine art is still the highestpriced period in the Baltic States. Only a fraction of these works is meant for enjoyment and life together, because in most cases they are bought as an investment. Only these works let the editors and writers amuse the reader with multi-figure sums.

Even though Western European biennials and art fairs are full of intricate installations, video art, and objects, there is no place for contemporary art in the Baltic art market. The public finds conceptual art too dry, while installations occupy too much space. The few attempts to organize contemporary art auctions in Vilnius failed, as did a photography auction. The organizers of the photography fair in Tallinn, which has been taking place for the fifth year now, are not proud of the results either: this year they presented a few dozen photographers, whose works were priced anywhere between 100 and 5000 euros, although the most common price range was 200-500 euros. On the other hand, when it comes to artworks by contemporary artists, it should be noted that most of them are bought directly from the studio, and the sale doesn’t get officially recorded.

Art buyers in the Baltic States seek paintings, preferably old ones. If it’s new then it has to be created by acknowledged artists and inexpensive (in Riga, the same as in Lithuania, one can expect to buy an artwork by a well-known contemporary artist for approximately 3000 euros). This will not change until a new modern generation that appreciates not only painting, but also photography, conceptual objects, or video art, starts buying. Most likely this will be the current start-up generation – young people who are open to new ideas, unafraid of risks, earning thousands (not millions) should eventually start appreciating art that is much like they are.

ONE NAME FOR THE MARKET

There have been talks since the Independence, that the three small Baltic states might find it beneficial to appear on the world market as part of the greater Baltic region, thus forming a somewhat larger (therefore, also, stronger) block. These talks have remained mere theoretical musings. Never mind the globe – it seems un-

ARTVILNIUS’12 53 art galleries – 12 countries.

15 000 visitors.

Artworks sold for Lt. Participant fee introduced from 345 to 690 Lt.

400 000

ARTVILNIUS’13 50 art galleries – 11 countries.

18 000 visitors.

Artworks sold for Lt. Participant fee from 1000 to 1700 Lt.

500 000

ARTVILNIUS’14 65 art galleries – 18 countries.

18 000 visitors.

Artworks sold for Lt. Participant fee from 1725 to 3450 Lt.

600 000

FINANCIAL SPONSORSHIP 2008 m. LR Ministry of Culture – 330 000 Lt. 2009 m. LR Ministry of Culture – 880 000 Lt. Government funds – over 90 %.

2014 m. Municipal authority – 150 000 Lt. Lithuanian Council of Culture – 150 000 Lt. Received from participants 130 000 Lt. Sponsors 300 000 Lt. Government funds – 30–40 %.

likely that most Lithuanians with a casual interest in art could name the three best known Latvian and Estonian artists. We watch each other casually, even though there is this preconception that everything works better in the neighboring country (you can often hear in Lithuania that the Estonians and Latvians are doing it much better, while in Latvia it is often said that Lithuanians are smarter at tending to their artistic field). There are some isolated collaborative projects, but it is hard to speak of coherent single-minded cooperation. Would a common Baltic region even help our artists and our market?

When it comes to official government projects, usually they are neither flexible nor brave, therefore they don’t often attract the attention of viewers (and buyers). Speaking of separate artists, nowadays their nationality or country of residence is no longer important, unless it is deliberately used as a means to create or present art.

It seems to me that we use the phrase “Lithua-

We are the only art fair in this region. Although both the Latvians and the Belorussians tried to hold them in 2014, judging by the responses both failed. For example, the strongest Latvian galleries didn’t even participate in the Riga fair, but they always come to ours. We want the fair’s atmosphere to surround the entire city. We cooperate with the most important institutions: the Contemporary Art Center, the “Rupert” center, the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and others. We invite the participants to visit events taking place in Vilnius at the time of the fair.

Approximately 20 new galleries participated in the fair in 2014. Some of them found us and reached out themselves. Every year around 20-30 galleries’ applications to ARTVILNIUS get rejected by a committee of professionals. Every year we give special attention to the architecture and visual aesthetics of the exhibition. It’s great that Lithuanian gallery stands are improving in quality, and that ARTVILNIUS provided our galleries with an opportunity to participate in other art fairs abroad.

nian artists” too frequently. Even as far back as the early 90s Kęstutis Zapkus, who had returned from America to Vilnius to lecture for a while, repeated to his students: “you are not artists of Lithuania, you are artists of the World”. Even though his school and connection to tradition is as important to an artist as his spine, emphasizing nationality seems artificial, sometimes even detrimental to the artist’s ambition nowadays – the dream to become the best artist in Lithuania and the goal to become known at least within Europe lead along very different paths.

In short – we are living in interesting times. We can watch the beginnings of the art market and add to its development ourselves. Some of us – by creating interesting, brave artworks and selling them at a reasonable price, others – by spending time to get to know about art and gradually starting to buy interesting artworks. It is likely that the payoff for the participants of this awakening will come sooner than it seems.

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The School that Started the Engine of Creativity Karolis Vyšniauskas If you meet a guy with a three-day beard, a checked shirt, and wide-rimmed glasses in the old town, there‘s a good chance that he dreams of working in the advertising. Is this because it implies performing creative tasks, earning a fourfigure wage (in euros!), and driving a Mini Cooper?

Working in advertising or communication, however, isn’t just the image and the dreams, first and foremost, it’s skill and incisive wit. How do you get there? By taking advertising studies in some institution of higher education? There’s almost no such thing. A private advertising school? That’s a new option. If only you can invest in yourself.

In the fall of 2014 in Vilnius, the advertising school “The Atomic Garden” (TAG) began work-

with honesty, you will have a portfolio, which, it is claimed, will impress actual heads of advertising agencies… Because they themselves are the teachers. Tomas Ramanauskas (“New!”), Rimantas Stanevičius (“Milk“), Renata Šarkauskaitė (TBWA), Dominykas Žilėnas (“Ogilvy“) – these are some of the creative directors teaching at TAG. Universities won’t get to them, but here they come willingly, because they know that their new best creative worker might be among the students. Perhaps even a future competitor. The fact that TAG managed to unite those who are driving on the same lane, but all want to lead, is a rare example of cooperation for a common cause in Lithuanian business.

Photo by Regis Pranaitis

SUBJECT

ing on the premises of the former “Fluxus Ministry” on Gediminas Avenue. Not a university or a college, but precisely a school. Private, founded by industry people and run by them. “The only of its kind in the Baltics”, – the description doesn’t forget to add. And the crucial argument: 99% of graduates from the corresponding TAG school in Madrid, which has been working for three years now, find employment in the advertising industry. “(It’s) the only school where students don’t come to study. They are more or less working here, because that’s how you actually learn”, – claim representatives of Vilnius TAG, which offers three study programs: creativity in advertising, account management, and digital advertising. The groups in these modules are small – 8 to 14 people.

Studying here involves a large amount of practical work – just like in a real agency. Theory is only good for a head start. The course takes five months, after which, if you have been working

What is this cause, by the way? “To make advertising in Lithuania and other Baltic states more often good than bad”, – Regis Pranaitis, the initiator of the Vilnius department of TAG answers in so many words. A while ago he himself studied advertising in Madrid, where he came to know the founder of the first “The Atomic Garden”, and has now made Vilnius one of the first cities which the school expanded to. Besides Vilnius and Madrid, there is also a TAG division in the capital of Peru, Lima.

But, seriously, 99 per cent employed? It’s almost a hundred plus insurance to cover cases of force majeure. But R. Pranaitis doesn’t renounce his ambitious goal. According to him TAG gives students exactly what they need, but most of those going into advertising lack – work experience.

“Agencies need the kind of people who can start working on the first day. Not to learn how to work, but to become a full member of the team as quickly as possible. At the moment agencies are looking

for talent with a searchlight and are trying to convert them into advertising creators on their own.

This takes years and costs a lot of money. Now that TAG started to work, agencies have the choice of either “a young person writing a cool blog“ or “a person who’s worked for five months with the best advertising agency people, and has a solid portfolio“. A TAG graduate is of a “similar weight class” to an advertising creative worker who has spent 2-3 years working in one of the best agencies in Lithuania”, – R. Pranaitis has no doubt.

Such experience has its price. TAG studies cost from 400 to 650 euros a month depending on the study program and not counting the registration fee. The school representatives have arguments for the high prices. “The studies appear expensive only at first sight. They are short compared to university or college. Also, there are no government financed or free spots here. If we consider what the experience in the West has been, we’ll see that post graduate studies there cost money in 99 cases out of 100, because it’s a practice that advances career development in a heartbeat”, – R. Pranaitis claims.

The fact that such a school has promise is proved not only by the establishment of TAG in Madrid.

There is an even more successful example on the other side of the Baltic – in Stockholm. Berghs communication school was founded there as long ago as the early 40s. “If you join us, you join the best school in the world”, – the Swedes present themselves. But let’s not accuse them of arrogance. The renowned advertising industry awards organizer, the Cannes “Future Lions”, have awarded them the title of best advertising school in the World. Three times. The last one was last year.

The Swedish government saw how much potential such a school has, and already after four years gave it state funding. After 30 years all study programs (advertising creation and copyrighting, marketing, and illustration) had over 100 students each – every one of them was full every year. Not everything was this easy, however: after merging with another school, Berghs ran into some financial problems, was on the verge of bankruptcy, but was saved by the Advertising Association of Sweden, which unites people working in this industry. They understood that this type of school was needed by everyone – the advertising creators of Lithuania, united under TAG, understand the same thing.

Advertising is first and foremost communication.

Berghs did not grow up to be a school of communication for no reason. In addition to the usual creative advertising courses they began preparing public design specialists and media professionals. At the moment the school has over 200 full time studies students and over 5,000 parttime students. They are taught by 800 lecturers and curators. Students become interns in the USA or European countries; the school has strong connections with other similar schools from America to Australia.

Such global success took Berghs seven decades to achieve. Will we be able to say the same about the Vilnius school “The Atomic Garden”? If there is a reason to – we surely will.

The Atomic Garden, Vilnius: tagvilnius.lt Berghs, Stockholm: berghs.se/en

16

Science Fiction Becomes Reality at KTU Aldona Steponavičiūtė

Professor Arminas Ragauskas talks about innovation at “What‘s Next?” Conference.

Photograph by Linas Žemgulis

Radical innovation is the only way to open a new niche in the global market ly successful innovations as of an exclusive result of new scientific research is wrong. What is the reality?

If a business tries to create something new, this means risk, expenses, and a high probability of economic failure. However, if a business reacts to the industry structure or political changes, to consumer behaviour or market development in a flexible manner while manipulating pre-existing productive knowledge to create innovations such a business will achieve commercial success. Innovations are more effective and better products, services, and business models than previously existed.

Science does not solve scientific problems according to a plan, and it does not generate productive knowledge necessary for the implementation of innovative ideas on the spot. But it is also true that part of the knowledge generated through scientific research while solving great scientific problems is economically productive. The ability to integrate it is precisely how innovative technologies that can solve important problems for humanity are created – such as a way to cure cancer, or an environment-friendly way to extract shale gas.

Is the new Lithuanian generation capable of developing radical innovations?

I am an optimist, because I see young people with shining eyes around me. I have been reading lectures on innovative technologies to KTU Masters and PhD students for many years, and I am also one of the lecturers of the Technology Entrepreneurship module. I have no doubt that time will come when first year students would suggest some excellent ideas for innovation.

How do these innovative ideas come about and how are they implemented?

When I started working more with US companies I became motivated to understand how innovation – more advanced products and processes – are born. On the desk of every other manager I saw the same books by Peter Drucker. This man had an extremely deep understanding of social processes: he didn’t engage in futurology, he merely analysed, and in doing so predicted a multitude of global economic and political events. It turned out that fate had endowed me with the works of the most widely acknowledged business guru in the US. After that I began to explore US business philosophy and innovation methodology.

It is important not to wait for inspiration whilst generating ideas detached from reality, but to search for changes in your environment – inside your company, your yard, your city, or your state – for which there is still no answer. That is your chance.

Change always provides an opportunity to do something better, and it is the flexible reaction to change that creates innovation. Countless ideas die if they fail to improve on what was done previously. However, if you adapt to changes by advancing social or technological systems, your victory is almost guaranteed. Changes happen every moment, you merely need to open your eyes to notice them.

How does innovation come to you personally?

When you are a scientist and an inventor, there is always a problem in front of you – a scientific problem i.e., an unanswered question. According to Socrates, the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know. It is often the case for me personally that the answer to a scientific or a technological problem that I have been working on for two or three years, emerges out of the subconscious usually when I am dead tired in the middle of the night, unable to fall asleep. The how is not important though, what is important, is that through work, thinking, and through significant effort and concentration the answers do come.

Advertisement

On long-term space expeditions the brains of approximately 35 per cent of astronauts gradually start swelling until, eventually, the optic nerve starts suppressing the eyeball. Without the ability to manage this syndrome we can only dream about space trips to Mars, because most of the travellers would, most likely, arrive blind. Due to technological developments at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) these cosmic dreams may become reality.

A group of scientists at the KTU Health Telematics Science Institute, under the leadership of the institute director professor Arminas Ragauskas, have developed technologies, which could be used to create innovative devices solving the condition. If there are no unforeseen obstacles, a NASA spacecraft will take the World’s first non-invasive ultrasound intracranial pressure meter for tests at the International Space Station in the near future.

The technology created at the Institute is applicable from sports to space medicine: it helps in diagnosing glaucoma with greater precision, for designing individual and precise methods of patients with neurological or brain injuries, lessening brain damage during various medical surgeries and high physical stress situations. Early diagnosis of medical disorders can help save the lives of millions of people.

The technology developed by KTU scientists is also an example of successful research commercialization. According to the projections of market consultants in the US and EU, the non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement device and cerebrovascular autoregulation monitoring technology upon entering the global market will open a new profitable niche.

With professor Arminas Ragauskas in the below interview we seek the answer to the question how such innovations are created.

Your experience shows that just as any other country, Lithuania has the ability to open a new billion-dollar global market niche. How is it done?

Radical innovation is an ultimate tool to open a new niches in the global market. Radical innovation ensures the greatest possible revenue from a new niche, because the innovator (the person or the company) becomes a natural monopolist, who has no competitors for a certain period of time.

There are no means of opening a new niche on the market other than radical innovation. You can only open a new niche by creating a product, a service, or a process, which does not exist in the world, and which creates additional value by solving an important problem for the consumers. Until competitors appear we are unique, therefore, the price of our technology is not affected by other players. It is determined solely by the consumers’ needs and their buying power.

You claim that popular thinking of economical-

17

Im.perfect Wind mills

What deviates from the perfect and for a casual eye looks like an error finds shelter in Eglė Žiemytė’s, a creative director of fashion brand D.EFECT, world. At the time of proud perfectionists, Eglė cherishes imperfection and seeks to consolidate such mindset by her fashion. She started practicing rebellion at her studies in the Arts Academy – she even was dismissed for a while due to her revolting mind. But later she managed to transform this disobedience to her strength, in the solid form – she created one of the best known Lithuanian fashion brands abroad.

Oversized and masculine silhouettes, irreconcilable fabric connections live within D.EFFECT collections. At the moment Eglė is concentrated on her D.EFECT SS/16 collection. In order for it be even more imperfect, N WIND stole some time from the designer to talk to winds.

TAUTĖ BERNOTAITĖ How everything is usually?

Mostly in quotation marks.

Which defect is the most beautiful?

Translucent.

Eglė Žiemytė. Photo by Visvaldas Morkevičius.

How to find a needle in a haystack?

Maybe burn the haystack?

How many years does it take to get old?

All life.

Is it allowed to do not pretty?

Not only allowed, it’s a must.

Which material is the most disobedient?

Water.

When do you hide?

When I am a butterfly.

What’s your take on rules?

I play hide and seek with the rules.

I hide, they seek.

Which item of clothing transforms the sense?

Pyjamas.

What is not worth any regrets?

Sleeping too long in the morning.

When was the last time you felt magic?

When I checked my bank statement.

How long have you been thinking about the answers?

35 minutes.

How would you dress the Northern star?

In a white rabbit costume.

Which form is the lest perfect?

Love.

What’s your advice to the art?

Make art.

What did you learn from angry people?

Not to be afraid.

Where do personalities grow?

In the dessert without water.

When is it very important to close your eyes?

When you’re diving between the lilies.

How do you make your friends laugh?

When I put on the crown.

18

Industry of Perspective (I) Giedrė Stabingytė, branding bureau BLACK SWAN BRANDS

Why this topic? “I don’t want to offend anyone, but lately so many designers, creators, and collections appeared in Lithuania, that it’s becoming difficult to follow who is who. Since when can we call ourselves whatever we desire?” – Rita Paškevičienė of “L.B.D. Baltics” acutely draws the first perspective on the clattering local fashion and design market. Born as the counterweight to the stone-faced trading of the main players on the market, the fashion and design community is becoming fragmented: some of them harness the full chain of fashion industry processes, strengthens their own concept, production, and uses their export potential, while others attract those who purchase not considering wider choices.

“There are two forces on the international fashion market – trend setters and followers, the latter of whom create the echo of the podium: the “digested” idea for the consumer at a reasonable price. Often inspiration comes from the trend setters – it’s enough to look at the images shared by people on their Pinterest and Tumblr accounts – but sales are made by the followers. The space between these two forces is filled by smaller conceptual design brands, which have a strong, distinctive idea and perspective. They are creating their own universe, which is appealing precisely because they are not selling a shirt, which is the echo of a trend, but a shirt, which is an idea.

That’s exactly what’s expected of niche brands – strong concepts and products. Lithuania’s position is peculiar in this regard, because a lot of the brands are copying ideas, styles, and even tech-

niques, but are not mass producers! They are creating a relatively expensive echo – and who cares about expensive echoes, when the massproduced product is both more interesting and more effectively realized on the technical side?

They are making their project, but not their idea”, – just an excerpt from fashion marketing consultant Victoria Diaz’ perspective. It’s precisely the idea of the brand that’s supposed to maintain the communication identity of products and collections as if it were a spine.

An idea is like a magnet that draws the iron of our living bodies. An attraction develops between a strong idea and a strong creator – they both become part of each other: “The beginning of ODEUR was a branding experiment. However, after eight years I would describe it as a relationship I can no longer stop. Without ODEUR I would not know who I am anymore. Therefore I have to prove to myself that the brand can continue growing”, – Petter Hollström, the founder

One might call the fashion industry an industry of perspectives

“ODEUR is essentially a perspective created by me, others either connect with it or they don’t”, – Petter Hollström of ODEUR says, and a silent power flows from him. We are talking about the almost androgynous image of ODEUR in a randomly chosen bar in Kaunas, where Petter is visiting to plan the production of his collection (and the contraposition between Petter’s thoughts, his style, and the environment of the bar is making me slightly dizzy). ODEUR was born in 2006 as Petter’s final project at the Berhgs communication school in Stockholm. After the project was presented, the collection went to Tokyo, to the “Fashion Deluxe No6” exhibition at the “Ginza Gallery”. The first wholesale orders came from Japan as well. Nowadays the collections are presented during fashion weeks (at the Berlin fashion week on January 19-22), the brand can be purchased in 20 countries of. Besides Sweden, Petter distinguishes Hong Kong, China, Germany, and Italy as the markets ODEUR sells the most to.

What is ODEUR’s idea and how did it come to life? “During my studies I was an intern at Acne, which at the time was still a communications company rather than a fashion company – and I loudly spilled my idea to the founder and creative director Jonny Johansson”, – Peter says that the idea simply came up in his mind and his words

TEMA

Your own perspective defines the meaning of the word perspective. It’s like the law of quantum physics, which states that without a conscious observer every particle exists in multiple different positions at a time, and it’s the observation itself that creates reality. Fashion and other visual fields might be called industries of perspective – every creator or brand is selling its perspective on beauty. My observers for this topic are people representing different perspectives on the fashion market chain of processes: founder of the Swedish fashion brand ODEUR, Petter Hollström, fashion brand and product identity consultant Victoria Diaz, fashion product development and production organization service providers “First Priority”, and Rita Paškevičienė, the founder of fashion, interior, and recreation brand communication company “L.B.D. Baltics”. They are all trying to discern the essence of a promising fashion brand.

of the Swedish fashion brand ODEUR openly explains. Strong ideas also draw their own people – those who support that particular aesthetic perspective. It’s more than just trust in the quality of branded products, it’s a trust in the idea, which, as Victoria Diaz claims, should be the main goal of any brand. This energy that circulates between the creator, the idea, and the buyers, is strong when there is courage to do what you believe in – it is easily felt. According to Victoria Diaz, willpower (!), talent, and strength are the main qualities necessary to consolidate your position in the fashion market, which could be quite anemic at times. But natural selection works here the same as it does in nature – those who don’t want to contain substance fall off”.

Petter Hollström (on the right) with designer Gorjan Lauseger, co-creator of the ODEUR brand. Having come to Stockholm from the North of Sweden, Umeå, “to try achieving my creative dream”, in two years Petter presented the collection that was to become the foundation of ODEUR.

19

began materializing. The idea was to create a nonvisual label, but more substantial than a short-term fashionable whim – Petter wanted to explore and implement the perspective of non-visual design. What type of design is non-visual? It’s the design of senses and connections: “branding for me is all about making connections that are personal”. Having rejected the use of logos, Petter and the project team created a brand smell, which is used to impregnate the fabrics for the collection. According to Petter, the smell lasts through a few laundry washes, but is in essence meant to create the initial connection with the buyer.

It was created based on the collection’s visual guidelines: clean lines, and almost androgynous alien image. Petter describes the smell as clean, fresh, somewhat unusual, and sexually mischievous. He is prepared to tell for the millionth time with some passion about the ability of smell to create unexpected images, memories, emotions: “Therefore every buyer takes ODEUR personally, I cannot describe their emotions in words”.

In essence, ODEUR explores and implements the perspective of nonvisual design. The quiet brand silently but forcefully questions the perception of what a man or a woman is supposed to wear and invites the buyer to have his own perspective.

Photo by „Fucking Young!“

Smell truly is at the core of the concept. For a while instead of having a name, ODEUR used a triangular symbol, referring to the top note, middle note, and base note of the fragrance. Most brands are trying to create a distinctive world of association, ODEUR’s fragrance-based perspective is not and will not be acceptable for everyone. “I realized that there would be people who like the clothes but not the smell – and it was true. But then I told myself that this was my conscious decision – I would rather lose some of my buyers, but have a stronger emotional connection with the ones who like both”, – having withstood various tests Petter’s idea did not lose its spine. So the power of ODEUR is, in essence, the power of the introvert; the brand heightens the sense that the buyer chose the product personally for himself, and for other people.

Photo by „Fucking Young!“

SUBJECT

What type of design is non-visual when it comes to clothes? The product’s identity should help to reveal the idea behind the brand. Petter found the principle that dominates in ODEUR collections in camouflage when he was researching design: “Camouflage for me is non-visual in a visual world”. Camouflage is an optical trick that hides identity, ODEUR design is essentially sexless – in collection development process no on is thinking whether a jacket is for men or for women. This kind of perspective is brutal, but attractive: when you browse the website of their brand it is interesting to see how a piece of clothing fits a man and a woman. Very Swedish, I thought, having in mind the fact that gender equality is practically this country’s national identity. However, Petter corrects me – it is not their goal to promote unisex: “ODEUR is what people think of themselves.” As we go further, however, it becomes apparent that a distinctive perspective is not enough – creation of a fashion brand connects a multitude of perspectives. We will continue talking about them in the next edition of N WIND. CONTINUED IN N WIND 05: PRODUCT IDENTITY, COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION PERSPECTIVES.

www.odeur.se www.victoria-diaz.com www.lbdbaltics.com www.firstpriority.lt

20

Photos from the ODEUR spring-summer collection, 2015.

21

Dalia Bagdžiūnaitė, PhD fellow in Consumer Neuroscience

The Science That Will Explain Consumption Our experiments will help to understand when exactly emotions affect behavior

ing at. As decisions are made in the blink of an eye, the knowledge of what the consumer reacts to in reality calls for interdisciplinary approach that emerging disciplines such as neuromarket-

ing and consumer neuroscience can provide”, – says Jesper Clement, a scientist working at Copenhagen Business School, Center for Decision Neuroscience (CDN), specializing within visual attention, design, and in-store decision-making research.

The Center for Decision Neuroscience (CDN) is a research center based in Copenhagen Business School, Department of Marketing, focusing on applied neuroscience practice in different domains including neuromarketing. Even though there are approximately 7 scientists working at the center, due to the wide range of multidisciplinary and multicultural projects, the number of team members is continuously growing, enriching the team with new research assistants, master thesis students, independent academic and business partners. CDN is a purely scientific organization.

Subject

You are buying a painting online. There are two identical artworks. Next to one piece of art is written, “This painting comes from the world famous Louisiana Modern Art gallery”. Another artwork is presented as: “This painting is an algorithm-based computer art”. Which one will your brain choose?

Recently, a team of scientists in Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, introduced the same scenario to a group of people lying in the functional magnetic resonance “bed” (fMRI). Participants were shown random paintings and after viewing evaluated them. Brain monitoring and preference test results showed that those who thought they were looking at the gallery art were more interested and enjoyed the artworks more than those who looked at the same paintings introduced as computer art.

The same principle applies for neuromarketing research, which provides a practical knowledge based on the scientific experiments about the brain-dictated reactions that usually contradict the self-reported answers. These reactions manifest in different brain activity, facial expressions, sweating of hands and other physiological and behavioural changes while, for example, holding a product in hand during shopping or performing creative tasks. Neuromarketing studies, however, require expertise to be carefully planned and executed.

“The exploration of unplanned and impulse shopping requires much more than the traditional methods can offer. When we ask people if they noticed particular product design, we are not able to know where they were actually look-

Dalia Bagdžiūnaitė is exploring the depths of human subjectivity while studying the consumer responses to different stimuli, such as brands, smells, design with neuroscientific tools and insights that supplement the limited potential having conscious self-report research techniques. She works at Copenhagen Business School, Department of Marketing, Center for Decision Neuroscience.

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CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: THE GRAPH

Dressed in such a hat – an electroencephalograph (EEG), which measures electrical brain activity, – and eye-tracking glasses, people look at the products and brands in the store, whereas scientists then investigate what actually caught their attention and triggered their emotions.

Photo by the Copenhagen Business School.

A lot of attention in consumer neuroscience is given to the research of negative consumption and social issues. Accompanied by a group of scientists supervised by Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy, I am exploring compulsive buying disorder known as oniomania. There are different explanations of it. One of them relates to emotions that initially manifest as changes in the brain and body (more intensive breathing, perspiration, pupil dilation), therefore they are difficult to capture while only observing or talking to buyers. Just like pathological gamblers or compulsive Facebook fans, shopaholics, who are more commonly women, cannot control the urge to resist the immediate gratification of their desire, in this case, to buy. The medical community is still debating whether it should be classified as a mental disorder or not.

We recently figured out, that this is a behavioral addiction, which is not actually related to the inability to control the impulses. Our experiments will help to understand when exactly – before entering the shop or while interacting with the products – the emotional arousal impacts women’s behavior. Hence, the study may not only inform society about this issue and provide valuable knowledge that can help to prevent it, but will also encourage businesses to take into account the negative consequences of hyper stimulation and reinforce the socially responsible marketing practice.

Neurotechnologies are becoming cheaper with time, and businesses are paying more attention to it. Hence, it is important to employ them responsibly serving their purpose rather than blindly striving for the skyrocketing profit. Worldwide, global associations connecting business and academia are urging them to actively cooperate creating prevention campaigns or improving educational tools. Neuromarketing, thus, is only one branch of applied neuroscience that is as well used in design, robotics, filmmaking, or educational research. So Neuro not only allows us to better understand the humanity, but also helps to build the bridges between business and science, the natural environment and the laboratory. And this is the future.

The interesting fact is that despite all the talk about gaming as a very prospective sector, especially in Northern Europe, the numbers show that this sector is at the end of the CCI listing. The real winners – both in terms of turnover and people employed – are visual arts (including graphic design, photography, museums, art, etc.), which is a traditional industry.

Full report www.ey.com.

CCI turnover sector by sector – 2012, €b.

127,6 93 90 Visual arts

70,8 36,3 36,2 31,9

Newspapers & magazines

Architecture

25,3 Music

Terminology

Neurology – is a branch of medical science studying the nervous systems disorders, brain trauma and injuries.

Neuromarketing – an interdisciplinary field consisting of economics, psychology, and neuroscience, and is more commonly associated with commercial practice.

Consumer Neuroscience – an interdisciplinary field consisting of consumer behavior studies, psychology, and neuroscience, and is more commonly associated with academic practice.

TV

Advertising

17,3 Film

16 Gaming

10,4 23

Radio

Books

Performing arts

FOR HUMANS AND ROBOTS

Whereas, applied neuroscience platform Neurons Inc. founded by the head of CDN - neuropsychologist Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy – deals with more business-oriented solutions.

Questions of ethics are very important in neuroscientific research: this includes protection of the rights of test subjects, vulnerable consumer groups, focus on the strategies for public policy reassuring the socially responsible practice of neuroscientific knowledge. A great example of that is the decision taken by the French parliament in 2011 to ban the use of fMRI for purposes other than scientific and medical. Due to the high costs and complexity surrounding the interpretation of results, fMRI is more commonly applied in scientific rather than business practice worldwide. Other neurotechnologies, however, are very useful in marketing and design research. For example, eye-tracking glasses informs about fast reactions to different packaging design elements or the attention towards the products on shelves.

Collected data analysis can help to optimize the design by removing ineffective elements.

“The process of testing nowadays is becoming more interactive. Recent advances in technology offered the possibility to connect mobile EEG devices to smart phones and run experiments in real time. For example, you can potentially follow the changes in designers’ brain activity via neurofeedback as they are doing different creative tasks. This is still a relatively new method, but it with a lot of potential”, – says Morten Friis-Olivarius, collegue from CDN studying neurocreativity and the co-founder of the Institute of Neurocreativity.

Last December audit company EY published a report on the economics of European culture and creative industries (CCI). It’s one of the first detail report, which looked into all 28 EU members and analysed 11 CCI sectors.

Source: EY analysis

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We are against the festivalization of art – short-term sporadic events with no continuity

Dovydas Kiauleikis The Riga contemporary arts center kim? is searching for answers to the question “Kas ir māksla?“ (Latvian for “what is art?”). It is difficult to answer this question, and even more difficult to ensure the gallery’s livelihood. However, the founder of kim?, Zanė Čulkstėna, and her team of four other women have been doing it persistently for six years now, and their future plans are getting more ambitious. Right before Christmas I met with Zanė in Riga to talk about kim?.

As early as 1992 the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture founded an institution in the capital, re-

The kim? center is based in a 19th century former brick factory.

Kas ir māksla?

Space

sponsible for the development of Lithuanian contemporary art and its integration into the world.

Latvia never had its CAC (Contemporary Arts Center), and Latvian contemporary art has been in the care of different institutions. When the Latvian Ministry of Culture decided they need their own CAC, the minister at the time, Helena Demakova, invited Zanė to curate this project.

Previously Zanė had been more interested in cinema and is a marketing specialist by trade, but the offer to take part in the creation of a new institution was too tempting to decline. That’s how kim? came into being as a state institution in the beginning of 2009. Even though it started operating at the worst possible time (recession!), the situation quickly went through changes and kim? became an independent center (the only other option was to close).

“When we began, we did everything, because we lived in a vicious cycle: there are no viewers, because no one educates about contemporary art, because there are no critics, because the media doesn’t write about it, and they don’t write about it because no one reads about it or is interested in this field. So we worked with critics and with children, and planned to publish historical publications, so the public would be more aware of what contemporary art is, – Zanė remembers the beginning. Of course, it wasn’t productive to spread ourselves this thin. – When we separated from the Ministry of Culture and became independent, we took a careful look at all our activities”. The galleries and arts centers of the world specialize as much as possible, but the Baltic states are too small to choose a narrow niche. So kim? kept contemporary art in general as their di-

rection, and raised three goals for itself: to regularly organize exhibitions of local and international artists; to educate people about contemporary art; to create a clearer image of Latvia on the world art map.

“In a way we are fighting against the festivalization of art – short-term sporadic events, which have no continuity. Therefore we set ourselves the goal to organize regular exhibitions – visitors can come when they choose. We focused the educational program on contemporary art sessions for students. These activities require a permanent space”, – Zanė explains when asked whether their own building is necessary for kim?, and whether it would perhaps be easier to survive on the principle of independent theaters – by organizing presentations in different venues. Approximately 20 thousand people visit kim? each year.

But the most ambitious of kim? goals is Latvian artistic collaboration with foreign countries.

“We can’t close ourselves in, we are a part of the world – we have to see what is happening abroad as well as show ourselves”, – Zanė’s eyes shine.

Last year kim? organized five Latvian art exhibitions abroad. Their biggest achievement – the Latvian pavilion at the 55th Venice Art Biennial.

How does such a small organization manage to do so much? “The entire world of art lives on projects, but projects don’t have lines to cover everyday expenses – from the janitor to the heating”, – Zanė explains. Even though the gallery separated from the ministry, it still receives a modest amount of financing, which helps cover expenses such as these. However, Zanė brought an innovative idea from her studies in New York. kim? has a council – seven people from the busi-

Photo by kim?

ness world, who help with their advice, finances, and contacts. They can’t interfere with curatorial work, but when it comes to management, this is very useful help.

The council helps not only through finances, but also through advice. Zanė speculates, that there are around 5000 people in Latvia who are the key visitors of kim? – people who would cross the railroad bridge and go through the Riga station to visit kim? in the not so well liked Maskava street area whether it rains or shines. But the serious council members help to dispel the thinking that contemporary art is a niche, raises the gallery’s prestige, and, crucially, brings their friends and colleagues from the “normal” world. Most of them return to kim? in the 19th century former brick warehouse as regular visitors.

What kind of future do you plan for kim?, I ask Zanė. “We plan to move closer to the old town, to a more convenient location for as great a number of people as possible. We will publish a book about albeit short but already historical experience of kim?. In 2015 we will also hold awards for Latvian artists. It is important to note, that these will not be in competition with state awards, but rather a parallel initiative”, – Zanė tells us about their plans. The kim? Awards commission will be made up exclusively of foreigners. This way the center hopes to avoid any favorable treatment and acknowledge artists who are relevant to the world. The winner will win a residency in one of the world’s art capitals – London, Berlin, or New York. These plans, of course, are in addition to exhibitions abroad and in Riga. www.kim.lv

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Sleepless Tallinn Madis Ligema

In the bar called “Protest” ask where is the nightlife and you might end up somewhere really good VÄLK organisers Madis (left) and Tõnis Hiiesalu.

Photo by VÄLK

life and you might end up somewhere really good.

Known throughout the world for having Europe’s most beguiling walled city, the old town is something you should explore thoroughly. But it is the nearby seaside neighbourhoods of Kopli and Kalamaja that give Tallinn its authentic value. While visiting, check out the best outdoor market, the Balti Jaam, for junk, weird stuff and antiques. As for food in Kopli. The food is great at Burger Box (Kopli4) “buy or get out – it’s not a library” attitude. Specialising in freestyle burgers Asian, Korean, etc., grab the masterchef Kaido and freefall into a philosophical discussion about what is the soul of Tallinn.

The Kopli district is a network of quiet streets characterised by beautiful early 20th century wooden houses, originally built as homes to factory workers. It is a quiet part of the city with romantic cafes – but if you are looking for something more thrilling and spine-tingling, then you need to go to the ironic Mordor of the east – Lasnamägi.

Lasnamägi is the most populous administrative district of Tallinn with about 119k habitants. Local accommodation is represented by the 5–16 stories high panel blocks of flats (the classical Soviet style), built in the 1970–1990s. Truly one of the peaches of the city – so massive, so brutal, so idealistic. Go and stroll around the shopping centres “Laagna” and “Lindakivi” bustling with Russian language and Ukrainian candies. Amidst the success story of the Estonian economy – here in this impenetrable district there is ample room for capitalism to blossom – so I urge you to visit some of the pubs and shops in the basements of the blocks of flats. Unfortunately, most of these businesses couldn’t keep up with the 21st century and only a few that remain are still packed with life, i. e. “Annön” – the Korean food place (Kalevipoja põik 4).

On Tuesdays, a few hours past midnight, the old

town is the most beautiful. The dimly lit streets are motionless, it is so quiet that one would like to silence one’s own footsteps and talk only in whispers. Wander around in silence and stroll to Laboratooriumi street. In the midst of the 20th century is was The Lovers street, due to a lot of “red-light-action” happening there… Laboratooriumi street is the opening to a picturesque walk through the medieval outskirts of Tallinn inside the city walls. You can spot some pretty special sights, for instance one of the most charming churches in the old town. The building itself looks a little bit drunk and houses the “Estonian Ukrainian Greek Catholic Congregation of the Three Handed Mother of God” (wonderful name, eh?!). And a fascinating piece of medieval architecture.

The right hand side of Laboratooriumi street runs along the town wall and it’s towers. The stairs of Köismäe tower is another must have pit–stop, sit in –12 Celsius and drink a beer in silence. Very Estonian!

Something to bear in mind for the adventurous, things get dodgier – and even more fascinating – the further out of the centre of the city you go.

So be advised: the adventure awaits on the outskirts, where the street lamps fade away to the sea and to the countryside it calls.

Madis Ligema is Tallinn born and raised, with background in semiotics. He has produced and directed feature films, short films and documentaries. He is running a cross-platform agency VÄLK: Events, Film, Architecture & Trouble and The Beach Institute, a contemporary expedition to reveal the uniqueness of the Baltic Sea.

City guide

A trendy city where the Internet is a human right, with wireless bars, a sturdy economy and the world’s first ever paperless government, Tallinn is one of the fastest moving and most exciting capitals in Europe. In addition to that, it is common knowledge that regarding the party scene – Tallinn will give 1001 nights a whole new meaning!

Tallinn mixes the medieval with the cutting edge.

So make sure you brush up on your history before you arrive. If you’re good in history, and your smile works like a charm, then the people you encounter will make perfect sense. That pretty much makes it what it is. Tallinn is a dream – at least for a month or two as you dig deep into the psychological superego of the city.

Across the spectrum, we have a very good underground scene here. All the organisers and promoters in the scene know each other. They say that there exists a secret society to where organisers post their events so they do not get in each other’s way. Every weekend there are about three or four good underground parties. Our visitors are mostly students, people from the creative industries, real music lovers.

VÄLK (‘Lightning’ in English) is a monthly pop-up club, located in the most secret and bizarre venues that haven’t yet been worn out by events and parties. Building up each venue with care and the utmost attention to detail, and only announcing the location at the very last moment, VÄLK has engaged a plethora of djs and musicians, surprising the audience with artists from all over the world. So if you follow www.välk.ee, you’ll be let in on many of the secrets of Tallinn’s unconscious.

VÄLK parties are every month.

Weekend nights explode with colour and splash the old town with a street festival vibe. It’s the Bermuda Triangle of Tallinn, made up of three streets – Müürivahe, Väike-Karja and Suur-Karja. There are plenty of bars to get submerged in and plenty of party animals and stags on the loose. But if you’ve done your homework correctly - remember the smile and history - then everything will be OK. Due to some ferocious night people, this district has the highest rate of police and ambulance calls in Estonia, although don’t worry, it’s statistically safer than just about every other capital in Europe.

If I were you, then I’d play a couple of games at ping-pong club “Vint44” (Suur-Posti 7) and catch a movie at cult cinema “Kino Sõprus” (just over the street). Then would take a look at “Vabalava” at Telliskivi, where actors, dancers and theatres showcase their latest works. Probably by then you have met many friendly people who can point you in the right direction what to do next. Maybe there is something happening at the ‘slippersclub’ “Erinevate Tubade Klubi” (The Club of the different rooms, where people have to wear slippers) in Telliskivi, or maybe there are some legendary parties such as “Haigla Pidu” or “Mutant Disko». If still no success follows, then search for a bar called “Protest” and ask where is the night-

www.välk.ee thebeachinstitute.org

27

Cities of the Future

Three Northern European examples – cities that were not afraid to create visions together with their residents, to include utopian plans (thus providing a stimulus to advance, to reach for the impossible). In this way they are altering the tendencies of global urban development.

TADAS JONAUSKIS, urbanist

SUBJECT

Visionary cities not only reflect the needs of today, but are bravely looking into the future and forming it. There are several cities in Northern Europe, which are not only forming their own vision, but are also showing the way to anticipate and overcome future challenges for other cities of the world.

Having a clear urban vision allows cities to decide easier how their residents will move, how the streets will look, how public spaces will change, what districts will be livable, what new centers will develop and how old ones will change, how the business environment will improve, where new cultural hubs will form. Each of the city’s layers complement others; a synergy develops and provides an engine for the purposeful transformation of the city. Every city should have such a vision for its sustainable expansion to be ensured.

Traditionally the creation of visions is left to architects, politicians, and scientists. Contrary to others in Europe, the Northern countries find a way to involve residents in the forming of visions, to take their wishes and needs into account and satisfying them. After all, the future of the cities depends on people. Who currently lives in them, what the projected demographic situation is, who finds the city appealing, what values the residents choose to follow, and who will live in them after 10, 20, 50 years – these are the most important elements in creating visions for cities.

Northern cities see their residents as brave and reality-comprehending, but also capable of seeing prospects, seeking advancement, and wanting a life in a better and more appealing environment. Involved in the creation of urban visions, a modern city community bravely complements them and even provides encouragement for more drastic challenges.

The relocated city of Kiruna aims to be the most democratic in the world

Kiruna

The vision of this small polar Swedish town overshadows even the ambitions of big cities. Expansion of operations at the nearby iron ore mine means that Kiruna will have to move to a different place – the mine is swallowing the current town. For the Kirunians the mine is their livelihood, therefore they agreed to move the entire town. Under the condition that this will be the most democratic project in the World. Wanting to ensure the quality of their new home, every resident of the town became actively involved in creating the vision. The town employed international architects, who suggested moving the town gradually by creating a new dense and active town center, high quality residential areas, and an attractive environment for recreation. The important thing is for the new settlement to recreate the character of the old town in a modern way. This is a project created together with the people who are deciding both their own future and the town’s.

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Helsinki sees its future without automobiles

Helsinki

Helsinki has set a goal to create conditions necessary to live without owning a car by 2025. This goal has become the primary criteria for all plans – new expansions will only take place in strategic locations in the city center and in converted zones by the port. The formation of this vision involved as many residents as possible – it is a rare case on a global level of municipal authorities allowing their residents to form their own future. Helsinkians had their say about the prepared sketches, suggested their own ideas, marked places they thought were important to be included in the overarching vision, formed new public transportation routes on the map, and created new parks and public spaces. Discussions defined the most important aspects: the city has to be compact, strongly integrated into the natural environment and the high quality residential areas, and, crucially, serve people rather than automobiles.

The future of the cities depends on people

Copenhagen wants to become a city of people

What is PUPA

PUPA (Public Urbanism Personal Architecture) is an innovative team of urbanists, which works in social urban development and personal architecture. It was assembled in 2009 by Tadas Jonauskis and Justina Muliuolytė in Rotterdam. PUPA now operates from Vilnius. PUPA sees architecture as individual and personal – it may be the authentic creative expression of the architect, or a reflection of the populace lifestyle. PUPA’s research and urban development projects explore cities, urban structures, public spaces, community habits, urban processes, and architecture. One of PUPA’s biggest achievements is the first place award at the international “Europan” competition in France. www.pu-pa.eu

Copenhagen

Copenhagen has a clear vision – to “humanize” the city. Significant changes have already been made in the city center: roads for motor vehicles were changed by roads for pedestrians, carriageways became thinner, giving more room for bicycles. New projects are trying to adapt new spaces for use by residents, and to implement innovations. The city is becoming denser, public transportation is being improved, and when there is no more space to expand, the port gets pushed further, new artificial islands are built offshore, new settlements are created. One example is project “Nordhavnen”.

The port territory that used to be here is being converted into a new residential area; the city is being expanded into the sea. The “Nordhavnen” vision is an attempt to create spaces on a scale fit for humans, by searching for innovative means of connecting the existing port buildings with the newly built, of providing a way for future changes, and of adapting to new conditions. Nature, water, and public spaces are the area’s essential qualitative elements.

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The Song You‘re Hearing

Speaking of which, Spotify was also created in Scandinavia – Stockholm. As was SoundCloud…

Karolis Vyšniauskas Scandinavian music is everywhere, even if we don‘t feel it. Why has the world grown to like it so much?

SUBJECT

According to the amount of music exported, Sweden is third in the world after the USA and the UK. Norway is the heaven (hell?) on earth for heavy music. Denmark is home to a multitude of indie bands that could organize a festival in London and the tickets would be sold out. They also have Aqua (still alive!). Iceland is a separate musical kingdom of singing elves (hint – Björk).

The Finns… Well, they have HIM! Even if you think you’re not listening to Scandinavian music, having found a safe haven among American hits, don’t be so sure. During one month a few years ago, half of the songs of the Billboard top ten were either written entirely by Scandinavians or in cooperation with producers from other countries. Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and “Rude Boy”, Iggy Azalea’s “Black

Widow”, Beyoncé’s „Irreplaceable“ – all of these songs were written by the duet of Norwegian producers “Stargate”. Britney Spears’ megahit “…Baby One More Time” was created by three Swedes, supporting vocals for the track were recorded by Swedish singers, and the rhythm and bass guitar tracks were also played by Swedes.

Was there a time when you couldn’t find a place to hide from Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” or Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger”? Thank the Swedes – they wrote these songs.

Let’s not forget Scandinavian performers either.

The creators of soundtracks for Ibiza nights, the Swedish Avicii or the Swedish House Mafia, the pop giant Icona Pop, and the artsy The Knife or Lykke Li are from the same place, the quiet Norwegians of Kings of Convenience, the rowdy Danes of Iceage, the shoegazers of Copenhagen The Raveonettes. No need to mention Icelandic music – it’s on your Spotify playlists anyway.

More than that: we grew up with Scandinavian music. School dances, teenage hours spent with the MTV – all of them played Scandinavian, especially, again, Swedish, songs. Some of them are now a nostalgic memory: you can hear a DJ playing “All That She Wants” by the Ace of Base in some trendy Vilnius bar and understand that most modern music wants to sound exactly like that. You also remember that some Scandinavian songs were a real musical ebola virus, which could only be healed by time (hint – Rednex).

Give Scandinavian songs a good listen: even if they sound uplifting, they are nevertheless melancholic. Take, for example, the hit Of Monsters and Men track “Little Talks”.

This ambivalence is often described as a characteristic trait of Northern music. If you want a straightforward party – turn something Latin American on. If you want some deeper pop music – try the Scandinavians. Well, let’s keep our polite silence about the Swedish House Mafia…

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Hearing is Scandinavian Makthaverskan from Sweden – one of the most promising Swedish bands of 2015.

Photo by Makthaverskan.

Creativity isn’t all there is to music – a lot is decided by budget as well. Scandinavia is no slouch in this area. What makes the Northerners different from other wealthy countries is that they spread the wealth among the people.

Scandinavian countries are known for their public financing of everything from science to unemployment benefits. Music is no exception.

Scandinavia sponsors almost any type of music – from classical music to children’s hip-hop. In 2010, music website Pitchfork published their analysis on the Swedish export of music, which found that every year the government gives out 1.4 million euros to various bands, twice that amount to concert halls, and another 26 million to all manner of local musical organizations.

It was public financing that allowed one of the most important modern Swedish bands, The Knife, who unfortunately disbanded last year, to release their first album and organize a tour of the USA. Later on the band returned the investment and then some, bolstering Sweden’s

Young people are working on ambitious international music projects

image as a progressive country (The Knife came out for human rights, avoided the pomp of pop music by skipping award ceremonies) even after disbanding. But the kick start was given by the country’s wish to invest in the band.

Let us also not forget the fact, that the Northern region is relatively small. The biggest Scandinavian country, Sweden, has a population barely larger than those of New York and London – the most important musical capitals.

Scandinavian bands and producers are forced to seek listeners elsewhere, because there simply aren’t enough of them at home. So if the next time when you hear Katy Perry’s song about teenage love you think it came to Katy in a moment of artistic inspiration, you may feel let down. There is a good chance that it was written by 40 year old Swedes, who analyzed what sounds good through your headphones on the way to school. But if it does indeed sound good, then what difference is there?

Lithuania: we have performers, now we need managers Lithuania doesn’t have the musical export traditions of Scandinavia or the funds to invest in this area. However, that doesn’t mean that the musicians in this country don’t want to be known further from than the clubs of their home town. We are discussing Lithuanian music export with the director of the Music Information and Publishing Center (MIC), Asta Pakarklytė, and international project manager Rimantė Sodeikienė. MIC presents Lithuanian music at the Midem Cannes fair every year. The center has helped such Lithuanian bands as AVaspo, Fusedmarc, Colours of Bubbles, Liudas Mockūnas, and many others to play in concerts anywhere from Budapest to Rejkjavik.

Is it possible to compare the music export of Scandinavia and Lithuania?

The main difference is that Scandinavians have strong producer associations with large common budgets. That way they can plan export operations and receive more sponsorship from the state. It’s not as if the state sponsors projects 100 % – personal funds are also required. In Lithuania producers and managers (often these are the same person) still work separately and can therefore invest less. In addition, Lithuanian artists and their producers are less ambitious when it comes to the international market. A few years ago we held a music industry conference in Vilnius. The guests noticed that producers in Lithuania usually choose quick money at home instead of investing in a long term international strategy.

One Lithuanian producer once told us: “What international music fairs? All the money is in Lithuania, you just need to know how to take it”. In our

opinion, Lithuanian producers should go to music fairs, because there are great opportunities for musical exchange there and plenty of contacts.

Maybe we need a new generation of music producers and managers?

The generation switch will happen in the nearest future – even now we meet young people carrying out ambitious international musical projects.

Does musical export have enough sponsorship in Lithuania?

The situation is certainly improving. Previously whenever we’d apply for sponsorship and include plans for musical export, we’d always have to provide ample explanations on why this was necessary. It was commercial music – not classical or jazz – that was seen as the type that can break through on its own. Therefore we had to explain for a long time that we are supporting the alternative scene, rather than TV project participants.

These days when funds are distributed there is even a separate niche specifically for the spread of music abroad.

Does Lithuania have enough interesting music for listeners abroad?

There is no problem in Lithuania on the musical side of things, we have many interesting artists.

Some, of them, for example the band AVaspo, got the interest of a significant number of listeners from various countries, were invited to open a festival in Iceland. If you want to export music, playing well is not enough. Every band or performer has to have something extra, something indescribable. But there definitely are musicians in Lithuania who have it.

N WIND watching in 2015:

Makthaverskan (Sweden) – A genuine “f*ck you!” to those who broke the singer’s heart and to all the carefree bands of Gothenburg. makthaverskan.bandcamp.com Brokenchord (Lithuania) – Liked by members of Radiohead, the Utena resident shared a new song right before the New Year after a long period of silence. A hint about serious news this year? soundcloud.com/brokenchord Olimpia Splendid (Finland) – These girls from the Helsinki underground were discovered during Tallinn music week, where they played avant garde music in minimal lighting with their backs to the audience.

Their debut album is set to come out this year – it may be completely misunderstood but genius. soundcloud.com/olimpia-splendid Manfredas (Lithuania) – The long standing soul of Vilnius discos plays anywhere from London to Berlin and Paris even now. The next Ten Walls? Might not be the same scale, but not everything in music is about numbers. facebook.com/manfredasofficial Harnisk (Norway / Lithuania) – Founded in Vilnius, but following the many years of experience in the Norwegian heavy music scene. The dark side-project of Rasabasa members, which is planning their first gigs this year. soundcloud.com/harnisk

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Faster than W Kjell Ekhorn ir Jon Forss, the creators of Non-Format.

The redesign of The Wire magazine in 2000 gave self confidence to Kjell and Jon to form Non-Format.

Tadas Svilainis 62°59’11.5” N 7°07’14.8” E. A strong taste of aniseed sweets in the mouth, ears deadened by the roaring power hitting the rocks. The sound of waves ripples over the coast while sharp gusts of northern winds reminds the advert of a hand cream used by Norwegian fishermen.

The view over the horizon makes one think about black gold, extracted by the barrel, aesthetics, myths about trolls and gnomes, the happiest people on Earth, the fiords, scared by the ice age...

Erratic thoughts are interrupted by the cry of seagull. The bird stiffens for a moment in the air, glides with the wind as if planning its next steps.

Suddenly, the seagull dives down and disappears form the eyesight... Could this be a metaphor? A metaphor for individuality, challenges, mastery?

I remember the thought, when I held the monogram by Non-Format “Love Song” published by Die Gestalten in 2007, it was like a gulp of fresh air. Over the years following the work of Non-Format, the same impression keeps repeating.

Personality lounge

For more than a decade Non-Format, a duet of Norwegian Kjell Ekhorn and British Jon Forss, manages to constantly surprise by the freshness, minimalism, contrasts, dynamics and innovation in graphic design. The influence of their work is strongly felt in today’s commercial visual culture.

Non-Format’s ability to form trends, the constant desire to leave their conform zone and their experiments have been noticed: Design of the Year award from the London Design Museum, Yellow Pencil award from the British organisation D&AD, Golden Prize from New York based organisation ADC and many other. Non-Format projects are travelling the world in exhibitions, their design is published in the world’s leading design and art magazines. This duet has an unusual working model: Kjell is in Oslo while Jon lives in the US. Long term collaborations, future prospects and ambitions – all in Non-Format and N WIND letters.

Non-Format started more than a decade ago.

Tell us what you did before opening the studio.

Why did you decide to start the business together?

We started working together in 1999, but we didn’t start Non-Format until 2000. This year will be Non-Format’s 15th year, so maybe we need to find a way to commemorate it somehow. Anyway, back in 1999. We were collaborating on music packaging for independent record labels, most-

ly Lo Recordings and The Leaf Label. In 2000 we were approached by the independent music magazine The Wire to become the new art directors.

We accepted on the condition that we would be able to create a completely new design for the magazine. They agreed and April 2000 was the first issue to feature our redesign. It was that project that gave us the confidence to quit our

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Wheel of Style Mediocrity is insidious and relentless day jobs, designing for the publishing industry, and establish our own design firm. We started as a two man team and we’ve remained a two man team ever since.

Why did you call yourself Non-Format?

When we started working together we simply used our surnames as a business name, so EkhornForss appears on our early work. As part of the design of one of our very first issues of The Wire, before we’d introduced the redesign, we created an illustration for a feature opener and we wanted to use a pseudonym to credit it. We’d read an issue of the American design magazine Emigre which devoted an issue to the obsolescence of data formats. It stated in the text that one day, even the mighty DVD would be superseded by a mythical non-format. At the time no one could imagine what this ‘non-format’ might be and it seemed like a nicely enigmatic name for

the creator of that illustration that appeared in The Wire. After a while we began to notice that the work we were crediting to Non-Format was, for the most part, actually better than the work we were crediting to EkhornForss. We were also having issues at the time with people not having a clue how to spell our names, so in the end we adopted Non-Format as the name for everything we design together.

Did you plan ahead the business and creative steps for your future before opening the studio?

We’ve never really had a business plan. In terms of the creative side of things, we’ve always made a strong effort to keep evolving our techniques and visual language. We hate to repeat ourselves too much so we’re always exploring new ground as much as we’re able. Our only plan regarding finances has simply been to not spend more than we earn and to balance the higher paid work with

work that offers a great deal of creative freedom.

These tend to be mutually exclusive, for the most part, so it’s important to us that there’s a healthy balance between creativity and earning enough to keep us going.

For seven years Non-Format was based in UK, then Jon moved to the US and in 2009 Kjell went back to Norway. So now you are separated by the Atlantic Ocean and a few time zones. So now Non-Format working day last nearly 24 hours.

What are the advantages and disadvantages working separated?

When we first talked about setting up Non-Format like this, with so many timezones between us, it was quite a daunting prospect. We set up the US studio a few weeks before the iPhone was launched and Skype was still only about four year’s old. We didn’t really know for sure whether or not it was going to be technically feasible but after a while we found that there were quite a few benefits to being in different timezones, such as being able to spread our working day over many more hours. Whereas we once used to work together for an 8-hour day, our work day typically spans something more like 14 hours, on a good day, with a few hours of overlap where we can Naomi – one of the unique fonts created by Non-Format.

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Naomi – one of the unique fonts created by Non-Format.

discuss projects via Skype. As for the idea that we’re open for 24 hours, well, not yet, but if we had a designer in the far east or Australia, that would go a long way to making us a 24-hour operation. Maybe one day.

Your work covers pretty much all design fields.

From edgy, dark Rick Owens fashion lookbooks to vibrant, playful Adobe infographics. Despite completely different themes and mediums you manage to communicate the brand message and still put your signature on it. How did Non-format find its unique voice?

What role does experimentation, technology and a mix of different mediums play in your creative process?

We’ve always felt the need to experiment with new ways of doing things. Sometimes this manifests itself in subtle ways, like choices of typefaces or compositional structure, but sometimes it’s the result of playing with new media such as moving image or, more recently, 3D software. We’re acutely aware that our industry is fuelled by style and shifting trends, even if the heart of everything is a good solid idea, so we’re always keen to keep things moving along and not get stuck in a rut. We tend to think that designers who refute the significance of fashion in their work are basically in denial.

How important is to embrace the unknown, have courage to risk, fail and avoid becoming one trick pony for you as an artists & business owners?

It’s worth emphasising just how important it is for us to keep experimenting. One of the challenges of any creative endeavour is to stay rele-

Personality lounge

It took us quite a while to really find our own visual language. It takes time to create a distinctive voice and in our case we didn’t really have anything we could legitimately call our own until about 2003, when we were working on The Wire magazine. So it took us a good three or four years before we felt like we had something of our own.

As far as how this voice of ours manifests itself across our projects, this probably has a lot to do with the fact that we’ve kept Non-Format to just the two of us. Each project is the result of only two brains so there are bound to be common elements or themes that seep into the fabric our our work. We also create a lot of our own typefaces for projects, which we don’t make commercially available until long after their initial use, if at all, and that certainly adds a distinctive voice to our body work as a whole. Our approach over the years has always been to convey an idea in as uncluttered a way as possible. We like to be clear and direct with an idea, even if the visual itself ends up being quite intricate or multi-layered.

That simplicity could also be a defining characteristic of our work.

The Chap – Well Done Europe album design.

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vant in a constantly changing environment. We know that we can’t master every single aspect of graphic design and we’re acutely aware of the general shift away from print towards digital, so we’ve begun to nurture a subtle shift in our approach away from being regarded simply as a general design firm towards a focus more on our strengths as typographers, even if that manifests itself illustratively, photographically or in moving image. A lot of clients still come to us for general design projects, such as branding, book & editorial design, but we’ve noticed that a lot more are coming to us based mainly on our reputation as typographers.

You are behind the concept of the Wheel of Style. What is it?

The Wheel of Style is something we extrapolated from a diagram designed by Lorraine Wild that was published in a book WhereIsHere back in 1998. The general idea is that whatever someone designs – whether that’s graphic design, fashion, architecture, industrial design, – it sits somewhere on the wheel of style. Each position on the wheel represents how that piece of design might be regarded by the world at large.

So, the first stop on our version of the wheel is Avant Garde. If a piece of work is right on the cutting edge of design and would be regarded as far too weird for a mainstream audience, it would be labelled Avant Garde. The next stop is Hot (the work gets recognised by the design press and reaches a niche audience of hipsters). The remaining stops around the wheel are Established (wins awards, generally accepted as cool), Mass Market (a safe bet for attracting a mainstream audience), Cliché (an approach that is starting to look tired and overused), Embarrassment (a design that seems completely out of step with the times), Forgotten (work that is so out of date that no one is doing it or it’s just hidden from popular culture), Nostalgia (work from the past that is regarded as interesting to a younger generation of designers) and, finally, Reinvented (revival and reinterpretation of old ideas, often reinvigorated by new technology).

The wheel works for individual pieces of design but could also be applied to designers themselves, or design firms, movies or music or bands in general. The wheel is always turning on one direction. If a designer sits still and doesn’t keep working hard to stay relevant they will inevitably move through each stage of the wheel. It can be used to predict trends, which is perhaps its most useful application.

What inspires Non-Format?

We both live in parts of the world where snow in winter is almost guaranteed and, although we don’t create snow scenes in our work, the graphic quality, monochrome simplicity, quietness and slight melancholy of snow certainly seems to seep into our work. We work globally with compa-

From the series The Chap – Animals.

nies and individuals from all over the world. The internet, of course, tends to break down cultural and environmental barriers.

What are your thoughts about today’s graphic design scene and trends in general? Do you think design became more globalised or does it still vary from countries and regions?

Design has certainly become more globalised.

When we started Non-Format email itself was only seven years old, Amazon was only six and Google had been going for just two years. More recently, sites like Behance can connect creative people with clients anywhere in the world, which is good news for anyone who is looking for an outlet for their creativity. Global connectivity has surely opened up an entirely new way to do business and we’ve certainly benefitted from that massive sea change. One of the downsides of this globalisation, as we see it, is that a new design idea is subject to the Wheel of Style at a much faster pace. Something that seems Avant Garde one day can become Cliché in an extremely short amount of time.

What lies in the future for Non-Format?

We’re always optimistic about the future. We expect to make more of our work screen-based, rather than printed and we’re always on the lookout for opportunities to include moving image in our work, which is something we’ve been doing a

lot more recently. So long as we get to work with interesting clients on expressive and challenging projects, we’ll be very happy indeed.

What not to do when you are starting your own design studio or freelance career?

Starting a new studio has got to be tough. Even tougher when you consider that you’re now competing on a global stage. But that has its benefits too. It means that you can specialise in something you really love and, with potential clients coming from all over the world, your chances of finding work are that much greater. However, we think one of the most important things to avoid is expanding too quickly. If you find yourself with too many project to handle at any given time it’s tempting to take on more designers to share the workload but keeping the same high standard of work you’ve become known for is a challenge the more people you have working for you. Plus, everyone wants to be paid, which means you need to take on as much work as possible. It’s more important to learn how to be selective about what projects to take on than it is to take on everything and think that more staff will solve the problem.

Mediocrity is insidious and relentless. Mediocrity won’t give up until it’s got you onto the Embarrassment stop on the Wheel of Style.

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Sensitive Social Hearing

cuss rather than to spout slogans.

For example, I’ll ask what makes a good person good. The most common answer is “he treats other people well”. Then I ask: “So can I hurt your dog?” – “No, you can’t” – “And how does a dog differ from a calf?”.

Discussions reveal the double standards people live by because they don’t think things through. In

TAUTĖ BERNOTAITĖ How do you step into the music market in a way that catches the attention of those who are already making a fuss in it? You don’t necessarily need to focus on the entrance and can enter the party gradually, submissively joining in on the topics already under discussion. Or you can kick the door down and fall in all guns blazing. You can form a coherent step-by-step plan, taking into account every movement, as if you were building a bridge. You can also just create and one day get noticed.

The latter model will likely soon become an anachronism, which is not a bad thing.

The Roop. Photo by Monika Penkutė

A new band, “The Roop”, thoroughly planned their entrance. Before presenting themselves, they wanted to know very clearly what their topics will be, what their first video will be, and what direction they will go in.

Four guys met four years ago and decided to unite their creative powers. Mantas Banišauskas thrummed the guitar, Robertas Baranauskas struggled with the drums, Vainius Šimukėnas wanted to give meaning to his relationship with the bass guitar, while the keyboard player and singer Vaidotas Valiukevičius felt an inner urge to renew his musical conversation with the world on topics of importance to him.

FIRST IMPRESSION

“The Roop“ is currently playing soft rock, and that is probably the only thing they didn’t plan. The musical style visited the members unsought and was taken and named early in when they created their first songs.

They have ten of them now.

“Attention to detail”, – is the answer band leader V. Valiukevičius gives when asked about what will distinguish their group from the others. “Although this question is like a thorn in the side of every starting band, – he adds. – But I think we will continue to focus on the search for quality. We could dye our hair or-

ange and become famous as “The Orange Boys”, but we will not use such short-lasting tools – the bubbles are only effective for so long”.

The public has already seen the first video by “The Roop” for their ballad “Be Mine”. Viktoras Topolis, the person who inspired the band members with his personality, was shot in the video. Viktoras couldn’t walk since the day he was born, but he’s a body-builder and breaks stereotypes about disabled people in other ways. According to Vaidotas, this video, in which V. Topolis attracts a universally desired woman, is meant to show that there is a whole spectrum of normal human needs that disabled people in wheelchairs have.

The video ends with an emotional scene depicting the couple. The band is currently preparing two more videos, because, according to the interviewee, visuals reveal more depth within the subject matter.

A megaphone for the singer of the band: Why do we need yet another band?

When someone is involved in activities that are pleasant to him, one

We’re reaching to the world with the patience of Edison

doesn’t raise such questions. Initially, we four felt we needed each other.

How do you see yourself in the context of other bands? We notice a lack of authenticity. We’ll strive to live what we preach.

And what will you preach? If I tell you everything it will be too large a dose! The end result is a better world. That’s what we’ll try to achieve by raising questions about sensitive social phenomena through our music, videos, and lyrics.

What are the issues the band members disagree on? Some people still think the vegan position is preposterous. I, however, like to dis-

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essence, veganism is a conversation with yourself.

Why did it take four years for the band to mature? When people are given the freedom to do what they want, it takes a while to refine the real long-term priorities. That’s what happened to us as well.

How are you going to take over other countries? Gradually, but persistently. We want other Lithuanian musicians to do it too. We can help each other. We’ll knock on the doors with the patience of Edison.

Have you tried yet? The “A&R Record Label Submissions” company, which has connections with big record labels, will review any song you’d like them to. We sent them “Be Mine” and received a response that we do in fact have a strong case.

What does the band name mean?

The old word roop has a similar related term in most European languages and means “to scream, to shout, to cry out”. We want to shout about some topics that are still not talked about enough or discussed in whispers.

Don’t Think You’re Better Than Others In one of the most controversial commercials of 2014 the actor Neal McDonough presents a luxurious “Cadillac” electric car. The commercial’s center of attention, however, and its controversy is not the car – it’s the lifestyle the protagonist is proud of. A spacious house, an oversized swimming pool in its yard, extravagant possessions, and, most importantly, the constant struggle necessary to afford all of it. The commercial derisively portrays the habits of people in other countries – to stroll home after work stopping at a café, and taking the whole August off. The entire commercial is based on fundamental American values – individualism, competition, exclusivity, taking pride in hard work.

It’s hard to image such a commercial shown in the Nordic countries – a region closer to us both geographically and culturally. Over here community and the public interest always stand higher than the personal good. Effort at work and sacrificed leisure time will never be an object of pride.

Working more than 40 hours a week – it’s a personal failure. Not only boasting about your new car or a luxurious watch is considered rude, but also personal achievements like a successfully solved challenge at work. A discussion with friends or neighbors about earnings is also hard to imagine, although such a scenario is perfectly accepted on the other side of the Atlantic. A selfie of you posing next to the shiny wheels of your sports car on social networks? A faux pas.

The roots of such humbleness and moderation can be traded back to a novel published in 1933, “A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks”, in which the Danish-Norwegian writer Aksel Sandemose portrays a small closed community in a Danish town. The residents of this town live according to the guidance of ten rules, collectively known as the Law of Jante. They can all be summarized with one sentence – don’t think that you are special or better than others. These rules are followed in North Europe today, especially amongst Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians. Of course it wasn’t Sandemose who created these values, this culture and the principles of how such society is functioning.

They probably formed over hundreds of years and are closely related to Martin Luther’s teachings, but it isn’t their origin that interests us today – it’s their consequences. You’re not to think you are anything special. You’re not to think you are smarter than we are. You’re not to think you are more important than we are. You’re not to convince yourself that you are better than we are. Can a modern society progress and prosper under the guidance of such principles? Don’t such rules

put a stop on individual development efforts, on ambitious personal goals and the drive for high achievements? And overall, how do they apply in everyday life?

Last year a commercial for a Northern mobile network company was running in Lithuania with the message “Get a new phone each year and be at the center of attention”. Such a commercial is hardly compatible with the Law of Jante – being in the center of attention, especially because of a new phone, is not a desirable goal. Therefore it could be seen in Lithuania, but not in the Nordic countries. So what is it that one can boast and be proud about in your country, I ask a Swedish acquaintance. From his look I understand that one cannot boast about anything. And you shouldn’t expect to be praised either. However, you can be happy about and can mention, for example,

Can a modern society progress and prosper under the guidance of such principles?

spending the weekend picking mushrooms. Probably the only material possession of which it is polite to talk is a summer house in the mountains, by the sea or near a lake for spending your weekends or vacation. This will, first of all, signal the fact that you value rest in nature and its tranquility, and only a secondary message is the fact that you are the owner of such real estate. This, however, is tolerated because it’s quite something unique – almost a third of the families in Finland and Sweden own a summer house.

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder and owner of retail chain IKEA, and one of the richest people not only in Sweden, but also in the world, is quite the extreme example of the Northern worldview and value system. He lives in a modest cottage, had been driving a 20 year old car for a long time, always flies economy class, his favorite meatballs are the ones sold at his stores, and he buys wrapping paper at its cheapest – in the beginning of January. An uncharacteristic billionaire. But quite a characteristic Swede. Buying second hand clothes is not only popular, but also on trend – it’s more common for Nobel prize ceremony dinner guests to wear dresses sewn half a century ago and still quite well preserved than to be seen in luxurious designer costumes.

How does the Northerners’ modesty and the lack

of desire to be different influence their personal efforts to strive for results, their productivity, and creativity? Perhaps the unacceptability of personal success and exclusivity demonstration leads to the unproductiveness, lack of creativity and complacent with mediocrity? The contrary. This premise is easily denied by the numerous new ideas and brands conquering the global markets. Probably you’re not only aware of, but are a user of the music app Spotify, the Minecraft, Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga games, which all were born in the Northern countries. Also, it is no secret that these countries constantly rank among the world’s frontrunners in GDP per capita, purchasing power, or competitiveness. More crucially, they are absolute leaders when it comes to innovation. For example, last year Sweden and Finland made it to the top five on the innovation index, and Denmark was in the eighth place out of 143 evaluated countries. Only four EU countries are among the leaders on the European Commission’s Innovation Union scoreboard. Three of them are Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

So it seems that modesty, community spirit and the values forming the foundation of an egalitarian society do not suppress progress and creativity. More importantly – most quality of life indexes show that in the Nordic countries the economic wealth is spread evenly, the societies are harmonious and people are one of the happiest in the world. For example, last year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released a 34 country rating measuring the work and life balance. Denmark was the first, with Norway and Sweden not far behind. In addition, these countries lead when it comes to opportunity, earnings or equality of sexes. Of course the cause of these achievements is not only the modesty and moderation of Northerners, and it would be difficult to prove the link between them. However, the values reflected in the Law of Jante clearly played an important role in forming the economic and social policy, creating the tax, education and healthcare systems, which gave the foundation for the successful evolution of these countries.

Globalization and migration is gradually diluting these values, but the centuries old culture is not alien to the Y and Z generations. At first sight, diminishing personal effort, exclusivity, and success may seem like a value system that is primitive, potentially harmful to progress and incompatible with the dynamics of the 21st century. But although the people of the Northern countries don’t take pride in having an advantage against their neighbors or colleagues, this doesn’t mean they don’t have a strong internal instinct to develop and to make an effort – if not for themselves, then for the family, community or society.

COMMENT

Nerijus Mačiulis, PhD, chief economist at “Swedbank“

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