À bon chat, bon rat

Suffering from post-cheap flight travel trauma and subsequent illness from the multiple chicken marching arrangements (extensive bus journeys, caged into tight squadrons of ill travelers before embarking and vice versa) put paid to any previous words about my recent Paris jaunt. Here are some nibbles from the French metropole of amour and tardy waiting staff; Staying around the Château Rouge area of Paris was grimey warm - like onion soup - charming, colorful and full of slapdash market stalls. The daily contraband operation at nearby Barbès metro was a theatrical masterpiece; sellers moving back and forth to the changing of traffic lights or loitering like seasoned flâners. One of the lures of Paris on this occasion was a return to the Rex Club for a set by legendary mixer Francois K. You can check out my review of this event on Resident Advisor. Ultimately, the best cultural olives in this swing-by-trip were the burgeoning design and culture scene in Bastille and the vibrant and youthful burst of bars in Oberkampf.

'ticket collage' by Alexander Horne, 2010

Breaking the ice

Street culture, urban expressionism, creative jams - these exist to a minor extent in Oslo but, it's just there does not seem to be any visible showcase or cross field collaboration going on with them. If a tiny paint shop at the back of a night club and one store dedicated to street-affiliated threds and pleasures, Hunting Lodge, is pretty much all there is to show - it cannot be a healthy thing! Or is it going to change.....just recently Oslo based trio Ole, Lars and Martin brought some life and well needed urbaine vigour to the cities artscape with their 'All Bottled Up' exhibition, held in the cavernous confines of a student bar with free beers (near impossible in Norway!) and a live show by synthy new wave Bergen talent Leif. It was a welcome addition to whats (not) going on here and thankfully like the kind of event you would find in cities such as Barcelona or San Francisco. Check out some pics from the exhibition below or read the write up they got on Superfuture.

'All Bottled Up' photos by Alexander Horne, 2010

Oi Oi Osloposters

Last Saturday we held our first DO IT! event in Oslo at a tiny artsy hide out called Sound of Mu in the Grünerløkka district. The turnout was average but, the music on offer from our guests Proviant Audio and DJ Woo was of the highest eclectic quality. We initially had some sound problems what with fitting a full brass ensemble, conga drums, bass player, beat maker and djs into such a small space but hit the high notes for originality regards the billing and uncovering of a new Nordic talent, Proviant Audio. Norway based or visiting people can catch them live as part of the music festival By:Larm next month, which this year is run by head honcho of the seminal Norwegian imprint Smalltown Supersound - Joakim Haugland. Anyway, it might not have moved too many people but, my latest DO IT! poster got published on Osloposters - a great resource and community for the art of poster design in Oslo by designer Stig Andersen. It gives me great pleasure to be recognized alongside some of the eye catching posters around here and I only hope other people start up similar sites around the world in the hope of resurrecting the dying 'art of the poster'. Thanks to Jan for photos on the night!

'Nordic Eye' poster design by Alexander Horne, 2010

Our Ability to Sustain Sustainability

''To be taught to write or speak – but what is the use of speaking if you have nothing to say? To be taught to think – nay, what is the use of being able to think, if you have nothing to think of? But to be taught to see is to gain word and thought at once, and both are true.'' John Ruskin / Selected Writings (Oxford World's Classics)

An article for Architonic magazine questioning the tangibility of the terminology 'sustainability'; it's common misconception, examples of use and how we could use such terms in an eco-effective and holistic manner. The article, entitled 'Sustaining Sustainability', features references to the excellent Architecture for Humanity group and an introduction to recently developed 'sustainable' programs such as Cradle to Cradle design and Miljøfyrtårn. As discovered through the harsh reality of economic downturn - the Western world has been overproducing and consuming. Many design services are sprouting through the rust of those who have bolted themselves to the sinking ships of dated production mechanisms. But, who is governing these design services? What gives these companies the power to certificate producing designers? These are issues that need to be addressed as design molds into something that can bare more visible relevance to all in society. Read the full article HERE. Godt Nytt År (Happy New Year) as they say here!

'Sustainable Pie' illustration by Alexander Horne, 2009

Intrinsic Thought

''Eighty percent of the environmental impact of today's products, services and infrastructures is determined at the design stage. Design therefore has an enormous impact on resource efficiency in our economy, and can make a critical contribution in the transition to sustainability.'' John Thackara / Doors of Perception

Just completed an article for the sustainable focused design magazine Think. The subject matter was a Berlin based Israeli designer called Ronen Kadushin, whose timeless futuristic forms not only bare a sharp aesthetic but also provide a stern indication as to a potential future in design. He suggests that open sourcing design in the same way the information technology industry has done will enhance it's growth and development. You can read the article from Feb.2010 when Think issue 3 will be available online. Think is an original concept by Jacqueline Carlisle and its emergence from the USA comes at a relevant time what with the loss of ID magazine and the need for voices in the sustainable design debate.

'Flat Knot' design by Ronen Kadushin

Design of the Times

I recently had an article about design in Norway published on the popular architecture and design site Architonic. The article, entitled 'Beneath the Surface', was a reactionary piece to the growth in public attention the 100% Norway exhibition had brought 'Norwegian design'. While it is healthy for any burgeoning and young creative scene to receive public attention through press coverage, it is also important to provide critique and comment. This kind of realist guidance and opinion appears to have been missing from the many subsequent articles reporting on 'Norwegian design'. 'Beneath the Surface' does not laud any Norwegian designers, more it asks why something was made and what it means to people, not just designers. The article introduces socially aware design projects such as the 'Blanke Ark' polling box designed by the industrial designers Kadabra and graphics studio Blueroom. It also mentions some of the other exciting projects going on outside of Oslo that do not exist on a reputation of stylizing to sell.

'Ballot Box' design by Kadabra and Blueroom

Polka Odd font

'Polka Odd' - my first font! A couple of weeks ago I was asked by a web designer friend from Aberdeen to come up with an alphabet he could use for a new logo font. James Daniel goes under the alias of Robin Egg Blue in the web design game. When not serving people with an eye for good food at one of Aberdeen's finest eateries, Moonfish Cafe; R.E.B is completing web designs for clients such as film producers, furniture designers and restaurants. Robin Egg Blue has a contemporary style in a city which rarely does; he completes projects that have serious value with a smile. I aim to represent this serious but, approachable and fun image with some small playful creature details on big, bold and abstract forms. The animal features sometimes look like little feet, eyes and bites.

'Polka Odd' font design: by Alexander Horne (me)

DO(1)T!

One year ago this month I wanted to kick start something of a petit creative revolution in my home city, Aberdeen in Scotland. As it has been documented in the press recently, through the tribulations of the contemporary art center and Union Terrace Gardens project, despite hosting a fine art school and many aspiring young creatives Aberdeen is not quite the hub of creativity and culture as it could be. Compared to similar sized cities such as Bergen across the North Sea or Dundee down the road it is very slow to understand the support and encouragement required by young creatives, especially in such a tough economic climate as now. The petit creative revolution that is DO IT! is now one year old and we are ready to celebrate this Friday with two special guests with strong local links. The first guest, DJ Giles Walker is a resident dj at Snafu Club and an important local figure in the introduction and booking of new music and acts from around the UK and beyond. Our headline guest, Two Eyes, is a rare talent from Edinburgh who when not designing buildings, pulley systems or riding bikes up extremely challenging hills can be found secretly composing deep future music in his humble Leith flat. We have been lucky to export our own 'deen talents to cities such as Barcelona, Bergen and Helsinki this year so for this one year celebration if you are in town come and enjoy DO IT! in Aberdeen and support and celebrate with the local creatives that make this collective a vivrant force in Aberdeen and beyond.

Poster: by SIO.