History abounds in the names of heroes and exceptional leaders who rose to the challenge in an hour of need, for example: Spartacus, Joan of Arc, John III Sobieski, Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, and Martin Luther King, to name a few. To be effective, leaders of today can learn from history, but they must also adjust their leadership styles and behaviors to the present day. During a seminar organized by the Center for Research on the Economics of Memorial Sites, Professor Michael J. Urick from Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania, USA, will present a cultural and historical perspective on leadership.
Online Seminar
Design Stories
The seminar is part of "Looking Through Objects", a curatorial project that celebrates
women’s contribution to change through design in Poland, the Baltic region and beyond.
Design is an inseparable part of our lives. Whether its furniture, everyday utilitarian objects, fashion, book covers or signage in public places – we are surrounded by the fruits of labor of numerous designers. We see their designs, but we often know nothing about their creators – the designers themselves. To remedy this situation, SWPS University, in collaboration with the National Museum in Gdańsk and Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design in Tallinn, would like to invite everyone to an online seminar showcasing the work of female designers and highlighting the changes that have been occurring in the world of design over the past 10 years.
Participation is free of charge. Registration required.
November 25-26, 2021
15.00-19.30 CET (UTC+1)
online
Female Perspective
The seminar is part of a two-year project “Looking Through Objects”. The goal of the “Design Stories” is to showcase a perspective of female Polish designers who mostly work abroad, and designers and researchers from Estonia and Great Britain. The seminar will focus on the transformation that has occurred over the last 10 years in the world of design, and on personal experiences and ideas of the designers, which will be presented in the form of interviews.
The seminar will be recorded and made available post the live transmission on the online channels of SWPS University, the National Museum in Gdańsk, and the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design in Tallinn.
Program
DAY 1: November 26, 2021
15:00-15:10 – Welcome and introduction to the “Looking Through Objects” project – Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka (SWPS University) and Gian Luca Amadei (RCA)
15:10-15:30 – Libby Sellers, United Kingdom – “We Don’t Embroider Cushions Here” …???
Libby Sellers will give a historical overview of the many reasons why women’s great contributions to the 20th century design have been largely absent from the design historical canon and why the need to redress this imbalance remains valid today. From the issues of patriarchy, the way design has been both taught and narrated, to discussions on material choice and much wider issues of geo-politics, this session seeks to highlight how female practitioners have not always been as celebrated as their male counterparts, and to show the impact this has had on our understanding of contemporary design. The session should serve as a launch pad, or a context from which the great achievements and advancements of women in design can continue to be celebrated.
15:30-15:40 – Q&A
15:40-16:00 – Triin Jerlei, Estonia – Women in Estonian design. From Past to Present
This presentation focuses on Estonian design, using this small country as an example of regional variations in the role of women within local design economies. Dr. Jerlei will analyze key female figures in Estonian design history, their legacy and activities, as a pathway to understanding the importance of women in contemporary Estonian design.
16:00-16:10 – Q&A
16:10-16:30 – Anna Rosinke, Maciej Chmara, Poland/Austria/Germany – Illustrations from isolation and why do kitchens need wheels?
16:30-16:40 – Q&A
16:40-17:00 – Break
17:00-17:20 – Daria Wypiór, Poland, The culture of shame
How do we define cultural norms? Why do we so often ask a question: "Is it normal? Is it appropriate"? How does shame affect our lives and is it always negative? Taking these questions as a starting point, Daria Wypiór will discuss the influence of design on overcoming taboo subjects.
17:20-17:30 – Q&A
17:30–17:50 – Raili Keiv, Estonia – Rethinking Ceramics
17:50 - 18:00 Q&A
18:00 - 18:45 Round table discussion
DAY 2: NOVEMBER 26, 2021
15:00-15:10 – Welcome and summary of the previous day – Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka (SWPS University) and Gian Luca Amadei (RCA)
15:10-15:30 – Kärt Ojavee, Estonia, Undefined Useful Objects: exploring the future
This presentation explores the opportunities and challenges of cross-disciplinary work in a practice-led research by the speaker, who in her work, blends art and design, craft and novel technologies. Through a selection of case studies that tend to contemplate the hypothetical future rather than offer solutions for the present day, it becomes evident that the element of uncertainty has shaped the authors work, leaving the viewer in a dialogue with partly undefined objects or experiences.
15:30-15:40 – Q&A
15:40-16:00 – Aleksandra Kędziorek, Poland, The Clothed Home: Mediating seasonal changes in domestic interiors
In manor houses, aristocratic mansions and peasant cottages of the pre-electric times, textiles were widely used as a seasonal clothing for architecture. Contrary to the logic of the contemporary, serviceless architecture, they required constant care: remaining at all times within the process, maintaining rituals, and staying sensitive to the subtle, cyclical changes in the environment. As such, they were the domain of women: weavers who stood behind their production, and housewives involved in household management. Taking as a starting point the research conducted for the Polish Pavilion at the 2021 London Design Biennale, Aleksandra Kędziorek will discuss women’s engagement in caring architecture and tuning in domestic spaces to the rhythm of the natural world.
16:00-16:10 – Q&A
16:10-16:30 – Wiktoria Szawiel, Poland/Portugal – Design and identity: creative praxis as a practice of the self
At present, it is widely acknowledged that design is a form of research, a powerful tool of critique, a way to construct narratives or address urgent societal issues. From a slightly different perspective, in this presentation, Dr. Szawiel will focus on the intimate relationship between creative praxis and the constitution of the self. By taking as a starting point her graduation project "Landscapes Within", she will reflect on the question of identity and how design can be viewed as a practice (and design education as an experience) that opens up an atypical space for self-(trans)formation and self-positioning in our actuality.
16:30-16:40 – Q&A
16:40-17:00 – Break
17:00-17:20 – Klementyna Jankiewicz, Poland/Israel – Designing quantum experiences. Democratization of knowledge during the rise of the next great technological revolution
The next technological revolution, quantum computing, is around the corner. It is important to assure that the general population, not trained as quantum physicists or quantum engineers, will have easy access to this transformative and disruptive technology. In her presentation Klementyna Jankiewicz will investigate the ways design can help in the democratization of knowledge and lower the entry threshold to this fascinating, but complex and un-intuitive field.
17:20-17:30 – Q&A
17:30–17:50 – Sara Boś, Poland – NOfall - wearable technology that reduces the risk of dance injuries
Classical dancers are constantly balancing on the verge of mobility and endurance of the body. Ankle injuries account for 70% of all ballet-related injuries. NOfall is a wearable band designed to support the correct positioning of the foot while learning classical dance, thus increasing the safety of dancers.
17:50 - 18:00 Q&A
18:00 - 18:45 Round table discussion
Looking Through Objects Project
The main goal of the “Looking Through Objects” project is to showcase Polish female designers and to present their best designs to the world-wide audience. Through various objects, experiences, and design approaches, the curators want to depict the socio-economic transformation that has occurred on the design market over the last decade.
"Looking Through Ojects" is a two-year project, financed by the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport as part of the “Kultura Inspirująca” (Inspiring Culture) program.
Read more about the Looking Through Objects project
Date and Location
November 25-26, 2020, 15.00-19.30
Online
Contact
Sara Boś, SWPS University
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Emilia Pawłusz, National Museum in Gdańsk
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