OUR SHIFT®’s Post

Today, in Le Soir: "I'm a member of many committees of all kinds, because I'm both an immigrant and a woman! I'm chosen, in part, for these reasons, even before my architectural skills are considered. I'm published in a book about 100 women architects in the world. So yes, that's all very well, but I'd rather have been published in a book about 100 architects in the world, full stop." "In my opinion, you have to work on the general history and include women in a book on the 100 architects," adds Apolline Vranken, an architecture researcher. "At the same time, we also need to ensure that the field of architecture is diversified, by working towards the publication of specific works that take gender issues into account, rather than Panini albums of collections of beautiful architectural images. For the centenary of the Bauhaus, for example, we will be highlighting the women artists of the movement, and that makes perfect sense, because it means that they are no longer 'invisible'. But clearly, it's often times more complicated to investigate the existence and role of these women. You have to call families, do genealogical research, scour magazines... But when you look, you find. Donations of archives are important in this respect, as was the case with the Simone Guillissen-Hoa collection, which we were able to obtain thanks to her son, Jean Pierre Hoa. This work of tracing the past is fundamental to overcoming stereotypes and invisibilisation". /// Excerpts from a discussion at the opening of the exhibition CIVA dedicated to Simone Guillissen-Hoa. With Appoline Vranken, Silvia Franceschini, Daniel Couvreur, Yaron Pesztat and Nikolaus Hirsch. /// #simoneguillissenhoa #invisibilisation #invisiblewomen #womeninarchitecture #inclusivity

🦽 "My first job out of college was helping design new wheelchair models that were adapted to the context of Guatemala, for rural areas where terrain is very hard to traverse. To see people use the chair—the freedom that it afforded them—was very powerful to me. I haven't looked back since." Juan Carlos Noguera is an industrial designer and an assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He receives a Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Design—a $50,000 award—for his use of design as a tool to empower accessibility and equity. The Vilcek Foundation has produced a video on Noguera with our colleagues at Smartypants. Watch the full video on at the following link. #Accessibility #AccessibleDesign #DEIB #Design #DesignEquity #Designer #Diversity #Equity #Guatemala #Immigrant #ImmigrantStories #IndustrialDesign #IndustrialDesigner

Creating the perfect visitor flow is both an art and a science. When we approach a new project, we start by carefully observing how people move through a space—watching their natural tendencies, noting any bottlenecks, and identifying key focal points, either existing or to be added. It's about understanding the rhythm of the space and how visitors interact with it. From there, we collaborate closely with site staff and architects to refine the layout. Together, we ensure that each step of the visitor's journey is intuitive, engaging, and seamless. By harmonizing design with human behavior, we craft spaces where visitors can explore, discover, and enjoy without missing a beat. 📷 "Gatheround: Stories of Atlanta" at the Atlanta History Center #environmentaldesign #exhibitdesign #exhibitiondesign #exhibitdesigners #exhibitiondesigners #exhibitideas #exhibitionideas #visitorexperience #visitorflow #visitorexperiencedesign #experiencedesign

ARTS COUNCIL OF THE AFRICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION (ACASA) 19TH TRIENNIAL SYMPOSIUM OF AFRICAN ART CALL FOR PANELISTS Reimagining Public Art: Community Engagement, Sustainability, and Urban Transformation This panel seeks to explore the evolving landscape of public art, focusing on innovative approaches that emphasize community engagement, sustainability, and the transformative potential of art in urban spaces. Public art plays a pivotal role in shaping the identity and vibrancy of cities. This panel aims to reflect on practices that actively involve communities in the creation, interpretation, and preservation of public artworks. How can public art be a catalyst for community dialogue and empowerment? How can it address environmental sustainability and contribute to the resilience of urban spaces? Here is an invitation for discussions on participatory public art projects that actively involve residents in the co-creation of artworks, fostering a sense of ownership and connection to the public realm. Case studies and analyses will showcase successful models of community engagement, emphasizing the importance of diverse voices in shaping public spaces. Sustainability is a key theme, and our panel will explore how public art can contribute to environmental awareness and sustainable urban development. From eco-friendly materials to installations that address climate change, we aim to examine the intersection of art, sustainability, and ecological consciousness in the public sphere. The transformative potential of public art in urban spaces will also be a central focus. We intend to discuss how public art can redefine and repurpose underutilized urban areas, contributing to social cohesion and economic revitalization. The role of public art in fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity will be examined, with an emphasis on projects that break down barriers and amplify underrepresented voices. Additionally, the panel will be probing the role of city officials and policymakers in supporting and integrating public art into urban planning. How can collaborations between artists, communities, andc governments lead to more inclusive and sustainable urban spaces? Through a combination of presentations and interactive discussions, our panel seeks to inspire a reimagining of public art as a dynamic force for community engagement, sustainability, and urban transformation. By exploring innovative practices and sharing insights from diverse perspectives, we invite credible studies to contribute to a holistic understanding of the potential of public art to shape the future of our cities. Chair: Ajayi, Olayemi T. Member, Editorial and Advisory Boards for the International Journal of Arts and Humanities, London, United Kingdom Interested panelist should send an abstract cum a synoptic biography to the email below: olayemi.ajayi@federalpolyilaro.edu.ng For more info: https://lnkd.in/dC5MZ8qf

💡 A novel conceptual framework for studying GLAMs as commons. Vasilis Avdikos, Martha Michailidou, Mina Dragouni, and Dimitris Pettas (Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences) develop and present, for the first time, a novel conceptual framework for studying GLAMs as #commons, adapted to fit with the idiosyncrasies of the sector and explore the ways relevant commoning practices could be developed towards ensuring GLAMs’ #sustainability and #resilience, while meeting broader societal needs. Read more about "Conceptualising GLAMs as commons": https://lnkd.in/dm93d8X5 In this report, V. Avdikos, M. Michailidou, M. Dragouni, and D. Pettas reflect on ‘new commons’ theory and elaborate on the ontology of memory institutions to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework for ‘commons-oriented’ GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums). In doing so, they propose an alternative mode for governing and managing cultural heritage against a backdrop of limited public funding and pressures for developing memory institutions into more inclusive, participatory, and ‘entrepreneurial’ organisations. Their theoretical analysis is grounded in the review of the extant literature, including both the ‘Ostromian’ and ‘Autonomist’ schools of thought, drawing particularly on the new commons (urban, digital, cultural/heritage commons) to inform their framework. The conceptual schema they present here is adapted to fit with the idiosyncrasies of the sector, describing the functioning of commoning practices in GLAMs. Such a framework is critical for navigating future research and devising workable solutions to address current challenges for memory institutions in Europe This working paper is part of the GLAMMONS WP1 "Challenges for the GLAMs: mapping the field across Europe before and after the pandemic" / Deliverable 1.6: " Conceptualising GLAMs as commons." #HorizonEU #OpenScience #OpenAccess #ResearchImpactEU CREARE Social; Burgundy School of Business - BSB; European Creative Hubs Network; MAZOMOS Landscape and Heritage Consultants; Inpolis Urbanism GmbH; Technische Universität Berlin; NOVA ISKRA

Two of my greatest passions: 1) Providing editorial support to bring out the powerful messages in a piece of writing. 2) Fostering accessibility for everyone in cultural spaces. Both of these came together when I got to serve as an editor of "Making Inclusive Museums Now," a publication from JSA/MIXdesign and The Architectural League of New York. The report addresses going beyond code compliance when designing inclusive museums, shining a spotlight on insights and best practices directly from practitioners in the field and people with lived experience. If you work in a museum or cultural space, I hope you'll read, share, and save for future reference. #AccessibleDesign #InclusiveDesign #CulturalAccess #Museums #Disability #Accessibility #A11y #LinkedInTopVoices

How can a universal design perspective contribute to a discussion on residential accommodation and human rights? From schools to residential care facilities, buildings serve as reflections of prevailing norms and understandings. This book chapter by Anne Kathrine Frandsen and Inge Storgaard Bonfils compares the types of institutions and residential facilities that have been built for people with disabilities in the past and that are being built now. They highlight the interplay between views of humanity, social policy and architecture from the perspective of universal design. Anne Kathrine and Inge are editors of the anthology “Universal design: Cross-disciplinary perspectives in theory and practice”, which you can read here: https://lnkd.in/d5CNHzvS #UniversalDesign

Registration is now open for The "Myth" of Global Design History, a facilitated viewing event hosted by the Design Justice Network's PDX (Portland, Oregon) Node. What constitutes a global design history and why are certain people representative of an entire region? We’ll be critically examining ‘global’ design as a myth with BIPOC Design History's Randa Hadi in a facilitated viewing of the course The “Myth” of Global Design History taught by Danah Abdullah, a Palestinian designer, educator, and researcher currently based in London, UK. This class is from the BIPOC Design History course series Design Histories in the Southwest Asia & North Africa: Voices from the SWANA Diaspora 12th – 21st Century. The conversations that took place during the live streaming of this class was in the summer of 2023, during the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine by the illegal settler state of Israel. As we gather to discuss, untangle, and unlearn the design histories that have been passed down to us by institutions, we’re also fostering a safe space for difficult dialogues and conversations to take place. As Palestine continues to face genocide, how can we highlight, uplift, and share their narratives to ensure that these histories don’t get violently erased and forgotten? Seating is limited, so register soon at buff.ly/49L6QRS Please note that masks are required. Event Accommodations: - Auto-generated captions - Wheel-chair accessible, including bathrooms

There’s a reason why the Knowledge Management Centre at the National Institute of Design is not called a library. The KMC houses not only books, but also Prototypes, Board Games, Student Graduation Projects, Rare Textile pieces & Manuscripts, Audio & Video Tapes, Cassettes, Magazines and so much more! Introducing EyeSpy! What is EyeSpy? EyeSpy is a fresh student initiative to enable the NID community to interact more with the Knowledge Management Centre at NID, Ahmedabad and its resources. It’s called the KMC Curatorial Club! Why did it start? A group of 6 seniors came together and decided they wanted to gain a lot more from the KMC. Each of the founding members had a selfish motive behind joining EyeSpy - ranging from starting conversations, accessing gatekept resources, or just the joy of playing board games. These selfish motives came together to form EyeSpy - the KMC Curatorial Club, which was created for the community. There is so much hidden knowledge at the KMC that students don’t know about! EyeSpy bridges the gap between these design resources and students. What does EyeSpy do? We carefully curate resources from the KMC and bring them out to the NID community through interactive displays, exhibitions, student-led workshops, faculty talks and community activities! EyeSpy's Manifesto: A detailed manifesto was made by the founding members and the future generations of EyeSpy are inspired to live by it! The vision of EyeSpy is to decentralize, delocalise, and democratize information while making physical and cognitive space for this information. We aim to be inspirational, innovative and introductory - an initial gateway to any topic at hand. EyeSpy strives to be interdisciplinary because we see disciplines as not estranged, but entangled with one another. Lastly, we aim to illuminate; in order to make knowledge accessible, light must be shed on it appropriately. EyeSpy would not have been possible without the efforts of Aayush Mahale, Ahan S, AMULYA VIJAY DESHMUKH, Cyril M, Suhani Chheda, Razeen Mohammed, Vidit Jain, Rohit Paranjape, Javed Ali and Sahil Thappa. Lalitha Poluru, Anil Bhai and the KMC staff at NID, Ahmedabad have been a huge support in carrying EyeSpy forward. Check out the process and origin of EyeSpy: https://lnkd.in/d5hT5QMH

Breaking Down Barriers: Decolonizing Design for Cultural Justice Join us as we delve into the challenging conversation surrounding decolonizing design. Discover how outdated ideologies have hindered progress and learn how to create a more inclusive and just design space. Featuring artwork by Dory and insightful discussions on cultural justice. #DecolonizingDesign #InclusiveDesign #CulturalJustice #DesignProgress #DiversityInDesign #CreativeInclusion #DesignSpace #ArtisticExpression #BreakingBarriers #DesignIdeologies