The MAK, with its historical mission as a place where “art and industry” meet, and departure, as a creative agency with the objective of integrating cultural and creative work into the local economy, have joined together to activate the exchange between creativity and business in order to react to the complex social, economic, and ecological issues of our day. As part of this effort, the program series design> new strategies is intended as a platform for the initiation of new collaborative relationships in which borders between disciplines and traditional conflicts of interest can be overcome. Strategic partnerships between the areas of creation, research, and production represent pioneering models. Here, design itself is understood to be a strategy that helps to create, communicate, and realize new products and services by way of an intercreative practice.
In the newly developed formats departure/MAK d>link, d>lab and d>nite, design experts of international renown engage in exchange with individuals from Vienna’s creative industries in order to question, challenge, and help shape the interrelationships between design, industry, and society. The various events represent an offer to join together in search of new opportunities, new interfaces for cooperation, and—ultimately—new fields of activity.
Since 2009, the tried-and-true cooperation between the MAK and departure has been opening up a continuous and interdisciplinary discourse based on innovative artistic strategies and their implementation in presentations and exhibitions such as How to React to a City (2010). In order to sharpen the perception of design’s cultural and economic relevance while also strengthening Vienna’s status as a growing center of the creative industries, the cooperation’s initial project was a series of lectures and accompanying presentation of objects. This series focused on the axis consisting of London, Milan, and Vienna. The series’ individual events have seen world-class designers and businesspeople, artistic directors and visionary thinkers including Ron Arad, Omar Vulpinari/Fabrica, Sam Jacob/FAT, and Andrea Branzi lay out their respective approaches and concepts in detail. Additionally, prototypes and new ideas of young Austrian designers have been curated and presented in exhibitions at the MAK DESIGN SPACE adhering to the motto START_UP:
departure/MAK d>link
Under the motto of “design> new strategies”, the MAK and departure will be holding a series of so-called design links. In five evening events all in all, personalities from the areas of design, the economy, and research from all over the world will be entering into a dialogue with the local creative community. Brief keynote statements will be followed by a discussion of methods and strategies before the panel opens into a broad Questions & Answers knowledge market. To put the central issue of the evening in different perspectives and to activate the knowledge transfer, representatives of Vienna-based institutions and research programs will be specifically invited for each event.
departure/MAK d>lab
Aside from the public d>link events, two-day design labs (application required) that are informed by the focal themes of the “design> new strategies” cooperation will be held. MAK exhibitions will provide the spatial and thematic environment for the interdisciplinary d>labs. The goal of the workshops will be the development of a “toolbox” of methods and practical approaches to help the design process. The workshops are intended for interested interdisciplinary workers from the design and creative areas, particularly third and fourth year students and young professionals. Attendance is free. Cost of materials, unless provided by the MAK, is to be covered by participants. Workshops are held at the MAK during regular opening hours.
departure/MAK d>nite
The d>nite will be the highlight of the half-day MAK Design Summit held in the context of the annual Vienna Design Week. This evening event will take place under the banner of professional networking, featuring as a special attraction a public design performance developed especially for the occasion.
The past few years of cooperation between the MAK and departure have seen the presentation of material including contributions by Milan-based Recession Design (2009) as well as the performance Eyes Wide Shut. Design & Crime (2009), which featured a multitude of up-and-coming young designers from Vienna and was curated by London architect and critic Sam Jacob (FAT).
In the newly developed formats departure/MAK d>link
departure/MAK d>link
Under the motto of “design> new strategies”, the MAK and departure will be holding a series of so-called design links. In five evening events all in all, personalities from the areas of design, the economy, and research from all over the world will be entering into a dialogue with the local creative community. Brief keynote statements will be followed by a discussion of methods and strategies before the panel opens into a broad Questions & Answers knowledge market. To put the central issue of the evening in different perspectives and to activate the knowledge transfer, representatives of Vienna-based institutions and research programs will be specifically invited for each event.
departure/MAK d>lab
Aside from the public d>link events, two-day design labs (application required) that are informed by the focal themes of the “design> new strategies” cooperation will be held. MAK exhibitions will provide the spatial and thematic environment for the interdisciplinary d>labs. The goal of the workshops will be the development of a “toolbox” of methods and practical approaches to help the design process. The workshops are intended for interested interdisciplinary workers from the design and creative areas, particularly third and fourth year students and young professionals. Attendance is free. Cost of materials, unless provided by the MAK, is to be covered by participants. Workshops are held at the MAK during regular opening hours.
departure/MAK d>nite
The d>nite will be the highlight of the half-day MAK Design Summit held in the context of the annual Vienna Design Week. This evening event will take place under the banner of professional networking, featuring as a special attraction a public design performance developed especially for the occasion.
The past few years of cooperation between the MAK and departure have seen the presentation of material including contributions by Milan-based Recession Design (2009) as well as the performance Eyes Wide Shut. Design & Crime (2009), which featured a multitude of up-and-coming young designers from Vienna and was curated by London architect and critic Sam Jacob (FAT).
