March
16 - 17, 2007
WHAT
MATTERS International Symposium in collaboration with Otis College
of Art and Design, Los Angeles
WHAT MATTERS
is an international symposium for professionals, academics,
and students of graphic, product and architectural design, hosted
by and at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California,
in collaboration with the :OUTPUT Foundation, based in Amsterdam,
the Netherlands. Speakers include Florian Pfeffer and Rene Veenhuizen.
WHAT MATTERS
is the first triennial symposium in which Otis will work in
collaboration with the :output foundation. :output is the largest
international competition for students of visual communication
and to commemorate their 10th anniversary they have initiated
this symposium and extended entries to include architecture
and product design
WHAT MATTERS
will consist of five lectures by internationally recognized
professionals in the fields of graphic design, product design,
and architecture, and three presentations by teams of faculty
and students from academic institutions representing those fields.
WHAT MATTERS
asks this question in the context of increasing specialization
of skills and production processes within a flattened world
of globalization. How can graphic, product and architectural
design maintain their disciplinary concerns within this commercially
driven context? How can transfers between these disciplines
advance their specific concerns? How can WHAT MATTERS to these
disciplines affect commerce and production? How can WHAT MATTERS
to graphic, product and architectural design make a difference?
The WHAT
MATTERS Symposium is a public event that requires registration
and will take place on March 16th and 17th.
About
Florian Pfeffer
Florian Pfeffer, Amsterdam, Netherlands/Bremen, Germany
Florian Pfeffer is a partner of the design studio ‚jung
und pfeffer‘ with offices in Amsterdam and Bremen. He
is professor for visual communication at the Hochschule für
Gestaltung in Karlsruhe, Germany. Pfeffer is a regular speaker
at design conferences in Germany, Italy, USA and Turkey and
has taught at universities in the USA, Germany and Lebanon.
He writes and publishes essays about the role of design in history
and future society. Pfeffer is the creator and the director
of the :OUTPUT foundation, as well as the editor, designer and
author of the yearbook :OUTPUT.
About
Rene Veenhuizen
René Veenhuizen is partners with Tejo Remy and is on
faculty at the School of Art in Utrecht. Their work has been
exhibited all over Europe, in Japan, Los Angeles, and New York.
They have received a number of commissions from individuals,
institutions, and organizations inside the Netherlands and abroad.
René has lectured in Europe and in the United States,
most notably, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACME. Presentation
with: Utrecht School of Art student
About :output foundation // www.inputoutput.de
:output is a non-profit organization in Amsterdam. The goal
of the foundation is to support young talents and provide a
platform for the exchange of ideas on design education and the
design profession. We ...
... organize the competition :output calls for input
... publish the yearbook :output with the best works of students
around the world
... organize the biannual design conference „What matters“
... connect industry and design education through innovation
projects (:output lab)
... build an international network of design education.
About
the host
WHAT MATTERS Host // www.otis.edu
OTIS College of Art and Design, founded in 1918, prepares diverse
students of art and design to enrich our world through their
creativity, their skill and their vision. Otis attracts students
from 39 states and 26 countries and the student population is
comprised of 33% Asian-Americans, 12% Latinos, 2% African-Americans,
1% Native-Americans, 39% Caucasians, and 13% international students.
Otis is the most diverse private art college in the U.S. and
students pursue degrees in architecture/landscape/interiors,
fine arts, communication arts, toy design, fashion design, interactive
product design, writing, and digital media. www.otis.edu
About
Kali Nikitas, Otis Chair, Communication Arts
Kali Nikitas is Chair of the Communication Arts department at
Otis College of Art and Design. She previously served as an
Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual Arts
at Northeastern University in Boston, chaired the Design Department
at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and was on the
faculty of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She received
her MFA from CalArts in Graphic Design. Her work has been published
in Emigre, Eye, I.D., Step, and the AIGA Journal. She has received
awards from the ACD, AIGA and the Type Directors Club. Nikitas
has lectured nationally and internationally and participated
in a number of symposia, conferences, and workshops. Nikitas
and her husband, Rich Shelton, are the partners of Graphic Design
for Love (+$) a boutique studio serving cultural studios and
institutions
Contact:
Kali
Nikitas
knikitas@otis.edu
www.otis.edu
