Graduation projects from the Product Design department of Iceland Academy of the Arts. The exhibition took place in Listasafn Reykjavíkur between 25th of april – 10th of may 2015.
Tutors of the projects: Garðar Eyjólfsson & Thomas Pausz
Guest Tutors: Markús Þór Andrésson, Tinna Gunnarsdóttir & Will Shannon
Final examiner: Lex Pott
For more details visit Voho15
Hið íslenzka epli: Auður Inez Sellgren
Half of the world’s apple production is in China and a big portion of them is transported over great distances. Hið íslenzka epli is made of locally sourced materials and has the same nutritional value as a classic apple.
Present food systems use a lot of energy for transportation and storage. Future forecasts of population and limitations of energy sources show that the currents system will not meet the demands of the society of the future. Therefore it is important to take action and stimulate local production. In that way food security is increased and ecological footprint of individuals and societies is decreased.
Gaza Brick: Corto Jabali
Gazabrick is an attempt to work around present embargos on importing building materials into Gaza by experimenting with a building material that can be produced locally.
My name is Corto Jabali and I am a 3rd generation Palestinian. As such I am disassociated with the problems present Palestinians face on a daily basis. Through this project I attempted to solve some of the humanitarian issues by using my skills as a designer. In the summer of 2014 thousands of homes were destroyed when Israel attacked the Gazastrip. Many Gazans were left homeless or living in ruins.
Through my research I discovered a material called geopolymer cement, which can be produced with readily available materials: natron salt, wood ash and kaolin. These materials are either accessible in Gaza or have not been banned by Israel´s embargo, making it possible to source or import what is necessary to produce the brick locally.
Rusted Heritage: Harpa Hrund Pálsdóttir
Series of crochet objects eroded by the sea.
Raufarhöfn is a desolate fishing village on the north-east of Iceland. With time the once vibrant village has eroded and is slowly rusting away. This place means a lot to me as I spent my summers there as a kid, with my grandparents. One summer my grandmother taught me how to crochet.
It was a recent trip there, paired with my memories of Raufarhöfn, the rust, the sea, my grandmother’s craft and the gradual decay of the town and the loved ones there that inspired Rusted Heritage.
Rusted Heritage combines delicate craft with coarse material. Wire and yarn are crochet together to form irregular basket like objects that erode in the sea. The rust from the wire bleeds into the yarn and the sea leaves a salted crust that hardens it.
The objects are an interpretation of what was, what is and what will be.
One by One: Kristín Guðmundsdóttir
One by One is a new concept in cosmetic cleansers. The cleansing balls are made primarily from Icelandic herbs, focusing on natural, non-toxic ingredients.
The soft balls contain a single-use dose of cosmetic cleanser that dissolves during use, countering the rapidly growing enviromental problem of disposable cleansing cloths. The product is rubbed between wet hands and applied to the face with gentle hand strokes.
The material efficiently removes all make up and cleanses the face with only hands and water, reducing the amount of disposable fiber cloths that contribute to the waste stream.
The container is specially designed from porcelain, dispensing one ball at the time. The container is convenient for traveling and is reusable, able to be refilled time and again.
Fragments: Elsa Dagný Ásgeirsdóttir
Translation from a tooth to a pearl.
As many Icelanders, my family had spread around the country and overseas. However fragments of our collective memory was kept in a little box, hidden in a drawer in the form of a tooth collection. The teeth were collected with care and cordiality but were not considered appropriate for display.
Even though the teeth tell beautiful stories and embody memories from the family many people find fallen human teeth rather grotesque. I wanted to find a design process to make the collection of teeth more accessible and visible. By transforming the teeth into powder and fusing it into glasspearls the material regains value.
As jewelry the tooth pearls can be worn by family members as a window into the past and a symbol of collective memory.
Healing Earth: Sigrún Thorlacius
Healing EarthBy cultivating carefully chosen species of fungi in contaminated areas, toxic land can be converted into viable ecosystems.
There are species in the fungus kingdom that in unison are able to break down all major toxins that threaten life on Earth. On their menu are chemicals, persistent organic pollutants, oils, radioactive compounds and even plastic.
Some species absorb heavy metals and detox surrounding soil. Mushroom mycelium decomposes large and complex molecules into smaller particles that other organisms can utilize.
By doing this, fungi can start a chain reaction of toxin degradation, which otherwise would accumulate in the environment with unpredictable consequences.
Hybrid Shell: Elísabet Kristín Oddsdóttir
Removed hair is transformed into a new material that can be used as protection for the body.
Man is the source of hair that gives him protection from the environment. When the hair has been removed from the body, it has the commonality of fibers that can be used for construction of new materials.
The new material is a type of fiberglass where the glass fibers are replaced by hair. Hair is then mixed with liquid polymer resin that is used for industrial production. Man does not have to look far to acquire materials. In the project Hybrid Shell hair obtains it’s protective role again in the new manufactured form. When worn the shell becomes a part of Man’s body like hair.
Tunna: Esra Sólrúnarson
Tunna is an example of how it’s possible to change trash in to value with simple and accessible methods.
Annually Icelanders dump hundred’s of tons of trash. Lot of that are materials that are imported to Iceland but only part of it is recycled. Materials as plastic, lumber and metals are only several examples.
With effective ways to sort and a cultural shift in the mindset of the Icelandic community I believe that we can change the trash in to a big resource in Iceland. Tunna is one example of a way to take part of that development in a simple but effective manner.
Extension: Helga Birgisdóttir
By researching old food storage methods the aim is to regain some of the respect we’ve lost for food in an effort to reduce food waste.
Over the last few decades, food production and food supply has increased dramatically. Our ancestors had great respect for food but today’s consumers are increasingly losing their connection with nature and the origins of their food. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in wasted food. Food waste is a big environmental issue, with a third of all food produced annually going to waste, releasing great amountsof greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We are responsible for reversing this vicious cycle.
Extension is a low-tech vegetable storage thatrequires the user to care for the vegetables after they have been harvested. The storage uses two different food storage methods to maintain the freshness ofthe vegetables and creates ideal conditions for storing them. The storage unit is designed as a tool for urban gardening, which is a rapidly growing phenomenon. The same methods can also be used for storing vegetables from the produce department.