EnsadLab & SACRe Seminars – Special Aalto University
November 13 & 14 – École des Arts Décoratifs – PSL, 31 rue d’Ulm, Paris
Coordination École des Arts Décoratifs – PSL / PG Arts: Francesca Cozzolino, Emanuele Quinz, Sini Rinne-Kanto, Amandine Pras, Emmanuel Mahé
Two days dedicated to the research of the Design Department at Aalto University in Helsinki are organized with EnsadLab–PSL and SACRe, as part of a collaboration between Paris 8 University and Aalto University. These sessions aim to foster exchange and critical reflection on contemporary design practices.
PROGRAM:
November 13
Seminar
14:30 PM – 17:00 PM
ENSAD-PSL will host the first day of the EnsadLab doctoral seminar, part of the PG Arts program at PSL. Led by Francesca Cozzolino and Emanuele Quinz, the seminar explores experimental research methods in art, design, and social sciences. The 2025-2026 theme, "Beyond Research-Creation," questions the balance between theory, critique, and practice and the role of research-creation in public and interdisciplinary contexts. The session features discussions on new alliances and collaborations in research, including a presentation by Guy Julier and Annamari Vänskä from Aalto University's Design department.
Conference
6:00 PM, Amphithéâtre Rodin, École des Arts Décoratifs – PSL
Practicing the Culture of Design – What Designers Could Do If They Stopped Trying to Solve Problems
Guy Julier
As part of the seminars, a public lecture by Guy Julier, Professor at the Design Department of Aalto University and author of The Culture of Design (2014, 2022), will take place on November 13 at 6:00 PM in Amphithéâtre Rodin, École des Arts Décoratifs – PSL.
Titled “Practicing the Culture of Design: What Designers Could Do If They Stopped Trying to Solve Problems”, this lecture invites a rethinking of design beyond the problem-solving paradigm. Guy Julier will explore how studying the “culture of design” can open the way to new critical and reflective practices within the discipline.
November 14
SACRe Doctoral Seminar
9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Under the guidance of Emanuele Quinz, the November 14 session will be dedicated to the doctoral students from Aalto and SACRe, providing a space for exchange and cross-disciplinary perspectives on their respective research. This seminar aims to strengthen dialogue among young design researchers from different academic and cultural contexts and to foster critical and reflective practices within the framework of research-creation.
Read more:
Séminaires EnsadLab & SACRe – spécial Aalto University
EnsadLab - School of Decorative Arts - PSL
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Simo Puintila & Kaisu Savola’s installation Hidden Statements was presented at the LUX Helsinki light festival in January 2025
Since the 19th century, every era has had its own influential ‘hero designers’ and ‘star architects’ who, through their works and words, have defined the ideals of the built environment. Hidden Statements is a participatory work that allows visitors to explore the quotes of these famous architects and designers. However, when placed under the spotlight, difficult questions emerge between the lines: who gets to decide how and from what perspectives our living environments are designed? Whose voice remains unheard, and which viewpoints remain unexplored?
https://luxhelsinki.fi/_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kaisu Savola at Alvar Aalto Design Seminar 2025
Checkpoint! How is the design heritage renewing itself? How will authentic and human design, crafts and cohabitation flourish in the age of AI?
The 10th International Alvar Aalto Design Seminar – Checkpoint will be held on Tuesday 10.6.2025 in the Main Building of the University of Jyväskylä (Alvar Aalto, 1954-55). The one-day seminar opens up the challenges of today’s design field amidst major global changes. Three topical themes are Authenticity, Cohabitation and Evolution. We look with optimism towards a diverse future of sustainable development in design. The seminar’s first speakers are now listed: Designer Ineke Hans (NL), Professor Design & Social Context at UdK-Berlin (DE); Design Professor Ann Light, University of Sussex (UK) and Malmö University (SE); Design lead and entrepreneur Zeynep Falay Von Flittner, Falay Transition Design (FI/TUR); Design historian and curator Kaisu Savola, Aalto University (FI); Industrial designer Harri Koskinen, head of Friends of Industry Ltd. (FI) and CEO Hanna Neuvo, FYRA Design Agency (FI).
https://www.alvaraalto.fi/en/news/10th-international-alvar-aalto-design-seminar-checkpoint-themes-and-first-speakers-listed/_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Work Of Translation: Researching Design Culture
Interview with Guy Julier and Annamari Vänskä in World Design Organisation Newsletter about Design Culture Research Group.
https://wdo.org/a-work-of-translation-researching-design-culture/
Feminist Border Crossings
Feminist Border Crossings seminar explored the significance of design in contemporary societies from feminist perspectives.
An article about the half-day seminar organized at Aalto University to celebrate the launch of the Design Culture Studies Research Group and the 20th anniversary of Hilma, a network of ten gender studies units in Finland.
Visiting Lecture "Women's Wisdom: Re-Framing the Study of Design and Fashion" by Professor Hazel Clark from Parsons School of Design, New School, New York 11.10.2024 at Aalto University's Seminar Feminist Border Crossings.
The lecture of Professor Hazel Clark on Aalto University's YouTube channel_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OPEN CALL: Nordic Fashion, Printed Culture and Heritage Making
This summer, International Library of Fashion Research institutes a pilot researcher-in-residence program, with an aim to expand the knowledge around contemporary Nordic fashion cultures. As a stimulating meeting point and resource for fashion research in the Nordics, the researcher-in-residence program will be an important initiative to collect, archive and preserve printed matter from this region, including (but not limited to) magazines, photo books, catalogs, illustrations and other physical ephemera and documents, based on a multitude of Nordic fashion practitioners, collectors and institutions, to ultimately integrate this material as a significant specialization of our permanent collection – and cherish it for the future.
The researcher-in-residence pilot program will begin on August 1st 2024 and end on December 1st 2024. A stipend of 50,000 Norwegian kroner is allocated to the selected researcher. It’s fully possible to combine the program with other professional endeavors or studies. Occasional visits to International Library of Fashion Research’s collection and study space in Oslo will be arranged, and it’s not mandatory to be physically present in Oslo during the entire course of the program. “Nordic Fashion, Printed Culture and Heritage Making” is supported by the Nordic Culture Fund.
To apply and read more:
https://fashionresearchlibrary.com/program/open-call-nordic-fashion-printed-culture-and-heritage-making
Namkyu Chun, a member of Design Culture research group, has been appointed to the advisory board of the pilot researcher-in-residence program for "Nordic Fashion, Printed Culture and Heritage Making" at the International Library of Fashion Research in Oslo, Norway.
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Talks and discussions in 2024
Thursday 26th September Annamari Vänskä gives a talk on the lecture series Muodin huipulla at the Museum Milavida in Tampere. The title of her talk is “Aalto Fashion: Suomalaisen muodin edelläkävijä” (Aalto Fashion: The Forerunner of Finnish Fashion).
More information about the lecture series here (in Finnish)
Friday 13th September Annamari Vänskä gives a talk at the Joensuu Literary Event “Taste in Literature and in Other Arts”. The title of her talk is “Kuka päättää mistä tykkäät? Maku digitalisoituvassa kulttuurissa” (Who decides what you like? Taste in digitalizing culture).
More information and program here (in Finnish)
September 4th at Nide live: Fashion and Scandal in the Age of War and Woke. The book talk series Nide Live returns with a deep dive into the world of fashion and its many scandals – from marketing tools to existential crises. Authors and researchers Annamari Vänskä and Olga Gurova discuss their new book Understanding Fashion Scandals (Bloomsbury, 2024 ) that explores past fashion scandals, analyses recent controversies and brand responses, and shows a way forward towards a more just and inclusive fashion world. Nide (Fredrikinkatu 35) Free entry.
More information here_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In media
Nokian salaiset suunnitelmat - Viime tingassa pelastetut Nokian dokumentit avaavat uudenlaisen näkymän matkapuhelinten historiaan. HS Visio tutustui julkaisemattomia tuotteita ja luottamuksellisia suunnitelmia sisältävään muotoiluarkistoon.
The Crazy Nokia Designs That Never Saw the Light of Day - The Nokia Design Archive features some of the company’s wackier mobile ideas, including wearables, a touchscreen credit card, and a phone that lets you feel the texture of images.
Lord of the ringtones: Nokia celebrates pop-culture status by opening design archive. The mobile phones we loved then lost are honoured by an online archive which reveals history of bestselling brand.
“Do you buy fashion from online stores? Customer data leaks to third parties, new study shows”.
A newspaper article on the publication “Fair Data is the New Black” by Annamari Vänskä, Natalia Särmäkari and colleagues, Sunnuntaisuomalainen, 2 October (in Finnish).
Article in Sunnuntaisuomalainen
Your taste is not yours. In datafied world, gathering data has become so precise that it is no longer possible to talk about an individual's taste in the sense that was previously thought.
Annamari Vänskä's interview about taste and algorithms in the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish).
Understanding Fashion Scandals (2023) by Annamari Vänskä and Olga Gurova
Svenska YLE
“Vi är moralpoliser som styr med våra likes och pengar: Så uppstår en modeskandal”, an article about the book Understanding Fashion Scandals by Annamari Vänskä and Olga Gurova.
https://svenska.yle.fi/a/7-10064191.
Kulturnytt
“Modevärlden är centrum för skandaler som handlar om vår egen moral”. Kulturnytt on the book Understanding Fashion Scandals by Annamari Vänskä and Olga Gurova.
https://arenan.yle.fi/poddar/1-71945558
Podcast
“P Diddys 1000 flaskor babyolja och 784 dildon: Nu sitter rapparen häktad”, a podcast on fashion scandals inspired by the book Understanding Fashion Scandals by Annamari Vänskä and Olga Gurova.
Design Culture Research Group
Exploring the significance of design in contemporary society.
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Research projects from the Design Culture research group.
Design Culture People
Design Culture brings together academics in the Department of Design who explore the significance of design in contemporary society.
Design Culture Events
Events organised by the Design Culture research group
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