Experience Design blood, Graphic Design heart

Art&Money Exhibition

me@fernandatorre.com — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:57:51 +0000

From the 1st of June I will be exhibiting on Art&Money collective exhibition, in Detroit Gallery at Roslagsgatan in Stockholm. The challenge came from the curator Caroline Johansson who has for long been interested in this topic. In Caroline’s words: “That I’ve chosen to focus on medias such as video and installation is of course no coincidence. The desire to in as a high extent as possible, almost naïve it may seem, remain outside the market, extends to the choice of art. Video and installation works have a much more complex relationship to the market than art forms like painting for example. These works place themselves outside the market when they are not aimed at financial gain, but only aims to increase the audience experience. Installation’s character is also such that it, more than two-dimensional works, leads to a form of solidarity and collective public esteem. When the two-dimensional work has a tendency to isolate the exhibition visitor installation rather do the opposite, precisely because of its three dimensionality.”
I thought it would be a great opportunity to explore further my idea about how the market system could affect the price off drinks according to one’s nationality. Migration discrimination or the simple facts of a capitalist system? If you want to know more just come by the exhibition! (Facebook event coming soon!)

#SciFund and Riccardo Guidi’s research

me@fernandatorre.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:27:18 +0000

I have been helping my friend Riccardo Guidi to make a video to SciFund. Can scientists rise money through crowdfunding? This is our first meeting. The final result will be coming soon!

My thesis teaser: EXPERIENCE DESIGN AS EXPECTATION DESIGN – And the ethical considerations of manipulating through expectations

me@fernandatorre.com — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:01:42 +0000

My thesis paper examines how experiences are shaped by expectations. I use the accumulated knowledge about placebo effect as a starting point to explore how expectations come about in our bodies and mind, both emotionally and intellectually. I found that, under the use of Experience Design, expectation and classical conditioning can become powerful methodologies of influence and manipulation. Furthermore I explore how the usage of expectation to condition and influence someone’s experience can be considered morally and ethically questionable, presenting possible paths for an ethical debate around Experience Design.

ReAct! new website

me@fernandatorre.com — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:46:38 +0000

ReAct! is an inter-artistic group from which I am a founding member. Things are going great and now we have a new website (designed by me! go figure!). Go and check it out! Long live the performative arts!

Portuguese Moustache Party

me@fernandatorre.com — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:46:09 +0000

The Portuguese club Amigos da Lusitania organized a Moustache Party. Here is my contribution to the cause: the party poster!

Naaka Mukka

me@fernandatorre.com — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:15:46 +0000

In January I went to India, more specifically to NID (National Institute of Design) to participate on a Think-Tank on the Future of Authenticity in India. After this experience I have been growing my interest in Indian culture. Today I found what I have long been looking for: the original add from the Indian Times made for Chennai city. It’s amazing. Just watch it!!

“Nakka Mukka: the taste and smell of culture in advertising”

‘A Day in the life of Chennai’ is an advertising spot for the Times of India newspaper, created by JWT Mumbai and filmed in my home town Chennai. Released to coincide with the 369th anniversary of the city of Chennai (and the introduction of a Times of India Chennai edition) the film won multiple awards, including 2 Gold Lions at Cannes. This astonishes me. Not because the ad isn’t fantastically good but because it is so specific and local in its narrative, music, and visual storytelling, yet manages to be successful and relevant to audiences elsewhere. I mention it as a reference here for this very reason.

Chennai is a city where politics is visible on the street in a variety of different marks ranging from particular semiology to giant cutouts that are nearly 100 feet tall. The cutouts are usually of film actors, many of whom use the medium of the masses (cinema) to launch their political careers.

The ad, uses very localised ‘insider’ language including graphic handpainted cutouts, Tamil folk music and dappankoothu dance to tell its story. As the creative director Senthil Kumar explains, the ad presents a short satire on the life of a giant cardboard cutout character through the course of one day in the life of the city of Chennai. It acts as a visual metaphor for the rise and fall of actor-turned-politicians.

Naaka Mukka (‘naaka’ meaning tongue, and ‘mukka’ meaning nose) is the title of the ancient Tamil folk track that was rewritten for the video, with the new lyrics sung by a folk singer Madurai Chinna Ponnu.”

Jainism in India

me@fernandatorre.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:36:20 +0000

Just another normal day in India… A Jain procession just outside our hotel.

I got the “Ulla Fröberg-Cramérs stipendiestiftelse” scolarship!

me@fernandatorre.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:27:01 +0000

Fresh news! The title says it all… I just got a scholarship from the foundation “Ulla Fröberg-Cramérs stipendiestiftelse”!! I am very happy!

Passos Coelho applies the Shock Doctrine in Portugal

me@fernandatorre.com — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:24:30 +0000

What Portuguese people are going through is much more that a harsh State Budget, is more than being in a tight spot. Things will never get better, mark my words. The tight measures presented this week by Passos Coelho Government are in fact transformative, not just “draconian” measures like they were presented in the international press, they are in fact going to change Portugal to a privatized country. Passos Coelho never hidden his intentions to privatize the education and the health care, now he is just using the “crisis” to push that agenda. This is a very clear example of what Naomi Klein described in her book “The Shock Doctrine”. Portuguese are in shock, they are scared, and they are in need. A very good and sad example of this shock is the increasing number of women prostituting themselves, reported this week by TSF radio. How much in shock does a woman have to be to be willing to prostitute herself? I would say very much. But it seems that no one cares about this facts. Portuguese are desperate and the government is taking advantage of this fact.
“In the aftermath, like the prisoner in the interrogation chamber, we too become child like. We are inclined to follow lieders who clame to protect us.” Describes Naomi Klein in the book “Shock Doctrine”. This is exactly what is happening in Portugal, the population is in shock, in a child like state and they will follow who ever seems to protect them even though the ones that swore to protect us are destroying our country and our care state.

EDG 2 welcomes EDG1 in an unorthodox way

me@fernandatorre.com — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:32:11 +0000

They say games and play are great ice breakers. We tested that with EDG1 and Sumo suits!

EDG Sumo Fight from Experience Design Group on Vimeo.