Nearly ten exhibitions from Estonia and elsewhere have been brought together in the historic Baltic Station Departure Pavillion. The city topics will be opened for big and small visitors by the “Human Cities" exhibition, the exhibition of the Aalto Exit Architectural School, the iF Design Talent Award, the Kalamaja community exhibition based on the book “Kalamaja is in the Air” and children's drawings exhibition about their ideal city. The exhibition "Dialogue" of Haapsalu Graphic Design Festival will also be shown. Visitors will be able to see the relaxation capsule HÄLO completed under the Human Cities project. For children, an area has been created in the Baltic station where they can build their own city.

Of course, in the Baltic Station Departure Pavillion, there is also a cozy cafe and an area where you can relax.

Human Cities

As the world is changing, we are faced with new paradigms. Rapid urbanisation has led to more than half of the world’s population now living in cities. Cities will need to find ways to accommodate this growth. They will also need to seek solutions for a range of other challenges: economic and cultural globalisation, environmental crises, inter-city competition to attract investments and changes to the ways people live, work and spend their leisure time. All this means that cities are facing a new reality.

This is the context in which, 2014-2018, Human Cities Challenging the City Scale has questioned the scale and co-creation of the contemporary city. Based on a concept created in 2006 by Brussels-based international creative consultancy Pro Materia, the project is now managed by Cité du design Saint-Etienne.

The project was co-funded by the European Commission's Creative Europe / Culture Programme and has involved 12 partners from 11 European cities: Tallinn, London, Brussels, Belgrade, Cieszyn, Saint-Etienne, Graz, Helsinki, Bilbao, Ljubljana and Milan. The partners included universities, design centres and creative design consultancies.

They shared a common goal: to identify practice that challenges the way cities are co-designed. In 4 years the project has seen a rich programme of activities and outputs: an investigation of 90 state-of-the-art case studies, collected in a book; 9 co-creative sessions, 18 experiments in 13 cities, 12 international workshops, 11 international conferences, 6 master classes, 9 exhibitions.

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HÄLO

hääl + halo + häll + hallo

Dear passer-by - do you need a break to relax your mind and rest your body?

Then take a deep breath and take some time to relax. This is for you.

In the framework of a “Human Cities” European Union co-operation project, the Estonian team has started to develop a relaxing rest capsule named HÄLO. It is planned to place HÄLO in crowded places in urban areas such as airports or public indoor parks in the atriums of modern shopping centers and office buildings. The content of ​​the idea is to allow people to take a break from the turmoil of the city and accelerate recovery from mental overload. The goal of HÄLO is to promote the importance of a break and relaxation, to maintain mental and physical health and to demonstrate the importance of design in creating a high-level material and sensory environment. The duration of a séance is approximately 20 min.

Aalto the EXIT School of Architecture

The Exit School of Architecture project examines shared local identities and meanings in new Finnish architecture. It looks at the works’ participatory methods to find what aspects of local culture and aesthetics are embedded in the design process and the final product. The exhibition demonstrates shared social and aesthetic values and reasoning behind the present Nordic Noir architecture in Finland.

There are present 14 recently completed projects and 6 diploma works that abandon standardized ways of building to find more meaningful, individual solutions to design problems in contemporary cities and landscapes while retaining shared aesthetic values of solitude, simplicity, and closeness to nature in materials and spatial expression.

HGDF International competition.exhibition DIALOGUE

HGDF focuses on developments of the poster art and creative signature in graphic design work. At the international competition DIALOGUE participants implemented the opportunities in a very large scale using typography, calligraphy, illustration, photography, painting techniques and a mix of many techniques. 162 works were received from the EU, Russia, China, Iran, etc. The jury chose 82 works for the exhibition supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Haapsalu Town Government and the Estonian Graphic Designers Association.

The iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD is one of the largest and most prestigious competitions for students and young graduates in the field of design. It takes place twice a year with four rotating topics for each.

The topics of this edition were:

1. Smart Homes, Connected Cities – Visions for Cities and Citizens

2. Public Value, Life & Humanity – Living Together

3. Micro Apartments – Maximizing Small Space

4. Future Healthcare – Using Technology to Keep Us Healthier

More than 5,000 entries from 45 countries were submitted to this round of the competition. 68 were awarded – 20 particularly creative concepts (“BEST OF THE YEAR”) also received a share of the 20,000 euros in prize money. The 31 winners of topic 1 and 2 are shown at the exhibition.

The 4th grade English-language group from Augustine Kitzberg's school in Karksi-Nuia, got a task to think about the city where in future they would like to live most. And whether they think this city would be the best choice for other as well.   Everyone got own vision from their thoughts, which eventually became a drawing on paper and which, hopefully, inspires to create such cities!

In sping 2018 a community book titled “Õhus on Kalamaja” (“Kalamaja is in the Air”) was written and published by a group of Kalamaja fans. Kalamaja is one of the most popular and fastest growing districts in Tallinn today. The book gives a multi-layered insight to this hipsterville of Estonia, its true essence and colourful inhabitants. Through different stories, personal experiences and throw-backs in history the reader discovers how Kalamaja has transformed from a wooden slum of factory workers to a centre of creative industries and a mecca for gastronomes without overlooking problematic issues caused by gentrification. The book is accompanied by an exhibition that portrays locals, who all have a unique and different perception of Kalamaja.

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The aim of the workshop was to make an old industrial city Saint-Étienne old main street a more human centred place to be. In order to do that the current situation was mapped. Based on the findings the street was made more interactive. The main focus was on children to whom some play areas were created and the overall safety of the street was increased.

Estonian designers, who took part in the project: Johanna Tammsalu, Madlen Hirtentreu, Eva-Karlotta Tatar, Mihkel Mäll and Mihkel-Emil Mikk.

There are many causes for the growth of cities. Industry, service, higher economic efficiency, access to cultural life and entertainment, etc. Every year, millions of Europeans abandon their ritual lifestyle to try their luck in the city. The city is synonymous with a comfortable and meaningful life.

The city is a vibrant system, the health and culture of the city depend on ourselves, in addition to city planners. Unfortunately, we often meet little interest of the urban planners in meeting the needs of the population, and often also the inadequate activity of the inhabitants.

At the Conference "Human Cities," we hear stories from visionaries and practitioners about how to cope with new challenges in the environment of rapid urbanization, how to create and maintain a decent and cultural environment in cities.

The Keynote Speakers are:

Mark Kingwell (Canada)

Liam Young (UK)

Veronika Valk-Siska (Estonia)

Kate Rhodes (Australia)

Chantal Vanoeteren (Belgium)

Also, all representatives of cities participating in the Human Cities project will be talking about the experiments and pilot projects that have been carried out in their cities.

The project was attended by 12 partners from 11 European cities: Tallinn, London, Brussels, Belgrade, Cieszyn, Saint-Etienne, Graz, Helsinki, Bilbao, Ljubljana, and Milan.

READ MORE ABOUT THE MAIN SPEAKERS >>>>>

Mark Kingwell  

Mark Kingwell is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto and a contributing editor of Harper’s Magazine in NY; author of 18 books of political, cultural, and aesthetic theory, published many scholarly articles. Books: Unruly Voices (2012), Measure Yourself Against the Earth (2015), Fail Better: Why Baseball Matters (2017) and forthcoming The Interface (2019).

"Human Cities, Posthuman Cities"

Traditional urban philosophy has focussed on the relationship between humans and their built environments. Thus the emphasis on spaces, forms and circulatory systems are conditioned by the physical features of people. A standard injunction of such philosophy would then be to make cities ‘more human’. But what if the standard human body is no longer the baseline for consciousness within cities? In such a case, cities would offer both enabling features as well as exciting possibilities.

Liam Young is a co-founder of Tomorrows Thoughts Today, an urban futures think tank, exploring the local and global implications of new technologies and Unknown Fields, a nomadic research studio that travels on expeditions to chronicle these emerging conditions as they occur on the ground. Liam's narrative approach sits between documentary and fiction as he focuses on projects that aim to reveal the invisible connections and systems that make the modern world work.

Our luminous technologies cast shadows that stretch across the planet. Join speculative architect Liam young and an all-seeing smart city operating system as they take a tour in a driverless taxi on a storytelling tour through the flickering screen and beyond the fog of the cloud, to explore City Everywhere, a quasi-fictional city of the near future, extrapolated from the fears and wonders of an increasingly complex present. Seen through the eyes of the machines we are now designing our cities for you will visit the autonomous infrastructures, industrial territories and sacrificial landscapes that span from the robot ports on the Siberian coastline to the massive mining excavations carved from the middle of Australia where our gadgets begin their lives.

Chantal Vanoeteren

As a town planner, Chantal Vanoeteren stimulates co-creative innovative collaborations with a focus on the reclaiming of public space. She co-founded Human Cities and recently co-organized Citizen Lights, a new civic festival in a multicultural neighbourhood in Brussels with the participation of a large range of local players.

Bottom-up initiatives play an increasingly and more important part in the design of contemporary cities and public spaces. Public authorities and private companies also give more and more attention to these trends in order to enhance social cohesion. City authorities are inspired by such initiatives and launch new calls in order to stimulate local co-creative projects.

Kate Rhodes

Kate Rhodes is curator at RMIT Design Hub, a purpose-built, ten-storey home for design exhibitions, programs and research in Melbourne. Kate has worked on art, craft and design exhibitions, workshops and creative activities both in Australia and internationally. She is the creator of several craft and design audio guide projects including the Audio Design Museum, the Sound of Buildings and Melbourne Unbuilt. Kate was creative director of the State of Design Festival, and curator of its Design for Everyone program. She has held the position of curator at the Australian Centre for Design, Sydney; Craft Victoria and the National Design Centre in Melbourne and was assistant curator of photography and Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Victoria for five years. As editor of architecture and design magazine Artichoke, Kate founded Artichoke Night School – a forum for taking design ideas in print into a live discussion. She completed a Masters of Art Curatorship at the University of Melbourne in 2002, and a Masters of Design Research in RMIT’s Faculty of Architecture and Design in 2010, where she has also taught. Kate has also been recognised as part of the Design Honours Program at the Australian Centre for Design. Kate was a founding member of the Office for Good Design, a unique curatorial group that works with private organisations and major cultural institutions to realise their interest in design, architecture and the broader creative industries.

WORKAROUND – Women Design Action was an exhibition and online broadcast hosted at RMIT Design Hub in Melbourne, Australia, in August 2018. The exhibition engaged with a movement of Australian women focused on advocacy and activism within an expanded field of architecture. Each of the practitioners featured work towards positive change in the built environment and its surrounding cultures. Motivated by the increasing urgency of environmental, social and professional challenges, these women “work around” existing conventions, systems and structures. WORKAROUND was presented as a program of live events at a purpose-built “stage set” in the gallery that were simultaneously broadcast on the internet. Across fourteen daily episodes, fourteen practitioners each presented a critique, conversation, interview, workshop or performance that articulated their “workarounds” and reflected on their activist practice. Each of the episodes could be watched in real time as it happened from the set at RMIT Design Hub, or viewed online via the Design Hub website.

Veronika Valk-Siska is an architect who has constructed both public and private buildings, designed interiors and landscapes, won some 30 prizes at various competitions as well as published on architecture and urbanism. In 2015 she became an advisor on architecture and design at the Ministry of Culture and has helped to kick-start the Spatial Design Expert Group by the Government Office of Estonia.

All change is catalyzed by an initiative, from single concepts such as a shelter or stage, to complicated urban developments such as our cities, formed by multiplicities of initiatives. A tenable initiative is neither solely an experiment nor an experience, but a collaborative investment. The power to initiate is a phenomenal ability that helps us bring something from nothing, and to bring it systematically.

During Tallinn Design Festival an exceptional event of presenting clothing design D_O_M – DESIGN IS IN FASHION takes place. Through attractive and conceptual show D_O_M are presented clothes that are prepared in the same manner as design producst generally – with remarkable time consumption and carefully. Garment, the closest layer to our body, determine the health, freedom of movement, safety, general wellbeing of a person. So let’s take time to observe and enjoy the clothing design here and now.

The audience will be part of the cultural experience through spectacular show that opens up brand concepts and DNA. Estonian designers always seek for the best innovations and strive for quality in every aspect. Designed apparel is something that lasts, is worth to repair and devise. These are wearables that are meant to be used both daily and in more festive events.

The staging is composed by choreographer Helina Reinjärv.

Sphere of sound is set by Rene Köster.

The show of D_O_M is produced by Piret Mägi.

#D_O_M #disainonmoes #designisinfashion #TallinnDesignFestival

ELLEN RICHARD

A new Estonian brand ELLEN RICHARD follows the principle that less is

more. Items are multifunctional and can be worn in many ways. Designer and CEO of

the brand Kristi Pärn says that it is most essential to have the chance to consume sustainably designed products. These pieces give also opportunity to combine the clothes and fit into various situations despite of over consumption.

The collection is simple and practical, inspired by the clean northern style. These clothes are basic products to fit into different situations with possibility to styled in various ways. The collection is produced by local manufacturers and made of natural fabrics.

What if there would be really only few garments in our closet?

STUDIO-SHOP in Tallinn, TELLISKIVI 60A

info@ellenrichard.com

www.ellenrichard.com

@ellenricharddesign

#ellenricharddesign

REET AUS

Designer Reet Aus is dedicated to slow fashion and her upcycled collection is entirely made from post-production leftovers. Reet Aus has developed an industrial upcycling method that involves complete lifecycle analysis of the garments.The method enables to circulate the leftover materials back to production inside the same factory.

Each garment in Reet Aus collection saves an average 75% water and 88% energy.
Collection is produced following UPMADE® Cerfication criteria.

What if our everyday clothing would be “harmless” and even make good?

STUDIO-SHOP in Tallinn, Telliskivi 62

info@ausdesign.com

www.reetaus.com

@reetaus

#reetaus #upcycling #upmade

Photo: Krõõt Tarkmeel

Models: Eleonora ja Indrek

Make-up and hair: Liina Pihel ja Madli Pihel

Styling: Anu Rieberg
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EVE HANSON

Eve Hanson’s new collection is based on knowledge and consciousness where is connected future-aimed fashion-ideas and sustainable design.

Contrasts and contradictions, naturalness and particular forms together are in discreet harmony. Voluminous clothing are about durative, natural and functional materials. Collection is based on monochromic color gamble, where every new season has fresh tone accent. Outfits are embellished with special graphics made by illustrator Tom Lind.

One of the most important focus point is resistance and quality.

What if clothes which are bought today we could wear also after many years? Could it be common practice instead of exeption?

info@evehanson.com

www.evehanson.com

@evehansondesign

#evehansondesign

Photo: Maiken Staak
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HELVE ALLA, collection “TAASUUS”

Collection “TAASUUS” (eng: again new) brings to the limelight our cultural heritage. The clothes used in the XIX century were like they were due to the lifestyle of the people of that time. Trends were determined by logic. Usage of textile and nature of the garments were result of need and opportunities. Nothing redundant, nothing doubtful. Every detail deserves it’s existence. Every reason is justified.

The collection is completed as the graduation collection in the curricula of Ethnical Textile in the TU Viljandi Culture Academy. The collection was mentioned in several categories in the fashion show Oma Mood in the fashion festival EFF 2018. As a special prize Helve Alla was invited to D_O_M show to present her creation.

In the history we find a lot to worth to remember and to carry forward. How to preserve knowledges and use them also in the future?

helve.alla@gmail.com

#helvealla #taasuus

Already for the 5th time Estonian Association of Designers carriers out a lecture “I am a designer”, where designers and other creatives will introduce their profession through their experiences and lessons learned.

The evening will be filled with surprises, new faces and new stories!