— Apr 11, 04:31 PM — 

Design Revolution II: Tokyo Flow

Symposium Honorary Chairs:
Tom Potter, Mayor, City of Portland and Karin Hansen,
Akio Egawa, Consul General of Japan at Portland

Portland, OR – Pacific Northwest College of Art welcomes the public to an academic symposium on Friday April 28, 2006 exploring the extraordinary contemporary culture of Tokyo, its flow across the Pacific and the supporting role of Portland’s dynamic creative community. Panels and the subsequent discussions focus on the role popular culture plays in the flow of design and ideas on both sides of the Pacific. The symposium, entitled Tokyo Flow, was developed by the PNCA Communication Design department in an effort to further the exploration of global design and cultural relevancy.

From automobiles to anime, Japanese designers have influenced our aesthetic choices. What Japanese designers have done, deftly blending cute with whimsy and irreverence with practicality, opens new pathways for exploration. In addition to a discussion on contemporary Japanese design, leading Portland strategists and creative directors will exchange stories about how they design for the Japanese market.

The panel discussions are kicked-off with Otaku Flow (10:30am-12:00pm), a lively discussion bringing together Just Be Complex founder Katsu Tanaka, Dark Horse Comic’s editor Carl Horn, and author Antonia Levi (Samurai from Outer Space: Understanding Japanese Animation) to unearth how manga, anime and Japanese popular culture influences design.

The second presentation is by Tokyo designer Oki Sato (1:30-3:00pm) of the design firm nendo whose work playfully examines the complex relationship between function and design. Oki Sato arrives in Portland fresh from the Milan Furniture Fair to share the firm’s work which can range from practical, yet always innovative, utilitarian pieces to whimsical, and transforming works such as a gallery gift store bound in bubble wrap or the design of a residence with bookshelves on the exterior.

Design Flow Portland (3:15-5:00pm) brings together leading Portland strategists and creative directors from Wieden + Kennedy, Ziba Design, and Chris Riley, Principal of Studioriley to exchange stories about how they design for the Japanese market.

The evening panel (7:00-8:30pm) is led by Paola Antonelli, Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and is a panel discussion on the significance of a series of objects small enough to fit in a suitcase brought from Tokyo to Portland. Suitcase curators include Tokyo design entrepreneur Teruo Kurosaki, who was responsible for helping Marc Newson and Philippe Starck gain international recognition; founding Tokyo Designers Block; and opening Ikejiri Institute of Design, an incubator for young Japanese designers. Other curators include Oki Sato, Wieden + Kennedy’s John Jay and Nike’s Howard Lichter. These pieces will be exhibited in the Feldman Gallery + Project Space, April 28 – May 26, 2006, and will be a focal point of the panel discussions.

Design Revolution II: Tokyo Flow was developed by PNCA’s Communication Design Department, which strives to connects design to social and cultural influences with the aim of teaching designers to respond to a global marketplace with greater relevancy and to affect social change. This symposium reflects an outreach to new ideas and complexities embraced within this course of studies. As part of PNCA’s Global Studios program, students will travel to Tokyo in June for six weeks of continued study.

The Symposium is part of PNCA’s Tokyo Nights weekend which along with the all day symposium on Friday, includes a Saturday evening Gala Dinner and a club party “Za Kurabu” with the Tokyo breakbeat duo Hifana of the Wieden + Kennedy TokyoLab music label. For more information on “Za Kurabu,” visit the College website www.pnca.edu/exposure. This year’s Gala benefit raises funds for PNCA’s Global Studios Program and student scholarships.

Download Symposium Schedule

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