MOSAIKOS WORKSHOP 

see the invitation (with pictures)

TOWARDS A NEW LATIN AMERICAN LANDSCAPE

By Pedro Alan Martínez, October 2002

INTRO

From September 18 to 20, o2 Mexico organized the MOSAIKOS WORKSHOP 2002 in collaboration with the Mosaicos Venecianos de México company (best known as KOLORINES) and with the support of the Latin American Design Foundation and Guia de Diseño Méxicano. The workshop was the starting point of a project with a dual purpose in mind:

  • To help the company find and explore new directions based on design and innovation culture and the close collaboration with the designers.
  • To promote collaboration among design professionals and producers in order to stimulate design management culture in Mexico.

 THE ART OF MOSAICS

Mosaicos Venecianos de México is a 50 year old company funded in Cuernavaca, México by the Perdomo Family. The company specializes in the production of glass mosaic tiles and covers the whole spectrum of mosaic craft and technology, from the production of the raw material to the elaboration of artistic mosaics for commercial and residential applications. Their products and craft skills have had a relevant place in Mexican Architecture from their beginnings in the 50´s when they collaborated with renowned artists like Diego Rivera in the Murals of the National University of México. From those days to the present, they have expanded in to the worldwide markets and their KOLORINES brand name in now recognized as a leading brand in swimming pool covering and decoration.

 O2 mx and KOLORINES Workshops

My professional relationship with the company dates back to 1996 when I was working as Projects Director for the Design and Innovation Center (CDI). In October of that year, we organized the ICSID Interdesign Workshop Cuernavaca 96 with the theme Design Strategies for Regional Developing. During this event a group of five designers led by Roger Simpson from Design Synergy  Australia worked on recommendations to establish a general Design Strategy for the Kolorines further development of this recommendations led to changes in brand identity and the creation of the Mextile brand and products for the Do It yourself market.  

In February 2001, Eduardo Barroso Neto from Brasil and me coordinated a workshop that explored the technical and aesthetical qualities of Venetian Glass Tiles. The results of this workshop were a new kind of Kolorines glass tiles ( translucent ) which together with other product development projects, gave as a result completely renovated product lines, new colors, new finishes and improved technical qualities.

 THE MOSAIKOS 2002 workshop

For this workshop, our objective was to take the results of the previous workshop and the creative possibilities of the new products one step further. This time we invited a selected group of Mexican interior and industrial designers that represented different cultural backgrounds and experiences. These designers should also be professionals that represented the new wave of design thinking in Mexico that has been taking its shape since a few years. The groups objective was to explore the possibilities of application of the new Kolorines products in contemporary Interior, Furniture and Lightning design. The workshop took place at the o2 mx studio in Cuernavaca and the participants were:

 

With the intervention of the LADF, we had opportunity to have Arno Wolters, from Def3 and concept designer for Springtime in Amsterdam. His participation as guest designer, and the help he provided me in the group coordination proved to be of great significance by giving external input and helping define strategies for the further development of this project.

 THE WORKSHOP CONCEPT

 The conceptual framework of the workshop was based on a dual meaning of the MOSAICOS word. In general terms, a MOSAIC (O), means putting together small pieces to compose a single unit. The word can be used as an analogy to refer to the diversity with in one group, country or culture. There is no doubt that the Mexican culture is a mosaic of diversity, our natural resources are rich because of the diversity of our social groups, our customs, our food and our tastes yet we have been able to tolerate and assimilate diversity in a way that creates a quite single, consistent and quite unique Mexican Identity which is identifiable all over the world. In artistic terms, a mosaic is an artwork made of small and colored pieces of stone, glass, etc, that together form a kind of painting. It is also the craft and skill to execute this compositions.

Based on these ideas, the team discussed and explored possible design solutions to the following questions.

  • Since tolerance and diversity (cultural, environmental, economical, etc.) seem to be a quite important issues in the global agenda for sustainable development and human survival. How can we create a new design approached based on this values?

  • How can we apply this ideas in the design of our living, working, recreational environments in order to create a new design approach to environmental and interior design, considering that these disciplines can be a powerful communication media to promote these values?

  • How can we use the new Kolorines glass mosaic qualities and the production capabilities and artistic skills of their craftsmen to create a design trend that not only fulfills commercial objectives but also promote a new approach in interior design that values diversity, tolerance and sustainability?  

THE CONFERENCE

In parallel to the workshop activities, we organized a series of lectures by the guest participants of the workshop. The lectures took place at the MOSAIKOS show room in Cuernavaca counting with the assistance of 60 local students and professionals who interacted with the guest designers on a quite informal and relaxed way, which became an enjoyable and learning experience.  

 

 

RESULTS AND FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

The design proposal and the interaction experience of the workshop are yet to be analyzed and developed in the coming months. All participants agreed that this was a very intense exchange of ideas and knowledge that set a precedent in design culture in Mexico since these kind of workshops are very rare due the segregation nature of the Mexican design community. It was also very important and stimulating for everybody to see how a Mexican company opens its doors to designers to work and experiment with them. During the presentation of the workshop results to the KOLORINES board of directors were given. The guest designers and company executives had a very open and honest discussion that is now leading this company to commit to design and innovation as an integral part of their corporate culture and strategic development.  

As I mentioned earlier, this workshop is the starting point of a more ambitious project. Following steps planed include and exhibition and a catalog based on the workshops results. The exhibition is programmed to take place in the Kolorines show room in Mexico City in March 2003 and with the help of the LADF, we hope to take part of this exhibition to Amsterdam next year. We will keep you informed about these activities through the LADF website.