Image by Mārtiņš Zutis, Ģirts Reiniks

The second MAD International Summer School of Design under the theme «Biorevolution» will take place in Sigulda from July 28 to August 6. It will focus on traditional and urban farming, seeking practical solutions for world’s overpopulation and nutritional problems. Design, art, architecture and science students are invited to apply for the school until June 6.

Stories Editorial May 24, 2017

The aim of the MAD International Summer School of Design is to understand design and craftsmanship to the bone, while taking action, creating things and experimenting with space and materials. «Engineers have turned biology into a design discipline, and it is up to us whether we will know how to use it. Nowadays at home, we can biologically grow our own food, fuel, medicines, fragrances, mushrooms, various fibres and other materials and matters. The world is changing the paradigm of technical objects to that of biological systems — MAD 2017 combines them into one,» the organisers share their thoughts that explain this year’s motto — «Biorevolution».

During MAD 2017 the Sigulda castle will be turned into an indoor farming workshop, where six work groups will seek practical solutions for world’s overpopulation and nutritional problems. The main keywords of MAD 2017 are biohacking, biohacking laboratory, bioprinting, insect food, indoor farming, traditional farming and agriculture.

Besides workshop activities and lectures on design, crafts, environment, sustainable lifestyle and nutrition the participants will go on trips in the valley of Gauja to get to know their colleagues and teachers better, discover nature, local lifestyles and traditions.

The applications are open for design, art, architecture or science students that are interested in design, technologies, culture and environment. The participants must be fluent in English.

The leading master of MAD 2017 will be Jēkabs Dimiters, founder of «Northmen». The students will have a chance to participate in woodworking, blacksmithing and ceramic workshops and to get to know traditional crafts techniques.

This year, the team of tutors includes the creative duo «Wang & Söderström» (Denmark), design studio «Os and Oos» (the Netherlands), Xiamyra Daal from the Institute for art, science and technology «Waag Society» (the Netherlands), Katharina Mischer and Elisa Polner from «Mischer‘traxler studio» (Austria), as well as artists Daria Meļņikova (Latvia) and Ádám Albert (Hungary) and designers Mārcis Ziemiņš and Rihards Funts. The mentors will be chef Andris Jugāns and event organiser Gundega Skudriņa.

 

The MAD International Summer School of Design is organised by designer Rihards Funts and Liene Kuplā, manager of the Sigulda New Castle area and a mentor for creative start–ups in Latvia. MAD 2017 will take place in Sigulda from July 28 to August 6, 2017. More information on the summer school and its programme is available on the MAD homepage. The applications are open until June 6.