EKA design open lecture: Negotiable Imperatives and Possibilities

Open lecture by Peter Martin, an American teaching design in Qatar, in Middle East. The lecture will take place on Thursday, March 7 th at 18:00, room A501 of Estonian Academy of Arts (Põhja pst 7, Tallinn). Based on his 20 years of teaching experience in Qatar, at a crossroads of new and ancient, of Western and Middle Eastern cultures, of tense 21 st century global socio-political processes, Peter Martin explores how design works culturally. Unfolding the visible layers of design, he considers and explores its invisible cultural/contextual activities and significance. As Peter’s experience has revealed – nearly everything is negotiable as an imperative and a possibility. As designers, how do we begin to make sense of what imperatives we participate in and what possibilities we pursue? How can we work more holistically to the shared endeavor of living together on this earth.

Peter Martin holds a BS in Design and Environmental Analysis from Cornell University and an MFA in Graphic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He leads the Graphic Design department at VCU’s branch in Qatar on the Arabian Peninsula. He began working there in 1999, being the first teacher of visual communication in a country that had nearly no history of graphic design within its very traditional Bedouin culture. Using different platforms, Peter became a promoter of design and design thinking beyond the university campus. In 2004, he co-founded the biannual Tasmeem Doha international design conference, in 2010, he initiated and co-hosted a radio program, Design Edition. In 2014, he co-led the VCU Qatar strategic planning process. Peter’s research involves theoretical, applied and pedagogic inquiries into structures of contextual analysis and mapping methods. Also, he focuses on processes designed for social and organizational innovation.

Info:
Kristjan Mändmaa
EKA Faculty of Design
kristjan.mandmaa@artun.ee