Post-war design. History lessons, Ukrainian realities and an attempt at predictions

The trend of design stagnation has persisted for more than a year, but with our war-adjusted optics, it has become more noticeable and expressive. The leap that the whole world made after the Second World War, this time only we will be able to make. So we prepare and repeat history.

 

Design after World War II.
From general to specifics

The 1950s were a decade of great hope for most European countries, the United States, and Japan. Cities were being rebuilt, and new homes needed furniture and other interior items designed according to new aesthetic and functional parameters, and last but not least, those that had an affordable price. The urgent need for inexpensive housing and furniture led to a boom in manufacturing and design, which later, combined with a gradual rise in the general standard of living, laid foundations of consumer society.

In each individual country, design developed according to its own scenario, depending on whether the modernism of the 1920s prevailed there before the war, or whether traditionalism, which was more conservative in nature, prevailed, but there were also unifying features. The overall focus shifted to lower and middle class people, affordability and simpler forms. At that time, mainly light, mobile and, at the same time, durable, multi-functional furniture was designed, which fit into small post-war apartments and which could be easily moved if necessary.

Materials that had previously been used primarily for military purposes were now reimagined for furniture, but the dominant material throughout the decade was plywood, which had become a designer favorite in the 1940s due to its versatility and wartime availability. Furniture made of bent plywood was very popular at that time and even got into the fashion shoots of the American Vogue magazine. There was also a demand for furniture sets made in a single style for different zones, which greatly simplified the choice for consumers and subsequently led to a certain unification of interiors.

The main unifying factor in the design of different countries was a new optimism full of promises for the future, while the formation of passenger aviation in the second half of the 50s contributed to the expansion of cultural influences, in particular the blurring of the boundaries between Eastern and Western aesthetics and technologies. At the same time as the cross-pollination, individual national schools of design received an additional impetus to develop and gain a clearer sense of identity. Our design history expert will tell you exactly how this happened.

 

Larisa Tsybina,

curator of cultural and commercial design projects, studies and researches the history of design, design consultant, storyteller

What common tasks faced European design after the Second World War? First, the transfer of enterprises to peaceful rails. Industrial design used to work for war, and now it was necessary to reorient it to peaceful tasks. Secondly, it was necessary to release a lot of good serial, socially necessary product. And another task is the globalization of production. For example, the raw material base was located in one place, industrial facilities or components in another, and it was necessary to combine everything, provide logistics, create communications with the outside world. According to the Marshall Plan, European countries received loans from the USA, which had to be returned later, so it was necessary to create their products and sell them abroad.

The trend that united all national design models at that time was functionalism. At the forefront was the function of objects, the rational use of materials, optimal production, minimal decoration, and as the ultimate goal, affordable quality things in large quantities. But according to the rules of modernism, form follows function, so this "expressiveness of form" was interpreted in different countries in its own way and gave birth to the same icons and legends on which the history of design is built today. It is about the 1950s-1970s. The first five post-war years of the country were determined by how they can restore their design systems local centers, relying on experience and the accumulated general history of the material world.

There was one more feature characteristic of post-war functional design — the psychological comfort of a person, which could be detected and approved through design: through color, texture, materials, form. It was understood by almost all European schools of design to reduce the level of anxiety and stress, to increase the feeling and desire for comfort, and therefore to stimulate the desire to go to the store more often in order to materially confirm the sustainability of a calm life. 

And now in more detail by country and region.

Scandinavia. In fact, the Scandinavians did not have to invent anything: as at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the simplicity and beauty of the material, the expressiveness of the form, the correspondence of the form and the material were the basis of design, and so it continued. Thanks to, for example, the school of Kaare Klint in Denmark or the artist Karl Larsson in Sweden, who literally painted a Swedish house in his watercolors, or the ideas of Alvar Aalto, who worked out the complex technology of working with birch plywood to create a form that is comfortable for people, Nordic functional pre-war design very organically flowed from fairly traditional forms to post-war forms.

And the format of the relationship between the designer and the production remained practically unchanged. As before, in the 1950s and 70s, small family furniture workshops existed in Denmark, where designers collaborated with the master. Yes, it was serial production, but a lot of parts were made in the traditional way, by hand.

Another distinctive feature of post-war design in Scandinavia that is relevant to this day is "good design for all", not for the elite or those who understand the new modernist and postmodern forms, but for everyone. Therefore, in Scandinavia, you can now see an original design product in every house.

The answer to the question that worried the rest of the world — "how do the Scandinavians manage to create such unique objects with a combination of form and material?" — was very simple: all these small workshops, preserving the traditional way of manufacturing this or that piece of furniture, invited modern industrial designers who graduated from Danish, Swedish, and Finnish design schools, and the basis of their education was the postulate that it was not necessary to invent a new form — use an already invented one, just adapt it to modern needs and lifestyle. This is the coolness of the Scandinavians: without inventing anything new, they filled the world with their products, causing everyone to wonder and want to buy.

USA. Before the Second World War, the Americans had a rapid development in the segment of automobile construction and household appliances, but there was a big gap with furniture: neoclassical or neobaroque forms mixed with bulky art deco. At the New York World's Fair in 1939, Alvar Aalto presented to the Americans his bent plywood furniture, unencumbered by decor, light and organic, in the Finland pavilion, and this was the impetus for a new American design thinking.

After the exhibition, Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen began to work towards finding new, even more organic forms of furniture, and thanks to wartime orders, Charles and Ray Eames had the opportunity and funds to experiment with materials and finally invented ways to press-bend plywood in three dimensions, and worked with plastic synthetic materials. Another important idea we have in the history of American postwar design is the shift to layout and modularity. First of all, it concerned kitchens with built-in household appliances, then - modular office systems for skyscrapers, which were actively growing in New York, Chicago and other American cities.

Britain. The beginning of the XNUMXth century in Great Britain is not so strongly associated with avant-garde currents in art and design, as it was in Europe, there was neither Bauhaus, nor "De Stael", nor the School of Paris. Although the industrial revolution began precisely in England, William Morris and almost all participants of the arts and crafts trend felt the fear of machine production, the English produced artistic household objects in an artisanal way. But already at the end of the Second World War, the government initiated a program to create comfortable housing for every Briton and created the Design Council.

In 1949, the Victoria and Albert Museum hosted the "Britain Can Do It" exhibition, which featured a large number of items: everything new in design at the time. Visitors gave the exhibition an alternative name - "The British can't buy it", because at that time the purchasing power was very low. But thanks to this exposition, a section of British design was made, from which the best objects in terms of aesthetics, form, quality and value were selected, a catalog was created, and they began to be produced.

To increase the significance of British design, the media wrote many critical articles about American and European design, criticizing not its principles themselves, but, for example, excessive commercialism or high cost, and found arguments in favor of purchasing items of British design.

At first, the British did not have (and for us, perhaps, this is an interesting example) name design: the name of the designer was not mentioned, everything was anonymous, but after the British design entered European and world platforms, names became necessary and important. Even before the war, the USA had begun to develop a culture of consumerism stimulated by industry, and in Great Britain after the war similar principles were used, realizing that in order to sell British design to the British, it had to be, first, affordable, and - the second is of ideal quality.

At the same time, the British focused not so much on the aesthetics of the form of a separate object, but on stylistic unity. Thus, Habitat stores, founded by Terence Conran, offered a holistic interior concept.

"We must understand that everything we do, we do for the Ukrainian consumer. We must be focused on the Ukrainian consumer"

Germany. The Germans were practically the first to develop a new type of design school, where artists, craftsmen and architects were united at the initial stage of education, resulting in a combination of crafts and industry and the emergence of a multidisciplinary school with an emphasis on design. During World War II, when Hitler's rejection of modernism led to the return of imperial styles, all avant-garde teachers had to leave the country, they went to Switzerland or the United States.

Prior to that, at the beginning of the XNUMXth century in Germany, such an organization as the Werkbund was created: an association of artists, architects, craftsmen, entrepreneurs, industrialists and experts. The task of the Werkbund was to support and promote industry and design. After the war, the Germans tried to return to the Bauhaus format, but it was necessary to rethink it. A unique school of design appeared - Ulm. Initially, the Ulm School preached the traditional methods of the Bauhaus, where in the first years of study there was a general course for everyone in design, composition and color.

In post-war Germany, they were faced with the fact that any form-making should begin not with the designer's idea of ​​the world, but with the study of the world, therefore, at the Ulm School, design was studied within the framework of other disciplines - sociology, ergonomics, semiotics, economics, etc., to which science was added about function and form. Thanks to this approach, any graduate of the school could do everything for the corporation: "from a spoon to architecture."

The Germans are probably the most afraid of chaos among Europeans, so the entire post-war design was related to its elimination. Everyone was involved in building models and systems in one way or another, either at school or in the company's assortment. The post-war ideas of classifying space were not about saving it, but about eliminating chaos. One of the students of the Ulm School, for example, suggested stacking dishes, not to mention furniture and creating modular systems. Another important point, which is mostly associated with the Italians, is the emergence of structured storage systems at this time, which was the answer to the desire to get rid of chaos and create comfort.

System design was for post-war Germany an attempt to build a better society with spaces where everything would be clearly arranged.

 

France. Decorative and applied arts flourished in France until the Second World War. Thanks to Le Corbusier, modernist architecture appeared there, but things were more complicated with object and even more so industrial design. The French have always been fans of great historical styles. Even before the war there were several associations in France, including the Association of Architects and the Association of Decorators, but industrial design did not belong to any of them. After the war, first the Institute of Industrial Aesthetics appeared, and later the Association of Industrial Designers.

And in a very short time, the French were able to create an industrial design different from others. They have advanced technologies, jet planes, nuclear reactors, synthetic materials, trains, cars, etc. This is connected not only with the development of industry, but also with design. They jumped from the country of high style to the country of high technology, and the Pompidou Arts Center became the second cause of shock for all French people after the Eiffel Tower. The government participated in all the boldest French projects. A French designer who changed the approach to design in favor of items that were in demand is Roger Talon.

He created interiors for airbuses and SNCF trains, and from the same materials - a wristwatch, declaring the emergence of a new generation of consumers, with new demands and desires, for which a new design was necessary. I am proud to wear such a watch on my hand.

In everything I am talking about, there is a seed that we can throw into our Ukrainian land so that wonderful flowers grow. For example, we can learn one important thing from the French: times are changing before our eyes, and we cannot continue to use the old methods. We don't know what our new life will be like, but it will definitely be completely different. We do not need to look at the trends of i Saloni or any other exhibition - they do not concern us and do not belong to us. We need to adopt the experience and history accumulated by the world, but we stand next to the possible source of modern Ukrainian design. And these are not only folk crafts. It is a combination of high quality design in every home.

 

Italy. This is probably the most interesting story. The Italians, like the Germans, emerged from the war with the depression and soon came to create the myth of La linea Italiana, or "made in Italy," and essentially began to rule the design world. Having carefully thought out how to communicate with the world through aesthetics, they began their activities in fashion and cinematography. Italian post-war cinema was devoted to the life of the dream, which usually featured a Vespa scooter, a sewing machine necchi, La Pavoni coffee machines designed by Gio Ponti, Olivetti portable typewriter, etc.

Thus, the Italians sold the legend of a sweet life. They instantly built a design system and understood how it should be set up to make Italy the number one country in the world. Association, training, press, competitions, platform for presenting design — Salone del Mobile.

The Germans systematized the space, and the Italians created a platform for presenting modern design. Even before the signs of postmodernism appeared, Italians reworked the archetypes of modernist objects. For example, if you look at the design of the Castiglioni brothers, they reinvented the very types of lamps.

The economic situation after the war was difficult for all countries. According to the Marshall Plan, 17 European countries were allocated money for recovery and development. Everyone had to rebuild anew due to the lack of sufficient funds, materials, the need to build new houses and fill them with new objects, and as we can see, each country had its own characteristics, which I tried to briefly describe.

 

What is the conclusion for us?

We cannot now predict at what point we will find ourselves after the fact of our victory: we do not know the time interval, the degree of opposition and what society will need at that moment. I think that all the predictions that are made now are far-fetched and meaningless because they are based on old methods and approaches. But some collection of micro-signals, micro-trends can be carried out already now.

We can, for example, based on the history of design, discuss general rules and laws that can be applied in Ukraine, we also need to build a strong local system, and not just try to talk about ourselves in Europe, because we are now listening to Europeans . We must understand that everything we do, we do for the Ukrainian consumer. We should be focused on the Ukrainian consumer.

After the war, we will need a large quantity of inexpensive, high-quality, mass-produced products in order to fulfill the democratic task: "the best in every home." Why are we now talking about Ukrainian design in Europe? First of all, to attract the attention of us, Ukrainians. And yes, we need to speak and speak louder, but do not forget that Ukrainian design will be needed first of all at home. I like the history in English design after the war and maybe we should study it more closely, because I am a little worried that, by strengthening the significance of the Ukrainian cultural code, we can remain in the segment of crafts and decorative and applied arts.

And in no case can you focus on the Russian market and its desire for the "expensive-many" spaces, which is a consequence of the post-Soviet trauma, which we also have, but to a much lesser extent. We are now so popular in the world that we have to show ourselves worthy to the world and use our design ourselves. I really want to "drown" for attention to a modern, local, serial or unique designer product. In my home, I want to see Ukrainian objects with which I can interact, and for me they will be either tools for life or a reason for the emotion of joy.

The Ukrainian design community now has many reasons for reflection. Designers try to work and even participate in European exhibitions, solving urgent tasks and thinking about the future path: both their own and joint. Its creators talk about the present and future of Ukrainian design.

 

Victoria Yakusha,

the founder of the brand FAINA and the gallery of living Ukrainian design FAINA Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium

PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA: Please tell us about your participation in this year's international exhibitions, which took place after the start of the full-scale war. What conclusions did you draw for yourself from this experience?

V. Ya.: Arrangements for participation in exhibitions were made even before the war, and participation was paid for in advance. If it were not so, I am not sure whether we would participate in them. The first was Collectible (May 20-22) — an exhibition of collectible design in Brussels. FAINA Gallery is located in Antwerp and I am in Brussels, so it was somewhat convenient for us to exhibit there. Then there was Milan Design Week (June 6-12), followed by Design Miami/ in Basel (June 14-19). In Collectible, we participated not for the first time and were the only brand representing Ukraine.

About Milan Design Week, where there were also other Ukrainian designers, I will probably say something not very pleasant. In my opinion, Ukrainian joint projects lack scale. We have long since grown out of this format. I did not really want to participate in this project for another reason, because Milan is not exactly our story as a brand, it is very massive for FAINA. But we were invited so that I could tell about the design expedition to Ukraine, which we organized for world media and design experts a few years ago.

I always confirm my participation when I am invited not to check the box, because I understand how important it is for everyone. The audience was gathered by the Italian team, so it was very different from ours: not the people who usually come to our stands. Yes, there is a war and it was not possible to bring a full-fledged exhibition, but our exposition became a message about Ukraine. Right now we need to talk even more: not only about design, but more broadly about culture, identity, using all possible platforms to tell who we are. 

An interesting story happened with Design Miami/Basel. We agreed on participation even before the war, and what our gallery's stand would look like was agreed with the organizers in advance - such is the specificity of the exhibition, everything is very regulated there. After the start of the war, we asked to modify the concept. After all, design always reveals what I feel. The central theme, as in all my work, remained the earth, and on it appeared "Volyki" [a series of animalistic objects]. 

The preparation for Design Miami/ was nerve-wracking, because it takes time to produce items. After the start of a full-scale war in February, of course, we thought and did completely different things - the safety of the team and relatives was a priority. So at the end of March, nothing had been done. And everyone who was supposed to work on the project was unable to do so. We were not at all sure that we would eventually be able to implement the items and get to Basel on time. Almost everything was done in one month - in May, with a huge load on every member of our team. I think it was the only design in the history of this exhibition that was made during the war. 

Our collection was called "Stepping on Ukrainian soil". This is a limited design dedicated to the strength of the Ukrainian land. We, Ukrainians, have a special connection with the land, a special feeling of our land. The central object of the collection, the "Earth" tapestry, has its own history. At first there were only sketches, then we supplemented, revised... And this is very symbolic: the tapestry behaved almost like the earth itself. You cannot control the process. The earth is alive. 

Another story is also connected with the tapestry. I was born in the steppe, in the Dnieper, and I have my own worldview connected with my ancestors: all five generations that I know of are also from the Cossack region. For me, the earth is black, an important space, a plane in front of my eyes. For the Hutsul crafters with whom we work, the land is not black, because all around are mountains covered with spruce trees. They think and perceive the world differently. When you ask to make a circle, they do it, but in their own way. Because they think in other ways, more triangular, and their circle is not quite a circle for me.

I realized how much each of us is influenced by our deep DNA and sees the world accordingly. Creating a tapestry was an interesting experience for me with the layering of different techniques and worldviews of different people, which worked on the idea: we are all different and we are all connected by our land. It turned out not as I had planned at the beginning, perhaps even better. 

Everyone who has seen "The Earth" live says that the power that comes from this tapestry is incredible. You want to touch it, and these "umbilical cords" that depart from it, today, many people have felt it on their own experience: when, despite the fact that you left your native land, you feel a physical connection with it. We even cried at the stand at Design Miami - the feelings were so strong.

Unfortunately, there were few Ukrainians among the visitors, but there was, for example, a Georgian woman who felt her pain near the tapestry. Somehow it all worked, and a very strong thing came out. "Volyki" benches (from the word "will") are about our future and personify our freedom, while the tapestry is about our ancestors, about the land and the power it gives us. On the first day of the exhibition, we received the main Curio prize, which is awarded for the best exhibition of the year.

"At first you exist in some paradigm and find Ukraine in yourself, i.e. yourself, then you want to spread what you found all over the world"

PM: Do you think this experience will influence or transform your approach in the future?

V. Ya.: FAINA appeared in 2014. This was my statement to the world about who we Ukrainians are. For me, it's not even really design, it's my language, my Ukrainianness. Now I may not feel everything like others, because this story happened to me back in 2014, when I clearly felt this transition and whose side I was on. When I clearly felt what exactly I wanted to broadcast to the world. So what is happening now will not change my creativity in any way.

For me, design after the war was, and will remain, about Ukraine. Perhaps I will even go, on the contrary, in a more global direction. First, you exist in some paradigm and find Ukraine in yourself, i.e. yourself, then you want to spread what you found all over the world.

PM: Are you going to participate in autumn exhibitions in Europe?

V. Ya.: We have various proposals for participation in exhibitions, but I am not ready to say that we are planning anything at the moment. We will not stand still. Despite the fact that many people support us and associate us with Ukrainian design, I still feel that we lack scale. And for us as a brand, and for Ukrainian design as a phenomenon. Yes, we, Ukrainian designers, are well done, but we still need to grow. To move from the craft level to some more serious stories. Only when moving to a higher level do you become noticeable, and when many people move at the same time, this is already a real phenomenon. That's what I'm missing.

What I'm talking about is not about war, but now we have an opportunity to be heard. Therefore, I would like all of us to be more courageous. In Ukraine, we are used to thinking in terms of "here and now" — let's make one exhibition or one chair and wait for the result. That is not a real investment, and now I am not talking about money, but about all resources: time, effort, energy. Strategic thinking and long-term planning are required.

 

Anastasia Biletska,

creative director of Maino Design Ukraine

PM: How did you manage to organize an exhibition of Ukrainian design during Milan Week?

AB .: The exhibition in Milan in June of this year was possible despite the fact that everyone was scattered in different countries and cities, thanks to the fact that my colleague, industrial designer Valeria Vari, with whom we did the educational project, lives in Milan, and in Verona the designer and artist Anna Manako. Anya and Lera both studied in Italy and have certain professional and social connections. In the first month of the war, the girls were actively and extensively engaged exclusively in humanitarian projects, and then decided to simultaneously focus on supporting the professional community.

We started looking for opportunities for a Ukrainian exhibition within the framework of Milan Design Week. It is clear that it was impossible to make a full-fledged exhibition, only a small but important project-manifesto. Anya turned to her teacher, who, together with her husband, is the co-founder of the Milano Makers design association, and they found and confirmed the location for us — Fabbrica del Vapore — a month before the start of the design week. A quick preparation began. Sana Moro, my colleague at Maino Design Ukraine, and I kept our finger on the pulse of the professional community. But everything was changing dynamically, and I started calling designers and brands to find out who would be able to provide their products live in wartime.

It seems to me that a very powerful project has come out, which may not be exactly about design, and we talked about it, but about Ukrainian creators. Anya and Lera and I somehow immediately determined the main goal of what we do: to give motivation to continue the lifeline of Ukrainian design, first of all, to Ukrainian creators. Of course, the project also had a very clear political message. The exhibition was visited by quality people, that is, people who really support Ukraine, who want to help Ukrainian designers, because they understand that it is necessary. They themselves are creators, architects, gallerists, journalists...

I crystallized this message in the second month of the war: helping Ukraine primarily through concrete actions in our professional community is a certain area of ​​responsibility that I can provide regardless of whether there is external support or not. Thanking the Universe for introducing, meeting and making friends with many like-minded and self-motivated people. All the last years, Sana Moro and I have been busy developing the design community, and we depend on each other and influence each other. 

At the location in Milan, we met many people who understand that creators during the war are also in the "creative twilight" zone and need support in this aspect. Yes, in the first place — humanitarian needs in a broad sense, but if I narrow the focus on helping the creators, in my opinion, I can be more effective in our common struggle.

It is one thing to see a destroyed factory somewhere in the news, and quite another to hear the story and see his own photos of Leonid Spivakov, who personally came to the exhibition (as a father of three minor children, he can leave the country). Because of such personal stories, people "turn on" in a completely different way. If people came to us with an undefined position regarding the war in Ukraine, then after visiting the stand they were "magnetized" in our direction.

24 creators took part in the Milan project. We gathered everyone in a group, as we always do, supporting each other and discussing all the issues. And many later wrote that the project returned them to creativity. For me, this feedback from people I know personally is of great importance to continue to do my work and not feel confused. We are all part of a professional "bubble", know each other and have to support each other. Like everyone else, we collect money "for charity", but first of all, we feel responsible for people who are close to us, understanding our internal resource and our external capabilities.

"The flowering of design will begin when we understand that we do not need to talk about what Ukrainian design is, and we will try to create a product that will be a relevant reflection of us, Ukrainians, in the future"

We will try to continue to help creators with our exhibition projects to continue their professional activities, despite all the difficulties, and to open the world market for them, because now everything is happening chaotically, and at such a moment it is possible to find or invent a "free" place. Everyone who is currently in Europe is trying to somehow promote the Ukrainian product. Sometimes it looks very unprofessional and spoils the overall impression.

I am trying now to offer my help wherever people have a desire to make an exhibition of Ukrainian design and decor, so that it is done at a higher level and with the involvement of creators with a quality product. You can't make a first impression twice. That is, today we are working with various activists and with the Ministry of Culture in all possible combinations to create the culture of a "new Ukrainian" export product. I was involved in a series of educational webinars for representatives of folk crafts and designers. These are very difficult areas to combine, although their cooperation would be really logical and timely.

PM: In your opinion, in what direction should Ukrainian design develop after the war? And in what context will this take place, judging by the general trends demonstrated by the major design events this year?

AB .: I once came to design because I intuitively felt that it is a very living substance.

The fact that there was no design industry in Ukraine, while it was formed in Europe, I consider a great luck. We simply jumped some evolutionary stages and immediately found ourselves in a global context with new technologies and new challenges, moving together with the whole world. I have a big request that our designers should not think more about creating a Ukrainian style, because there will never be one - this is our difference, we are all very different.

It can be, for example, Ukrainian design by Katya Sokolova, Ukrainian design by Vika Yakusha and Ukrainian design by Valery Kuznetsov. They are all representatives of very different typologies of design and thinking in general. The flowering of design will begin when we understand that we do not need to talk about what Ukrainian design is, and we will try to create a product that will be a relevant reflection of us, Ukrainians, in the future. It does not necessarily have to be design in its pure form, as it is understood by the masses, it can be the art of design, or rather — design thinking.

Take, for example, Valera Kuznetsov — it is difficult to call him an object designer, he is an artist who works with emotion, with a fan. This approach makes sense. Because when they say: let's build the same type of "boxes" for everyone, I am categorically against it, because the environment educates a person, and then the opposite happens. Fantasy objects, unusual, which are aimed at feelings, subtle emotions, are simply necessary, because they "hold" humanity, if you will, or create new neural connections in the audience's perception of the world.

We now have many people who have subconsciously turned off their sensuality for the sake of survival and preservation of the psyche. Then it will be necessary to restore sensuality in a very gentle way, with a correct, inclusive design in various senses. If it is furniture, then it should not just be functional, because it will not "turn on" a person.

And I believe that flourishing will occur when designers with their projects will try to "turn on" people, make their lives simpler from the point of view of function - one, ecology - two, returning to themselves - three. Therefore, we cannot talk about a single style that will be in demand in all Ukrainian homes, but we definitely want our household items to have some kind of symbolism or an ethnically correct message, because most of them finally got connected to Ukrainianness during the war. That is why I am going to continue to organize events for the combination of masters of folk arts and crafts and design, to create modern products that will give the average Ukrainian a sense of home, but so that they are not "sharovars", because we must cultivate taste.

After walking a little through the exhibition spaces of the Milan Design Week, I realized that mostly everyone moves by inertia and, it seems to me, do not understand that the world has changed radically. We are in the very epicenter of change, so it was obvious to me that some of the products I saw in Milan were made in the past. Even if the product is created using the most modern technologies or claims to be on the border of design and art, it is some kind of "inanimate" art.

I also attended Art Basel, where I was lucky enough to see Vika Yakushi's debut project at the Design Miami/Basel design pavilion. When I entered the pavilion, I felt that there was something to breathe. Design Miami/ has its own member award called Curio. First, the 17 best projects are chosen, and then the best of the best, and this year it was FAINA. I specifically visited all the stands that were marked by the organizers, and I agreed with their choice, judging not by design, but only by the feeling of "alive-not-alive". At Vika Yakushi's stand, you could simply be "washed away" by a wave of energy. In general, all projects at both Art Basel and Design Miami/ could be divided into two directions: conceptual, "from the mind", and live, created by artists who broadcast something through themselves.

In my opinion, inertial design will last for a few more years, but what is not alive will not continue to live. Some of the designers will work "therapeutically" with sensuality, some - with the brain, because everyone will be stressed, and someone will be hit physically, someone - mentally, and each group of people will need their own products. Someone will be "treated" by minimalism, detachment, and white, transparent, and absent will be relevant for them, and someone, on the contrary, will need something big, fluffy, that makes some sounds, reacts to touches.

At every level, in every profession, Ukrainians are now showing themselves as a very creative, inventive people. Creativity for me is when you can find, synthesize the perfect solution for the moment based on the knowledge, taking into account the circumstances you have, from the big task that is in front of you. It does not matter what exactly a person does, but it is what he can do for the moment as efficiently as possible. For me, this is creativity — the ability to go deep into oneself and take out the most conceptual and vivid ideas, keep one's finger on the pulse, implement, in the end! A lot depends on how much it relates to the real world. To be creative and to be timid is impossible — this is what Ukrainians are demonstrating now. And courage is one of the key components of creativity.

 

Kateryna Sokolova,

designer, founder of the Noom brand

PM: What impact did the start of the war have on your company?

C. S.: Even before the war, we planned to take part in the Milan Design Week with new objects. Our plans were not destined to be realized due to disrupted deadlines and contractors who were forced to stop production. Therefore, the old collection was taken to Milan with several updated items. Now we are trying to make a new collection before September in order to participate in Maison&Objet.

We were practically in a stupor for a month. Then they realized that something had to be decided with the orders: either to return the money for them, or to try to make them, and therefore to transfer production and resume their activities. Therefore, we moved our workshop from Kharkiv to Lutsk. Our contractors also tried to move their production to Western Ukraine, but when the Kyiv region was liberated, they were able to resume their work at the former location.

We have now restored all our processes. As before, it is difficult to ship, because the international services we used before — DHL, TNT, etc. — have temporarily stopped working on the Ukrainian market. And we cannot ship to many countries already made orders. All logistics are disrupted: both in terms of supplying materials and components to Ukraine, and in terms of sending orders abroad.

For example, we now import fabrics from Europe ourselves, because some dealers are not working, there are no requests, because the domestic market is at a standstill, and the manufacturers, who were initially focused only on it, have stopped their production.

PM: How does the war affect you as a designer? Have you felt the need to transform your own approach?

C. S.: As a designer, it is difficult for me to find some internal resource to produce new ideas. When the war began, I could not even think of any design, because it seemed inappropriate and unnecessary. There was no talk of any new projects or creativity, at most - about finishing the old one, in order to occupy oneself with work and break away from the news feed. After the trip to Milan, it became a little easier, I managed to switch my thoughts to design. In Milan, it was important for us to show that we are working, living, developing, because many people did not send us requests, fearing that we were under fire. Changes in my approach took place in the sense that I now primarily think about the need for a new design: the value scale has changed.

"We all believe that when the war is over, there will be a boom in architecture, construction, and this will bring design, it will be in greater demand."

PM: Didn't you have a desire to introduce a more obvious national component to your design?

C. S.: Yes, it appeared. We ordered the carpet we prepared for Milan from Carpathian craftsmen. I'm going to go, meet them in person, learn the techniques. We want to develop this model into a collection because we got a good response about it in Milan, there were many requests. There is a desire to study our craft, to find masters who make something unique, and to use Ukrainian craft techniques and motifs in our serial product. Our new collection will still have a global design that is understandable everywhere, because it was conceived a long time ago, but we want to complement it with authentic decorative elements inspired by Ukraine.

It seems to me that many people today paid attention to our origins, remember our roots, what makes us different. I think there will be many references to Ukrainian culture in the post-war design.

PM: Now it is difficult to make predictions about the development of Ukrainian design after the war, but if we try, in your opinion, can we expect a flourishing of design in Ukraine, as it happened in many countries after the Second World War?

C. S.: We all believe that when the war is over, there will be a boom in architecture, construction, and this will bring design with it, it will be in greater demand. Now the domestic market is on pause, everyone is afraid to do, buy something new, invest in something, units have unfrozen their projects so far. Moreover, if European markets open up for us and the export procedure becomes easier, of course, this will stimulate Ukrainian design.

Many furniture makers have already understood the need to enter foreign markets and are making attempts in this direction. The importance of export orientation has become even more obvious today than before. Since our brand had practically no domestic market, we were export-oriented from the very beginning, and now it is in some sense easier for us, if we do not take into account the logistical difficulties that have to be solved.

 

Dmytro Kozinenko,

designer 

PM: What challenges are you solving now and how will solving them transform your overall design approach?

D.K.: It seems to me that now it is very important to maximally involve local production in Ukraine and to a large extent orientate sales abroad. Therefore, today we try to develop new items with the thought of their convenience from the point of view of logistics (small things, preferably collapsible, resistant to "unpleasant surprises" of postal services). It is also important to actively represent your country on international platforms, the last experience at Milan Week showed that we have great potential.

If we talk about the emotional side, there is a huge desire to create, but periodically you have to fight with the feeling of uselessness and senselessness of what you are doing.

PM: In your opinion, how will Ukrainian object design change in terms of technologies, forms, and materials after the war?

D.K.: As we can already see today, the design community in Ukraine has become an important part of the volunteer movement. Manufacturers and designers unite to help people affected by war. I think these initiatives will in one way or another affect the development of Ukrainian design in general. It is likely that the approach will become more accurate, meaningful and decisive for certain tasks. I think the general direction in shaping will move towards rounding and softening. Fewer sharp corners and geometry, more kindness and warmth (the same can be said about materials), because the environment we are in should also help us cope with stress as much as possible. 

"Now it is very important to maximally involve local production in Ukraine and to a large extent orientate sales abroad"

PM: Can we expect the flourishing of Ukrainian design after the end of the war, as it happened in many countries after the Second World War? Are there such prerequisites today and what is necessary for this to happen?

D.K.: Much depends on how actively production will develop after the war, because design lives where there is production. In my opinion, sharp jumps should not be expected, the gradual process of development will continue. So far, it is difficult to say more specifically, there is insufficient understanding of the economic picture of the future.

It is definitely gratifying that it is becoming a normal practice in our country for manufacturers to understand that without cooperation with a professional designer, the product is unlikely to be good and that copying European factories should be avoided. The desire to raise one's professional level around the clock should not give rest to all specialists: both beginners and experienced ones. I think this is one of the keys to joint success.

 

/The material is part of a special topic "Chaos and reconstruction. The future against war"/

 

 

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