'In Practice'

MYCKET + BASTION

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 14:44:00 +0000

Manövrera runt och slå sönder – samtal mellan Alexandra Falagara, Brita Lindvall och konstgruppen MYCKET om hur vi kan göra motstånd när patriarkatet sitter i väggarna. Bang nr 2 2013.

Circumnavigating and crushing – A talk between the artists of norm-critical group MYCKET, Alexandra Falagara and Brita Lindvall on how we can create resistance when patriarchy is literally part of our spatial framework. Bang magazine no 2 2013.

New beginnings!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:10:00 +0000

Året går mot sitt slut och här är ett axplock av de senaste månadernas händelser:

The year is coming to an end and here are a few of the events of recent months:

Foto av Minda Jalling

Syster/Sister

Bastion åkte till Borås konstmuseum för att medverka på invigningen av Syster. Den inleddes med en väldigt fin middag med kurator Karolina Pahlén och flera av de fantastiska konstnärerna som medverkar i utställningen. Dagen därpå följde performance, musik och mingel.
Vårt bidrag till utställningen är en katalog, som är ett verk i sig. I katalogen arbetade vi bl.a. med ett lapptäckesartat arbete (som en referens till det hantverk som kvinnor historiskt sett ägnat sig åt när "de haft tid"), för att skapa en icke-hierarkisk struktur, där varje deltagare får lika stort utrymme. Detta är även ett par av de feministiska designstrategier som den legendariska formgivaren Sheila Levrant de Bretteville använde sig av under 1970-talet och vi ville, genom denna handling, sätta vårt arbete i dialog med hennes. Varje sida har ett eget typsnitt formgivet av en kvinnlig typograf – och för att skriva herstory adderade vi information i sidfot om vem som gjort respektive typsnitt och när. I denna trycksak har vi även tvingat fram och förstärkt typografiska "horungar" i texten för att skapa en alternativ läsning. Vi har dekorerat trycksaken i ett kedjemönster av vitt skilda uttryck, som symboliserar hur de olika systerskapen både hakar i och skiljer sig från varandra. Projektet var fantastiskt roligt att vara en del av och vi planerar för ett par kommande projekt med några av de personer som medverkade i sammanhanget – plus en legendarisk (!) formgivare. Håll utkik!

Bastion went to Borås Art Museum to participate in the inauguration of the exhibition Sister. It started off with a really nice dinner with curator Karolina Pahlén and several of the amazing artists involved. The day that followed included performances, music and mingling.
Our contribution to the exhibition is a catalog, which is an art work in itself. In the catalog, we worked with a patchwork in mind (as a reference to the crafts that women traditionally engaged in when they "had spare time") to create a non-hierarchical structure where the participants are given equal importance, as they all have a page each. These are also feminist design strategies that were used by the legendary graphic designer Sheila Levrant de Brettville in the 1970's, through this action we wished to put the work of ours in dialogue with the work of hers. Each page has its own typeface designed by a woman–and to further write herstory, we've added information in the footer of who made each font and when. In this work we also created and emphasized "orphans" ("bastards" in Swedish) in the text, creating an alternative text pattern. We decorated the catalog with a chain pattern of diverse expressions, which symbolizes how the various sisterhoods both engage and differ from each other. The project was great fun to be a part of and we are planning for a couple of upcoming projects with some of the artists who took part in this context–plus a legendary (sic) designer. Stay tuned!

Sisters of Jam och Jenny Wilson. Uppslag ur katalogen till Syster

Anna Efraimsson, curator på The Blob visar programblad och evenemangs-t-shirt

SthlmCatVidFest

Bastion bjöds in av The Blob att stå för formgivningen till den första svenska visningen av Internet Cat Video Festival. CatVidFest är en filmfestival som visar söta katter som florerar på nätet i ett program sammansatt av Walker Art Center. #SthlmCatVidFest sålde slut meddetsamma (!) och en extra matinéförställning fick arrangeras.

Bastion was invited by The Blob to make design for the first Swedish display of the Internet Cat Video Festival. CatVidFest is a film festival that show cute cats that abound on the internet in a program composed by the Walker Art Center. The tickets to #SthlmCatVidFest was sold out at once (!) and an additional matinee display was arranged.

Bang nr 3 2014

Bang, normkritisk design &"horungar"/Bang, norm critical design &"bastards"

✖ Bastion nominerades till det prestigefyllda Tidskriftsprisets "Årets AD" för vårt arbete med tidskriften Bang. Priset gick till Nina Oja på Styleby – men vi är glada för att vårt arbete uppmärksammats i detta sammanhang! Bang nominerades även till Årets läsning i Nöjesguidens Stockholmspris.

✖ Bastion träffade den brittiske designjournalisten Rick Poynor, när han var inbjuden till Stockholm av IASPIS. Vi hade ett väldigt spännande samtal om formgivning och Poynor var, till vår stora glädje, mycket intresserad av vårt arbete med Bang. I det senaste numret av Eye Magazine skriver han om vårt arbete: Against the flow. Bastion omskrivs även i det senaste numret av Cap&Design, tidningen Tecknaren och tidningen Form.
✖ Bastion medverkade även i radioprogrammet Stil i P1 under rubriken Bohem igår – queer idag? (vi medverkar från 44.25). Där talade vi om normkritiska strategier inom formgivning och berättade lite om hur vi förhåller oss till det typografiska begreppet "horunge". I år lanserade Svenska Tecknare kampanjen #ingenhorunge och "busunge", som vi använder, kom tvåa i omröstningen.

✖ Jag ombads att skriva en branschspaning för ADA – Association for Design and Advertising – och den har fått både spridning och positiv feedback. Texten finns att läsa här: Normkritisk formgivning – vad är det? Jag medverkar även i en mycket kort intervju om normkritisk kommunikation i Tillväxtverkets tidning Tempo (s. 20–21). Obs. De råkade stryka en vital mening, "vi" som gjorde Bangs form är förstås Bastion.

✖ Bastion was nominated for the prestigious Journal Prize "AD of the Year" for our work with Bang magazine. The prize went to Nina Oja at Styleby Mag–but we are pleased that our work has been noted in this context! Bang was also nominated to "Reading of the Year" by Nöjesguiden magazine.

✖ Bastion met with the British design journalist Rick Poynor, when he was invited to Stockholm by IASPIS. We had a very interesting conversation about design and he was, to our delight, interested in our work with Bang. In the latest issue of Eye magazine he writes about our work in the article "Against the Flow". Bastion is also written about in the latest issues of Cap&Design, Tecknaren and Form magazine.

✖ Bastion also participated in the radio show Stil (Style) under the heading Bohemian yesterday–queer today? (in Swedish, we're on from 44.25). We talked about norm critical strategies in design and told a little about how we relate to the typographic term "orphan"–which in Swedish is a very offensive expression, literally "kid of a whore" or "bastard". This year the Swedish Association for Illustrators and Designers launched the campaign #ingenhorunge (#nobastard) and the word "busunge" ("little trouble maker kid"), that we use, came second in the poll.

✖ I was asked to write an article about norm-critical design for ADA–Association for Design and Advertising–and it has received both proliferation and positive feedback! I also participate in a short interview for an article about norm-critical communication in Tempo, a magazine published by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth.

Alice Lyttkens +

Bonniers förlag bjöd in Bastion att formge återutgåvan av den feministiska pionjären Alice Lyttkens samlade författarskap. Det blev hela 53 titlar, som vi har formgivit som en tidslinje 1932–1992. Varje decennium har en egen färg och ett eget typsnitt (alla formgivna av kvinnliga typografer). Den lilla hästen som syns bildar en animering. Den är en referens till Lyttkens feministiska uppvaknande som barn – hon fick inte följa med ut och rida trots att hon var en bra ryttare – för att hon var flicka. Här finns mer info om titlarna. Vi ser fram emot ett par kommande omslagsarbeten till böcker av Roxane Gay, en högst aktiv och levande feministisk författare!

Publishing house Bonnier invited Bastion to designing the re-release of the feminist pioneer Alice Lyttkens collected authorship. It's 53 titles all and all, which we have designed as a timeline between 1932–1992. Every decade has its own color and its own typeface (all designed by female typographers). The little horse in the bottom form an animation. It is a reference to Lyttkens' feminist awakening as a child–she could never come along and ride even though she was a good rider–just because she was a girl. We look forward to a couple of upcoming cover works for the books of Roxane Gay, a highly active and vibrant feminist writer!

The A Formula

The Alphabet Session

Bastion bjöds in att tolka bokstaven A tredimensionellt till det kommande numret av tema-fanzinet The Session (som handlar om det västerländska alfabetet). Vi tolkade bokstaven A utifrån ett samtal om tredimensionalitet, kropp och samhälle – resultatet blev en affisch med en formel som kan appliceras på vilket arbete som helst.

Bastion was invited to interpret the letter A three-dimensionally for the upcoming issue of the theme-fanzine The Session (which is about the western alphabet). We interpreted the letter A from a conversation about three-dimensionality, body and society–the result is a poster with a formula that can be applied to any job.

Beatrice Eli i sin monogramjacka

BE

Artisten Beatrice Eli, som vi gjort logo och art work till, har så klart gjort succé. Priser, nomineringar, stipendier, hitlåtar … Vi ser fram emot att följa hennes arbete. Om du inte har skivan än – den finns även som fysisk CD – haffa, den är hur bra som helst!

The artist Beatrice Eli, who we made logo and art work for, is of course a hit. Prizes, nominations, scholarships, hit songs ... We look forward to following her work. If you do not have the record yet–it is also available as a physical CD–get one, it's great!

Praktikant/Intern

Under hösten har jag haft en praktikant, Minda Jalling, som jag undervisade på Nyckelviksskolan några veckor under våren 2014. Minda är smart, peppig och begåvad. Hon har hjälpt oss med research och originalarbete och varit allmänt inspirerande att arbeta med.

During fall I've had an intern, Minda Jalling, who I tutored at Nyckelviksskolan during a couple of weeks in spring 2014. Minda is clever, pepping and talented. She's helped us with research and original work and have been inspiring to work with in general.

På www/On the www

Jag har gjort om min hemsida! Varför är det alltid svårast att göra en åt sig själv? Nu är den på svenska och i tumblr-format, så det går bra att följa den – alexandrafalagara.com. Bastion har en egen hemsida: bastionagency.se, en facebooksida och vi finns även på instagram. Följ oss för uppdateringar!

I have re-designed my website! Why is it always the hardest to make a website for yourself? Now it is in Swedish and in tumblr format, so it works fine to follow it via tumblr–alexandrafalagara.com. Bastion has its own website: bastionagency.se, a Facebook page and we are also on instagram. Follow us for updates!

Gott nytt 2015! Happy new 2015!

Fall 2014 in short:

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 22:00:00 +0000

Från augusti 2014 har jag den stora äran att vara huvudlärare i grafisk form och illustration på Nyckelviksskolan, där jag återkommande varit gästlärare sedan 2009!

Nu har jag och Brita Lindvall även slagit upp portarna till samarbetsprojektet Bastion – Agency Studio Lab: en studio, ett nätverk och konstnärligt forskande projekt för feministisk och normkritisk teori omsatt i designpraktik. Just nu arbetar vi bland annat med den briljanta artisten Beatrice Eli, Sveriges Designers projekt "Omforma", utställningen Syster på Borås Konstmuseum, Stockholm Internet Cat Video Festival, parallellt med det nya numret av tidskriften Bang – som också fått en lätt redesign av webbsidan. Hösten är alltså ganska fullpackad men spännande.

Beatrice Elis debutalbum, ute 22 okt.

Följ Bastion på Facebook för att ta del av våra nyheter!

PS. Jag skrev nyligen en branschspaning om normkritisk formgivning för ADA – Association for Design and Advertising. Den finns att läsa här.

From August 2014, I have the great honor to be the head teacher of graphic design and illustration at Nyckelviksskolan, where I've been guest lecturer since 2009! Now me and Brita Lindvall also officially released our collaborative project since 2012: Bastion – Agency Studio Lab: a studio, a network and artistic research project for feminist and norm critical theory translated into design practice. Right now we are working with the brilliant artist Beatrice Eli, Swedish Designers' project Omforma (Transform), the exhibition Syster (Sister) in Borås Art Museum, Stockholm Internet Cat Video Festival, alongside with the new issue of Bang magazine – which also received a slight redesign of the website. Autumn is quite stuffed with work but exciting.

Spring 2014 in short:

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 21:29:00 +0000

Mossutställningar website
In collaboration with Brita Lindvall/The Treasure Factory

Motive for a poster made for dancer Rani Nair

Zine: an essay on norm-challenging/norm critical
perspectives on visual communication

Bang 2/2014 Soraya Post
In collaboration with Brita Lindvall/The Treasure Factory

Portait sketch

Bang 1/2014 Hannah Arendt
In collaboration with Brita Lindvall/The Treasure Factory

Collage

Tattoo motive

Logo and illustration work for Playan, a beach in Gothenburg.
In collaboration with Brita Lindvall/The Treasure factory

Spring is over! A load of nice projects ahead and lots of summer, too. The last six months has been filled with various design and illustration projects and have also included tutoring on Konstfack, Beckmans school of design and Nyckelviksskolan … I've also studied an interesting professional course—Artistic Research Processes—at Konstfack, and have had the honor to be in contact with the luminous legendary designer Sheila Levrant de Bretteville! Right now me and Brita Lindvall are up for some nice public projects. This fall will be special … More info soon, until then: have a nice summer!

Bang out now! Plus a magnificent book about the history of Swedish illustration.

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 11:37:00 +0000

Katarina Taikon, activist who fought for Roma rights in Sweden in the 1960s.

New issue of Bang out now! In this issue we've had the honour to work with amazing illustrators as usual … Arianna Vairo (whose work for Bang just got selected for the Italian Illustration Annual 2013!), tattoo artist Amanda Mogrim, ink lover Stina Johnson, Beata "more is more" Boucht, colour genius Anna Giertz and visual wiz Patriez Van Der Wens …

I'm really happy to be working with art direction, it's both developing, interesting and surprisingly fun. Since 2012 we've worked with a number of talented and cool visual artists, some established and some who are new to the game … And my experience that comes from my working with editorial illustration during the past years, is a great tool. I really love this work.

Swedish Illustration – A visual history 1900-2000. Editors: Sara Teleman & Andreas Berg

Another good thing – the long waited for history book of Swedish illustration during the 20th century is finally here! Svensk illustration – en visuell historia 1900-2000.
I'm incredibly honoured to have some of my work published in the book and analyzed in a broader context – and especially proud that both Bang and Ful Magazine are highlighted in the final chapter, for being important platforms for the new generation of illustrators, working for a higher awareness in the content of the images … So we are now officially enrolled in the history!

Tokyo Art Book Fair et al.

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 11:32:00 +0000

Russian writer Masha Gessen on the cover of no. 3/2013.

While Bang was at the printer's I left for a trip to Tokyo and the Art Book Fair with an awesome gang from Sweden. It's been amazing. I'm still overwhelmed by the visual information in Tokyo.

Cute bakery sign

Portraits of Japanese artists. I liked them until I heard they were ironical and made to"destroy" the artists. Too bad. Now I just hate it.

Stina Löfgren and Aron Kullander Östling were exhibiting prints, photos and a tent at Shibuya Hikarie.

Another fun project have been the making of illustration and title graphics for artist Åsa Cederqvists film The Quest for Presence, an amazing dance film now being shown in Norway.

Illustration describing how the film work was exhibited – film is projected through a smashed wall.

Bang awarded gold in Kolla! 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 13:27:00 +0000

"Unique, relevant and attractive. Takes editorial design to a new level."

The verdict of the jury when Bang won the award for best editorial design in Kolla! design competition.
– We are very happy, says Bangs designer Alexandra Falagara and Brita Lindvall. What we do is a reflection of the future and it's extremely relevant that the queer feminist perspective is now recognized and contribute to challenging standards in graphic design and art direction.

"Egen, relevant och attraktiv. Tar redaktionell formgivning till en ny nivå."

Juryns motivering när Bang igår vann pris för bästa redaktionella design i tävlingen Kolla!
– Vi är jätteglada, säger Bangs formgivare Alexandra Falagara och Brita Lindvall. Det vi gör är en spegling av framtiden och det känns extremt relevant att det queerfeministiska perspektivet nu uppmärksammas och bidrar till att utmana normerna inom grafisk from och art direction.

Läs även en kort intervju i Cap&Design: "Design är politik!"

Double Trouble …

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 16:24:00 +0000

Ful Art Magazine no, 1–4 2012

Kul på jobbet: både Bang och Ful Art Magazine (Ful Print: Skin) är nominerade i designtävlingen KOLLA! Mer info om vernissage av de nominerade bidragen och om prisutdelningen här: https://kolla.se/2013/vi-gor-kolla-2013/priscermoni/

Fun @work: both Bang and Ful Art Magazine are selected nominees in Kolla! Design Awards. Winners are to be announced in two weeks.

X-ing my fingers.

Will be writing … and a mural!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:08:00 +0000

Illustration for TRR-tidningen

I recieved a one-year working grant from The Swedish Authors' Fund! Means that I'll be working on a new text-based project.

A couple of weeks ago I side-kicked my friend Martin "Mander"Ander at this mural in Calexico's restaurant in Stockholm. It was a dream job! Big format, free hand texting …

Martin's a highlight pro

In the making

Martin's excellent lettering!

Machete!

Martin Ander

Bang 2/2012

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 09:18:00 +0000

Vi firar nya Bang i Stockholm denna vecka https://www.facebook.com/events/145801822274783 och i Malmö nästa https://www.facebook.com/events/504383016293742. Välkomna!

Make Up

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:57:00 +0000

"Make Up"

At last a new print. Made this weekend at Grafikens hus, an international center for fine art printmaking in Mariefred.

Behind the scenes

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:24:00 +0000

Vill du se hur jag och Brita har det på jobbet? Kolla in Märta Thisners fotoreportage för Kolla!
Do you want to have a look at how we do it at work? Do check out Märta Thisners photo documentation for Kolla!
http://kolla.se/2013/intervjuer/behind-the-scenes-alexandra-falagara-och-brita-lindvall/

Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:12:00 +0000

Denna vecka instagrammar jag för Svenska Tecknares räkning. Kolla in!
This week I'm instagramming on the behalf of Svenska Tecknare, the association of Swedish illustrators and graphic designers. Check it out!

http://www.svenskatecknare.se/instagram/vecka-18-alexandra-falagara/
http://instagram.com/svenskatecknare

Bang 1/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:22:00 +0000

Ful Print: Hud / Skin

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 15:06:00 +0000

Fin recension av Ful Print: Skin i Sydsvenskan http://www.sydsvenskan.se/kultur--nojen/vacker-ful-blir-till-hud/. Koncept & formgivning av Falagara, Bergen och The Treasure Factory.

Trialz and a BANG

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:06:00 +0000

New illustration project in the making. Liberating!

To night is the grand release party of Bang no. 3-4! Have had the chance to, once again, explore all the photoshop effects you can think of. On this cover: Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, HBT-activist from Uganda.

Awarded Best Cover of the Year 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Woo-hoo! We won The Best Cover of the Year. Thank you!

The Big Bang

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Me and Brita recently had a chat with Birdwatching about feminism, design and our work with Bang magazine. Read the interview here!

It's a Tee

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:11:00 +0000

Print made in collaboration with Brita Lindvall/The Treasure Factory for the book release of In som ett lamm, ut som en tigrinna by genious Vanja Hermele. Growl!

Boom!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:19:00 +0000

Bang no. 2 2012!

Take it to the max!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 09:30:00 +0000

A piece of a poster for RFSL:s annual dyke party in the making.

Raw a Line

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:02:00 +0000

RAW A LINE – an exhibition with Anna Giertz, Beata Boucht & Alexandra Falagara at the The Drawing Museum of Laholm.
Open May 26–Aug 19. Welcome!
http://www.teckningsmuseet.se/se-o-gora/kommande-utstallningar/

Cover of the month et alles

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:59:00 +0000

Thanks for voting Bang – we won Best cover of the month in April 2012. In September the voting will continue at http://bastaomslag.tidningstorget.se/, and we hope for a Best Cover of the Year...

Exhibition poster

Me and The Treasure Factory have been working on a publication for KHIO (Oslo National Academy of the Arts) in Norway – a catalogue for their spring exhibition "Destroy all nouns" – and we'll continue our collaboration with a pitch on another magazine redesign.

Maria was fired from her work at the social service when she decided to dress in niqab.

Here's my latest illo for Akademikern magazine.

March news:

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:37:00 +0000

Here a sneek peak for a coming illo for Akademikern Magazine – concerning a 'hot' topic: niqab and the work situation for those who choose to wear it.

I made a record sleeve for Rrriotsamba batucada last year. Now it's in print. Hope to work more with hand lettering in general ...

In the close future I'll be working with a very exciting project for The National Academy of the Arts in Oslo, Norway (in collaboration with TTF) – and prepare for an exhibition at The Drawing Museum of Laholm (Raw a Line – a group show where I'll be exhibiting, together with two of my favourite illustrators Anna Giertz and Beata Boucht).

Beata Boucht (the image is cropped)

Anna Giertz (the image is cropped)

B-A-N-G

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:15:00 +0000

The redesign of Bang magazine! Out in stores now. Thanks, Brita (The Treasure Factory) for an amazing collaboration. We'll continue our forming and converting of the magazine, stay tuned.

8 March Bang Party in Stockholm: https://www.facebook.com/events/362730577078443/