Category: Faculty of Design

A new lecture series “Textile Dyes of the Past and Future: sharing the Colour4CRAFTS Experience” begins, initiated by the EU Horizon project  Colour4CRAFTS.

First Webinar on October 14th, 16:00 

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e0218e9f-ab65-4315-b9d7-a0d1d162fd53@6d356317-0d04-4abc-b6b6-8c9773885bb0

Riina Rammo (Associate professor of Archaeology, Tartu University, Colour4CRAFTS) Liis Luhamaa (Textile specialist, Tartu University, Colour4CRAFTS)

“The Dye-World of the Past: Estonian Archaeological and Historical Textiles” (online)

In the first part of the lecture, Riina Rammo provides an overview of Estonian archaeological textile finds and the dyes used in them. The discussion begins with the Viking Age (800–1050), as the earliest finds date from this period, and continues up to the 17th century.

In the second part, Liis Luhamaa introduces the world of natural dyes and textile dyeing techniques based on written records and historical textiles from the 18th to 20th centuries. The talk will cover both local dyes and those that arrived from distant lands and found use here.

Liis Luhamaa, University of Tartu, Textile Specialist. Liis Luhamaa is a craft specialist and practical dyer with a background in biology and environmental technology. In addition, she holds a Master’s degree from the Department of Native Crafts at the Viljandi Culture Academy of the University of Tartu. She is also engaged with the topic of Estonian traditional costumes and conducts research on historical clothing. She is member of the EU Horizon project Colour4CRAFTS team.

Riina Rammo, University of Tartu, Associate Professor. Riina Rammo is an archaeologist working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Tartu. Her primary research interest lies in archaeological textiles, with a particular focus on technology, clothing, and issues related to preservation. She is the leader of Colour4CRAFTS University of Tartu team.

The webinar series brings together EU Horizon project Colour4CRAFTS members and important guests to discuss and share their knowledge on textile dyes of the past and future. The series is brought together by the University of Tartu and Viljandi Culture Academy in collaboration with the Estonian Academy of Arts.

EU Horizon project Colour4CRAFTS combines a multidisciplinary team of experts from research institutes and R&D companies to carry out studies of bio-based textile colouration in traditional historic perspective and in combination with cutting-edge technologies of colourants biosynthesis and waterless applications techniques. Colour4CRAFTS members are the University of Helsinki, University of Lapland, University of Tartu, KIK-IRPA, University of Leeds and PILI Bio.

On October 14 at 16:00 in room A101, Saúl Baeza will give a public lecture titled “What if we kissed under the watchful eye of the surveillance state?”. The lecture is part of the Faculty of Design’s public lecture series “Public Lectures in Design: Adjusting Perspectives,” curated by Stella Runnel and Taavi Hallimäe.

The lecture will explore the creative intersections of algorithmic resistance and material cultures through two projects: DOES and VISIONS BY. Drawing on the work of DOES, Baeza will share his motivations for subverting biometric technologies, addressing matters such as agency, resistance, (dis)empowerment, identity, participation, discipline or desire, tailoring algorithms to suit my own demands, repurposing them for uses beyond their original intentions. Building on VISIONS BY Magazine, he will explore the social impact and perception of materials and their importance in activating and dynamizing cultures and socioeconomic systems through a critical and speculative research lens.

The public lectures are open to students, faculty, as well as anyone else interested in design!

Saúl Baeza is DOES and MAYBE Creative Director and VISIONS BY Magazine Founder and Editor-in-chief. While lecturing at Elisava Barcelona University of Design and Engineering he also researches functional and digital identities with the “Making With…” Research Group (TU Eindhoven Research) and “Futures Now” Research Group (Elisava Research). Saúl is the Co-Director of the Master in Design For Emergent Futures (MDEF), organised by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) and Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, in collaboration with the Fab Academy. Saúl has been visiting professor and lecturer at international universities, educational institutions and cultural venues such as Harvard GSD, Central Saint Martins and London College of Communication (UAL), Institute for advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), RMIT University Melbourne, Rhode Island School of Design, Pascual Bravo University in Medellín, Sónar+D, Victoria&Albert Museum, BASE, CCCB and DHUB, among others.

On September 30 at 16:00 in room A101, Patricia Moore will give a public lecture titled “The More Things Change”. The lecture is part of the Faculty of Design’s public lecture series “Public Lectures in Design: Adjusting Perspectives,” curated by Stella Runnel and Taavi Hallimäe.

Patricia Moore is an internationally renowned designer and gerontologist, serving as a leading authority on consumer lifespan behaviors and requirements. For a period of four years (1979–1982), in an exceptional and daring experiment, Moore traveled throughout the United States and Canada disguised as women more than eighty years of age. With her body altered to simulate the normal sensory changes associated with aging, she was able to respond to people, products, and environments as an elder.

The public lecture is open to students, faculty, as well as anyone else interested in design!

Patricia Moore holds undergraduate degrees in Industrial and Communication Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology (Awarded “Alumna of the Year” 1984), completion of Advanced Studies in Biomechanics at NY University’s Medical School; graduate degrees in Psychology and Gerontology, Columbia University.

Moore’s broad range of experience includes Communication Design, Design Research, Environmental Design, Package Design, Product Design, Service Design, Transportation Design, UX Design, Market Analysis, and Product Positioning. Clients include: AT&T, Baxter Healthcare, BOEING, Canadair, Citibank, Colgate Palmolive, FORD Motor Company, General Electric, Hill-Rom, Herman Miller Healthcare, Hong Kong Mass Transit, Honolulu Light Rail, Japan Mass Transit, Johnson & Johnson, SC Johnson Wax Company, Kimberly Clark Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, Kraft General Foods, LG Electronics, LOrad, Lowe’s, NASA, NEC, Norelco NA, Merck, Sharp and Dohme, Marriott, Maytag, Monsanto, OXO, Pfizer, Playtex, Procter & Gamble, Schering-Plough, Searle Labs, Seoul Design City Project, Sky Train Phoenix AZ, Sunbeam, 3M, Toyota Motor Corp, Valley Metro Rail, Walgreen’s, and Whirlpool.

Since 1990, Moore has designed more than 300 Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Environments for healthcare facilities throughout North America, Europe, China and Japan. A frequent international lecturer and media guest, Moore is the author of numerous articles and the books DISGUISED: A True Story, Ageing, Ingenuity & Design [2015], and OUCH! Why Bad Design Hurts [in works].

Are you a student passionate about creating a more inclusive and socially sustainable world? You are invited to an inspiring workshop, “Designing Our Future for All,” conducted by the design and architecture facilitator, Jasmien Herssens from Fourmind.

“Design for All” concept is about exploring how design can enrich the lives of every person. The goal is to create a more inclusive and socially sustainable world for everyone by designing environments where people know and feel their needs are supported. Ultimately, it aims to create a world where design based on caring and humanity is the norm, rather than the exception.

This is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on training in the implementation of Design for All, providing you with the insights and methodologies that enrich skills and contribute to a world where caring and humanity are the norm.

The workshop is structured in two parts:

Day 1 | 30.09.2025 | 9:45 AM – 1:00 PM | Part 1: Insight & Knowledge
Delve into the latest approaches, research, and perspectives in architectural and design practice.

Day 2 | 01.10.2025 | 2:00 PM – 5:15 PM | Part 2: Application
Apply the Design for All methodology directly to one of your own personal projects or ideas.

REGISTER HERE

Workshop is part of the EKA Design Week programme.

On Thursday, September 25th at 18.00, Ron Verlin’s first solo exhibition that which I was in life, I am in death will open at Draakoni Gallery. The exhibition brings fashion into the gallery context in a distinctive way, framing it through existential and social perspectives.

The spatial installation presented in the gallery integrates fashion, light, and sound to create an environment that invites visitors to engage in existential reflection. Central to the exhibition are garments conceived as symbolic objects, embodying themes of decadence, decay, and transition as metaphorical states of weariness that precede redemption or rebirth. These motifs unfold through a language of symbols and allegory. At the root of the project is the artist’s dream of navigating a city with a bottomless pit at its core. The artist later found echoes of this haunting dream in the pages of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, and together with Purgatorio, these seminal texts served as foundational sources of inspiration.

Ron Verlin is an emerging fashion designer whose work draws upon faith, mythology, and the psyche. The works engage with existential concerns against the backdrop of a world marked by scientific progress and technological advancement, yet spiritual depletion, raising questions about the possibility of redemption and renewal. The exhibition interrogates fashion’s role in contemporary society, questioning whether it functions solely as aesthetic expression or whether it can also serve as a conduit for critical inquiry.

The curator of the exhibition is Sten Ojavee (Estonian Center for Contemporary Art), and the project manager is Olivia Soans.

Supported by: Cultural Endowment of Estonia
Partner: Center For Contemporary Arts, Estonia

The exhibitions at Draakoni Gallery are supported by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Ministry of Culture, and Liviko AS.

Fashion designers Ron-Jonas Verlin (Ron Verlin), Maria Roosiaas, Jaagup Kaiv, Kristiina Tali and Hanna Tiina Pekk from the Estonian Academy of Arts’ Fashion Department will present the best works from their successfully defended graduation collections in the spring of 2025 at the Solaris Centre.

The works selected by the designers will be on display on the Solaris Centre’s Design Street from 29.09-12.10.2025.

On September 17 at 16:00 in room A501, Leyla Acaroglu will give a public lecture titled “Design as Tool for Systems Intervention”. The lecture is part of the Faculty of Design’s public lecture series “Public Lectures in Design: Adjusting Perspectives,” curated by Stella Runnel and Taavi Hallimäe.

Designer, sociologist, and educational entrepreneur Leyla Acaroglu brings a wealth of creative flair to sustainability and the circular economy. As a provocateur in these fields, she invites audiences to rethink the challenges we face. This public lecture highlights how Acaroglu has built a career by leveraging her design practice as a powerful tool for change.

The public lectures are open to students, faculty, as well as anyone else interested in design!

Dr. Leyla Acaroglu is an internationally respected expert in sustainability and the circular economy, an educational entrepreneur and an award-winning creative change-maker. As a designer and sociologist, she weaves systems thinking, sustainability sciences, and creative approaches to develop global interventions in education, communication, business, and design. For her work in advancing science and innovation in sustainability, she was named Champion of the Earth by the United Nations, a Change-Maker by LinkedIn, and is a mainstage TED speaker who leads presentations with leaders around the world on activating positive change for a sustainable, circular and regenerative future. As an educational entrepreneur, she founded The UnSchool, an experimental knowledge lab for adults, Circular Futures, a circular economy sustainability training platform and developed the Disruptive Design Method. Leyla also created the Circular Classroom for Finland and the Anatomy of Action in collaboration with the UNEP.

Loneliness is a significant challenge across all modern societies. Consequently, the way individuals and families establish and maintain relationships has become a considerable concern in design. In this open seminar, Japanese and Estonian design researchers will explore how design can help tackle this growing problem on both personal and societal levels.

Estonia × Japan: exploring design’s role in combating loneliness.

Keynote by Yasuyuki Hirai

“Inclusive Design for Loneliness”

Inclusive design is an individual-driven approach, while societal design is a society-driven approach. There is a relationship between individual loneliness and social exclusion, and the two can combine to form a vicious cycle.

This international collaborative project between EKA and Kyushu University offers an innovative approach to addressing loneliness and societal design. As an inclusive designer, Yasuyuki Hirai presents examples of how I have addressed this issue to date, drawing on principles of inclusive design.

Keynote by Ruth-Helene Melioranski

“Embracing Loneliness through Relational Design”

Ruth-Helene Melioranski explores how relational design shifts emphasis from isolated individuals to networks of care and connection. She illustrates this approach through a patient journey designed for the Estonian Health Insurance Fund’s endoprosthesis care pathway.

Case study by Janeli Peska

“Behaviourally Guided Intervention to Reduce Loneliness”

Janeli Pelska discusses how behavioural design can provide new tools to tackle the increasing problem of loneliness. Based on her master’s thesis, she introduces an intervention designed to promote social connections through behaviourally guided strategies.

Panel discussion

The seminar concludes with an open panel discussion to reflect on the role of design in combating loneliness. The conversation centres on how design can inspire new ways of fostering connection and belonging in our societies.

Moderated by Tanel Kärp.

Panelists:

Yasuyuki Hirai

Tokushu Inamura

Yanfang Zhang

Ruth-Helene Melioranski

This Friday, August 29th from 4 pm to 6 pm, the Erasmus+ BIP “Navigating Through the Complexities of the Digital Jungle” pop-up exhibition will be open in the monumental gallery of the EKA White House.

The Erasmus BIP workshop “Navigating Through the Complexities of the Digital Jungle” was held on 25–29 August 2025, organized by the Department of Ceramics of the Estonian Academy of Arts.

18 students from five partner universities are participating: Aalto University, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Latvian Academy of Arts, Saarland University of the Arts and Estonian Academy of Arts.

The students’ primary task was to recognize a specific spatial condition in the human environment where biodiversity and coexistence are limited. Based on this, they had to consider how the 3D design solution could connect and interact with the architecture or other specificities of the chosen location to increase species diversity and/or energy and matter circulation.

This project included lectures, presentations, discussions and practical sessions where they 3D modeled and adapted their files to be suitable for 3D clay printers. The workshop also covered different slicing software and other parametric path creation techniques. Our lecturers and invited expert from Belgium guided both the practical work and discussions and contextualized 3D clay printing in a broader theoretical framework.

Participants: Marcelo Guajardo, Mattia Anderle, Florêncio Justino João, Julie Ternus, Christian Schmidt, Stephan Andreas Petry, Ādams Sūna, Lauris Krauze, Laima Madara Lauriņa, Beatrise Kaktina, Beatrise Grudule, Jeva Šiaudvytytė, Rugilė Kriaučiūnaitė, Tauras Stuogis, Ruta Gedeikaite, Jonas Rakutis, Karl Otti, Olivia Jegorov.

Supervisors: Dries Verbruggen, Lauri Kilusk, Kaiko Kivi

Coordinator: Kersti Laanmaa

Opening hours:
Thu, Fri, Sat 13:00 – 18:00
Sun 13:00 – 17:00