Platformtwo

Went to the JVF organised Nahargarh Fort party.

http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/destinations/jaipur/jaipursightseeing-nahargarh.htm

The most incredible view of Jaipur at night and lots of outdoor dancing

Mmmm . . .

the morning after the night before curry at 6 am. . .

http://www.jantarmantar.org/

We take a trip to The Jantar Mantar Observatory.

it was built in the 1730’s and includes one of the largest sundials in the world.

****Its amazing!

We experience our first taste of Jaipur market. We go to the hardware section to see what is being bought and sold. They sell some pretty hardcore nails. And crossing the road is a major test in nerves - you just have to cross your fingers, dodge the camels, scooters, trucks and hope you don’t die!

We are shown past work of the Lohar’s - its mainly hardware stuff thats beautifully imperfect.

For the duration of the project 5 Lohar families are moving to the grounds of The Institute to work solely with the students. We are amazed by how little possessions you need to set up home.

a few classic snaps of things we had no time to see.

The House of Winds

floating palace

tower of exicution

a marble palace

We will be working within in 3 different craft disciplines:

Blacksmithing,

stone
and metal beating.

Today we were taken to the Old Town to meet the different craftsmen in their workshops.

Blacksmiths (gadia lohar)
LOHARSIndia1.pdf
The Lohar were originally travelling blacksmithing families. The ones we met in Jaipur though had settled by the roadside in the busy and chaotic city. They work as family units with up to 3 generations living and working together. The young son will turn the bellows to heat the small fire pit as the wife and husband work together heating, beating the metal into shape.

When we visited them they were working on an order of industrial building hooks as well as selling small trinkets they have made to passing tourists.

Stone

We were shown around a large marble workshop where the craftsmen were doing handcarving. Then we saw their showroom - everthing was white! then we enjoyed some chai!

Metal Workers (Thathera)

The Thathera live and work in the same building - working the metal from flat sheets into mainly rounded vessals using copper and brass.

martino and tom Immortalise by the local stone mason.

This are some of the pople involved and made it possible to organise this workshop:

Anuradha Singh, curator involved in organising the Jaipur Festival, JVF

Ayush Kasliwal, designer and creative director of AKFD (sorry,picture will follow soon)

Chandravijai Singh, Dean of IICD

Tom Dixon, designer, inventor and teacher

Panoi, designer and great ambassator for the Lohar’s

Martino Gamper, designer and tutor

There where more people involved behind the scene, a big thanks to all of you.

IICD Canteen

IICD Library

IICD College

The Indian Institute of Crafts and Design has been established by the Government of Rajasthan as an autonomous institute of excellence for development of the handicrafts sector & industry, with a national mandate and to act as a catalyst in the craft sector.
Presently, the Institute conducts a 4 Year Under-Graduate Diploma Programme and 2 year Post-Graduate in Craft Design, to develop design professionals for craft sector.
http://www.iicdindia.org/

This project is made possible by the following organisation and companies.

Royal College of Art
Britsh Council ( London, Delhi, Mumbai offices )
IICD, Indian Institute of Craft & Design, Jaipur
JVF Jaipur Virasat Foundation
Virgin Atlantic

This are some of our first hours in Jaipur, the weather is nice and warm (25°), and we are strolling through down visiting various workshops and craftspeople. Speak to you soon. 1/2 of platformtwo

Check out what the CIA knows about India

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html

So far we know that India (Jaipur) is warm and full of contrast

Platform two go to India, Jaipur 16/01/06 - 27/01/06

Design activism!

From the high-tech 21 st century virtual marketplace of E-BAY to the dispossessed roadside tinker communities of Jaipur, Platform 2 will attempt to reconcile conceptual creativity with cold commerce by asking this question:

“Can you have immediate measurable impact on peoples lives through design?

On the basis of two case study project in Africa and India we will address everything from the identity of the designer its cultural social context, the nature of the local and global markets, the old and new skills of communities and the selling of the finished piece.
The aim is in providing exercises in innovation- from the design, to the creation, realisation and introduction in to markets of an object.

room: 8th floor / martino’s office