“Industrial Design: The Future of Objects”
Master Class : May, 2024
On the occasion of the launch of the Design Academy in Venezuela, an initiative by UCAB and Prodiseño offering certificates in areas related to design. This offers a panoramic view of industrial design from the perspective of the ecology of objects, exploring narratives around sustainable, ethical, and political practices in the creation, development, use, and circularity of products.
“At the Edges of Industrial Design”
Conference : September, 2023
Invitation from Prof. Enrique Ricalde, industrial designer, Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Industrial Design at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and former student of the Master of Industrial Design at Pratt, to give a lecture and explore academic collaboration opportunities.
“Ecology of products, Techno-nature and Bio-narratives”
Master Class : August, 2023
Guest at the DAE: Diseño Argentino Exponencial, intensive training and strategic financing, organized by the Fundación Bunge y Born and the British Council Argentina and given to 15 selected Argentine design companies in the areas of science and technology.
Curatorship and organization: Florencia Lovera and Wustavo Quiroga (Argentina).
Trainers: SteamHouse (United Kingdom).
“Industrial Design at Pratt Institute”
Talk : June, 2023
Academic technical visit to Santiago de Chile, presentation at the School of Architecture, Design and Urban Studies – UC of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile – UC and the School of Design of the Diego Portales University – UDP. Santiago, Chile
“On the Edges of Industrial Design”
Talk : June, 2023
Online conference for the Certificate “Architecture as a profession_today”, organized by the STA School and the Architecture and Urbanism School -FAU of the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Caracas Venezuela
“Humanless Objects”
Lecture : August, 2022
International Colloquium Pensando lo Posthumano / Thinking the Posthuman, organized by the Center for Philosophical Studies of the PUCP (PE) and the Center for Research and Humanistic Training of the UCAB (VE). [video]
“The Body, the Objects and the Space”
Talk : June, 2022
Open talk in the spaces of the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello – UCAB, regarding the start of the activities of the Fashion Design Diploma and the design initiatives between the UCAB and Prodiseño Association. Caracas, Venezuela
“Design at the Hacienda”
Master : February, 2022
First chapter of the Design at the Hacienda series, conversations about design at the Hacienda la Trinidad Parque Cultural in Caracas. The design of objects, products and artifacts, as well as teaching experiences at Pratt Institute in New York. Caracas, Venezuela
“Singular Insipience: Notes on Industrial Design in Venezuela”
Talk : March, 2021
Invited to participate in the UG10 activities at UCL / The Bartlett School of Architecture in London, along with a group of Venezuelan designers, architects and artists, to reflect on different aspects of design in Venezuela.
“The Project and the Emergency: Notes on the Future and Design”
Opening Talk : January, 2021
Inaugural video conference of academic activities at Isthmus / School of Architecture and Design of Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama.
“Design, Emergency and Future”
Lecture : July, 2020
Opening video conference of the fourth edition of the Dominican Republic Design Biennial [dRD], organized by the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (INTEC) and the Cultural Center of Spain in Santo Domingo (CCESD).
“Design for the Context or Critical Form”
Talk : July, 2019
Connections with the form and reflections on the practice of design, in the work developed by the Department of Industrial Design of the Pratt Institute in New York. School of Architecture and Urbanism [Unidad 9] of the Universidad Central de Venezuela – UCV / Hacienda la Trinidad Parque Cultural / Prodiseño – School of Visual Communication and Design. Conferences given in the itinerant exhibition of the Ibero-American Design Biennial. Caracas, Venezuela
photos by Gaby M. Pulido, Sarah Georges and George Dunia.
Biodesign Summer “Future Ecologies”
Workshop : June, 2019
In this summer experience in Mexico, students participated in developing a highly multidisciplinary project involving design, biology, biomimetics, philosophy (through the optics of techno-natures), mechanisms, electronics, digital fabrication and digital design. The goal was to create an ecology of futuristic electro-mechanic creatures inspired by the work of Theo Jansen, creator of the Strandbeest project.
A fundamental aspect of this project was to understand the intimate relationship between theory and practice; theory behind the concepts of techno-natures and biomimetics were made present empirically in the material practice of creating the said creatures, and this practice will produce new theoretical understanding in parallel.
The month long experience had two important practical delivery moments; an immersion in a local Mazahua community with Professor John Takamura, where students created an installation inspired in both the regional culture and biodesign as the first deliverable. Week three and four were then be focused on the further development of the original prototype of dynamic, electro-mechanic creatures that will form part of the future ecology final project.
This summer course was developed in collaboration between the EAAD (Architecture, Art & Design School), the School of Engineering, multidisciplinary artist and designer Víctor Pérez-Rul, guest academic John Takamura (Arizona State University) who specializes in designed environments, sustainability and ecology, Ignacio Urbina Polo (Pratt Institute), guest academic specialized in the relationship between design and engineering, Ignacio Tovar, director of Industrial Design Associated Department TEC de Monterrey Campus Toluca and founder of Futurologi, among other professors and instructors. Toluca, Mexico
photos by Edgar Iván Vargas López and Ignacio Urbina Polo
“Academic Leaders Program”
Workshop : December, 2018
An initiative to work with teachers from the School of Design, invited by the Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design of the TEC Monterrey Campus. Guadalajara, Mexico.
“Workshop of the Sea”
Workshop : July, 2018
I was invited to participate in the International Workshop organized by the School of Architecture and Design Isthmus in Panama. In this edition, floating systems were developed for the Kuna indigenous community in the San Blas archipelago, with the least possible environmental impact.
Panama City, Panama.
Workshop:
“Hyper Hybrid”
May, 2017
Workshop : May, 2017
Design Schools Workshop organized by Wanted Design to conduct this workshop with the Prof. Constantin Boym. An initiative that involved 5 students from 5 renowned design schools, including Pratt Institute, to develop in one-week innovative design proposals that could integrate pieces in 3D printing with wood or felt. The workshop was developed at the Industry City facilities in Brooklyn under the NYCxDesign. New York, US
“Design Attractors”
Lecture : November, 2016
In the context of the Ibero American Design Biennial BID16, I was invited to give a lecture in ESNE – University of Design, Innovation, and Technology, for faculty and students of the Industrial Design. Design Attractors is an incomplete list of issues that move the field of industrial design in the academia, in the industry, and in
Madrid, Spain.
“Bicycle Alive”
Workshop : June, 2016
Invited for the third time to the International Design Workshop at the Isthmus University in Panama, this time in an urban mobility project for the city with alternative routes for bicycles. My work, during 10 days of work with 30 students and other 3 instructors, was to take the proposals of the urban plan to the design of systems of urban furniture.
Panama City, Panama.
“Territories of Industrial Design”
Talk : July, 2016
A look at the impact of industrial design in different spaces, this conference was given by professional designers, teachers, and students of design in Venezuela. Invited by the Venezuelan Design Store Siete al Cubo, at the Los Galpones Art Center in Caracas, an ideal space to establish a dialogue with local designers. Caracas, Venezuela
“Territory of the Ideas”
Talk / Workshop : September, 2015
Invited by the School of Design and Architecture at the University Rafael Landíver in Guatemala to give a lecture and a workshop on Biomimetics, as part of the event “Days of Design 2015”.
Guatemala City, Guatemala.
“Territories of Industrial Design”
Lecture : February, 2015
Invited by TAMU / Texas A&M University in College Station to give a conference in the Lecture Series organized by the Master Program in the School of Architecture. The objective of this conference was to sensitize students and teachers about the field of design and its connections to the field of architecture. Texas, US
Invited Professor
Residence : June – July, 2014
International experiences of the Industrial Design program of the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University UTADEO during the year 2014. Invited professor for two months to participate in various activities, including the discussion of the content of the Master’s Degree in Design of the school. Interview.
Bogotá, Colombia
“Spaces of Design”
Workshop : October, 2014
Workshop: Biological Analogies, the Design in Nature. Invited by the School of Design at the Catholic University of Asunción in the event Designio 2014.
Asunción, Paraguay
“Design Spaces”
Talk : June, 2013
Invited to give the lecture “The Design of Spaces” in Elisava, the prominent industrial design school in Spain. An invitation from the Director Ramón Benedito, the founder of the firm Benedito Design and National Industrial Design Award 1992 in Spain. Barcelona, Spain
photo: Toni Porras
photo: Toni Porras
GE + PRATT
Workshop : October, 2013
Pratt Institute. ID Department Two-day workshop with the participation of GE engineering and design team, school instructors and students. More than 40 designers in 4 teams worked on new product concepts for GE. Brooklyn, NY
“Design Avenue”
Workshop : October, 2009
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design – ICSID (now the World Design Organization WDO) partnered with the Tec de Monterrey to organize an Interdesign Workshop held in Monterrey. I was invited as an International Leader to participate with designers that came from around the globe under the “Design Avenue, A Path to Meaningful Innovation” brief. Monterrey, Mexico
