Thomas van den Bliek, 4/5, home blogger ArtEZ Business Centre

Online/Offline

A lot has changed since the last update, not just in my life but in everybody else’s, too. In less than two months the Covid-19 virus spread from one country to 188 different countries. Plenty has already been written about the impact of the virus on the economy and business. Like every company, I’ve seen some of my commissions get postponed and others cancelled. Not one to throw in the towel, I’m looking at new ways to spend the time I’ll have available the coming weeks, if not months. The Tozo-settlement and the startersvoucher I received take off some of the financial pressure. 2020 isn’t likely to be a year that fattens the piggy bank, but as long as everyone around me stays healthy, that won’t keep me up at night.

For the last few weeks I’ve been filling my days reflecting on my graduation collection and my past year as an independent designer. I have the time to take a look at articles, books and videos that I collected while I was graduating but never got around to. Through the internet I’m following tutorials to dive into Rhinoceros (3D drawing software) and the Arduino language. Because of the virus, a lot of people are working online and I also see positive things emerge. Designers who are making their print files available to help mitigate the shortage of face masks. Collaborations to combat the virus and schools that teach their students online. I alternate between the many hours spent behind a screen, reading books and trying to accept the boredom (which is definitely made easier by the days of sunny weather).Before the 1.5-meter distance became the norm, a couple of things happened that I’d like to share with you. For instance, I received a startersvoucher, I’m working with Luuk Wiehink on an action plan for the Piggy-Bank and I competed in a design challenge in Kerkrade with Jesper Speekenbrink.

Startersvoucher Gelderland valoriseert

By participating in the starters programme set up by the Art Business Centre I was able to describe very specifically what I wanted to focus on within my own practice. The pitch I gave to the evaluation committee on the 11th of February was convincing enough to receive the startersvoucher. I split the €2500 award across three areas: the studio, knowledge development and the concept development of the Piggy-Bank.

In the studio, I’ll conduct research in the service of prototypes and design proposals for a desirable future. These are self-initiated projects and commissions on a freelance basis. The tools and software I purchased with the startersvoucher will ensure the models and prototypes I develop will be more detailed than before.

Concept development Piggy-Bank

Part of the startersvoucher is reserved for the further development of the concept surrounding the Piggy-Bank. A physical money-box for digital money. Through the Art Business Centre I was put in touch with Luuk Wiehink (luukwiehink.nl). I’m currenty working with him to develop an action plan for the Piggy-Bank. We’re evaluating potential target audiences, looking at launching customers and designing proposals for potential versions of the Piggy-Bank. There’s a lot I can learn from him and I look forward to walking through the action plan with Luuk in the near future.
Other than the action plan, I’m working on the second version of the Piggy-Bank. My focus this time is on the inside; I’m currently looking at the enclosure for the electronics. The drawings I make in Rhinoceros are sent to Rotterdam where Jesper Speekenbrink (www.jesperspeekenbrink.com) uses Cinema 4D and V-ray to make renders out of it. Not essential, but it’s one way we keep each other busy these days.

(Re)design Death designchallenge

Jesper graduated last year from ArtEZ Product Design with his soccer shoes collection named Last Division. We both share a background in Industrial Design, which led us to get along quickly in our program. In exchange for a couple of brass studs for his shoes, I got an animation for my ATMs.

In January we decided to participate together in the (Re)design death design challenge organized by the Cube design museum in Kerkrade. The open call asked designers from different disciplines to submit design proposals surrounding the theme of eternal life. Ten proposals were selected, and their designers could expand their ideas into concepts at the Cube design labs.

‘Happy Expiration Day!’ points toward a future where eternal life has become a revenue model. The pharmaceutical industry has developed several packages that help you prolong your life. But how do you decide the value of a few more years on this planet? Through this design proposal we want to raise awareness of the regulations which apply to revenue models surrounding themes like eternal life and death.

For more information about the design challenge and the different design proposals, you can take a look at: https://www.cubedesignmuseum.nl/nl/designchallenge/redesign-death-happy-expiration-day

https://www.cubedesignmuseum.nl/nl/designchallenge/redesign-death-happy-expiration-day

We’ll have to wait and see what the future brings. The best thing for me personally is just to keep going. Even if it doesn’t make me any money right now. The development of new knowledge and the critical self-evaluation of the steps I took are also of great value to me.

Translation by: Witold van Ratingen

Opvulling voor de quarantainetijd

• Peter-Paul Verbeek – De grens van de mens
  In ‘De grens van de mens’ gaat Peter-Paul Verbeek opzoek naar de ethiek binnen nieuwe technologische ontwikkelingen en hoe deze nieuwe middelen een goede inbedding in de samenleving kunnen krijgen.
• Marleen Stikker – Het internet is stuk 
  Het internet heeft een flinke transformatie ondergaan aan de hand van hoe het bedacht is. Waarbij het ging om een open en vrij internet waarbij burgers informatie met elkaar kunnen uitwisselen zijn het nu een aantal grote bedrijven die er met alle data en geld vandoor gaan.
  Internetpioneer Marleen Stikker kijkt kritisch naar deze veranderingen en stelt dat het internet stuk is maar nog niet verloren.
• Rutger Bregman – Gratis geld voor iedereen
  Begonnen aan dit boek tijdens het afstuderen maar toen niet de tijd vrij kunnen maken om het helemaal uit te lezen. Het boek is nu extra relevant want het bevraagt de mogelijkheden rondom een basisinkomen voor de burgers.
• J.G. Ballard – Vermillion Sands
  Een serie science-fiction verhalen die zich afspelen in een luxe vakantie-oord. De fantasievolle wereld met verschillende personages zorgde er bij mij voor dat het boek zo uit was. 
• Inside Bill’s Brain (Netflix)
  Een drieluik waarbij je inzicht krijgt in de denkwereld van de oprichter van Microsoft, Bill Gates. In deze serie worden een aantal complexe wereldproblemen blootgesteld en zoekt Bill Gates samen met partners naar een mogelijke oplossing.
• Tamar Shafrir – New Money
  Voor mijn afstudeercollectie ‘Objects for a Cashless Society’ ben ik de transitie van analoog naar digitaal geld gaan onderzoeken. In het essay ‘New Money’ van Tamar Shafrir wordt er door verschillende voorbeelden gekeken naar de waarde van geld. https://tamarshafrir.com/FT-New-Money
• Tegenlicht – De robot als mens
  In 2015 nam tegenlicht een aflevering op genaamd ‘De robot als mens’. 4 jaar later heb ik dankzij het Transition project vanuit ArtEZ een bezoek mogen brengen aan het Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute in Kyoto. En met eigen ogen de androïde van Japans ingenieur Hiroshi Ishiguro mogen beschouwen. De moeite waard voor mij om nog eens rustig te reflecteren op de aflevering.  https://www.vpro.nl/programmas/tegenlicht/kijk/afleveringen/2014-2015/de-robot-als-mens.html

Thomas van den Bliek

I’m a product designer with an interest in new technologies. My fascination for the transition from an analog to a digital world has led me to explore the byproducts that emerge with these new technologies and systems. I want to question the frictionless life that the digital era promotes and recover the human aspect through design propositions.

Follow Thomas van den Bliek

• Website