Interior Scholarship | Blog 01-2017 | Christopher Hansen
This past month has been difficult in terms of understanding for myself, what it is exactly that I would like to achieve and communicate with my project. Fortunately I feel like I have managed to work past this and really get going with laying down the groundwork and objectives. So far everything is not quite decided and I don’t expect this to happen all at once, but the most important parts are.
I asked myself the question; “What does my project do and how does it do it?”, in order to come up with a short descriptive text that explains my intentions. To me this is important for my own understanding, but also in order to communicate quickly what I am doing to others. So, in a nutshell:
“My project draws on speculative and fictitious scenarios within the future context of a human colinisation on Mars, using design fiction as a tool to understand the complex issues of humans and human society. Exploring these projected futures are intended to function as introspective binoculars, taking the reflective glance far enough away, in order to come full circle, and ultimately examine todays world. This process also allows room for questions to arise about the inherent nature of being human in the world of tomorrow. The distance and at times obsurdity, of the constructed narratives, allow for parallels to be drawn from the future to the present.”
My entry point into the project is dealing with the mutual relationship between science fiction and design. If science fiction indirectly designs the realities of tomorrow, then a designer is certainly one who deals with science fiction. As we know that fiction is capable of becoming a reality, the idea of working with fiction does not seem so irrational. Therefore my method so far, is to produce my own fictions, which provide me with a given context and background to breed forth designerly outcomes. These outcomes are then a part of a larger narrative that reflects on chosen issues, such as exploring the notion of home.
The democratisation of design and production in todays world, leaves us with an immense responsibility to become equally as proficient in producing valid ideas.
About Christopher Hansen
Rooms with their many meanings and interpretations are at the centre of Christopher Hansen's attention. Christopher is studying for Master's degree in "Spatial and Furniture Design" at the Oslo Academy of the Arts. In order to allow him to completely focus on his interior design studies, he will receive the "Interior Scholarship" – the Sto Foundation's AIT scholarship. In the 2016/17 academic year, it is being awarded to four students who stood out through their pronounced attitude and creative way of thinking. Christopher believes that the possibility of publishing his own ideas and his own work on a major platform is of great importance for his future path as a designer. This also applies to financial support. He thinks that initiatives for committed students are very important and is pleased that he was lucky enough to be chosen for one.
