By: Kinneret Zohar Lahav
Israel is one of the internationally acclaimed design centers of the world. It is also a cultural “melting pot” of people and cultures who came to this land from all over- and made it into a home. Israel offers an intriguing combination of East and West, Ancient and New.
The city of Tel -Aviv is one of an international group of cities labeled as:” UNESCO’s creative cities”, like the city of Graz, Austria. Each year UNESCO’s creative cities visits a different destination. A group of design students from the FH Joanneum University in Graz, Austria came over for a teaching seminar between the dates of: 1-11.11.18. The aim of the trip was to experience and be inspired "hands on”, with the Israeli unique multi-cultural “Mojo”.
Miss. Katia Benin, HIT (Holon Design Institute) served as the group coordinator, arranging a lively and diverse schedule.
The group hit the local “hot spots” of Jerusalem: visiting the Israel Museum, The Old City, The Shuk (marketplace) of “Mahane Yehuda” and a reconstructed and re-furbished site that has become a popular art and design gallery - Beit Hansen.
They also toured the city of Tel - Aviv, a 50 minutes car drive from Jerusalem and a millennium away.
Miss. Benin invited me to join the group for their final day. My name is Ilana Seleznev, and I am a professional industrial designer. I was asked to share with the group my understanding of the work of a designer. I have won international recognition for my work. My design firm creates quality promotional merchandise from a wide array of materials, custom made to suit every budget and need. I have invented and integrated a specific design – creating- methodology into my work process. This has enabled me to run a successful business in Israel.
The group from Austria was a collection of designers from varying fields of the industry.
We shared with the group the diversity and abundance found in the design field, meeting with local designers and creators. The visits to the studios was led and escorted by Ms. Galit Reismann. The group met with Israeli creators who have been recognized internationally. Amongst the various textile studios visited was that of Ms. Shahar Avent, a Shenkar Graduate who is one of the top designers who dressed the American singer-songwriter Beyoncé.
Our next stop was to “One Advertising Agency” office of Ms. Tali Dvir Livnat.
Ms. Dvir-Livnat is the founder owner and CEO of ONE advertising agency situated in the buzzy hi-tech business center of North Tel-Aviv.
At the office I lectured to the group about my creative methodology. Its essence is based on mathematical equations and logic which serve as a source of endless inspiration and creation.
Ms. Dvir-Livnat spoke to the group. She is currently promoting a national and international campaign called:”Inspiration Day 07/05/2019”. From the people of Israel came the Bible. Our country is an extraordinary “startup nation”. Our greatest natural resource is creativity and innovation. Ms. Dvir-Livnat wishes to promote the awareness to our ability to imagine and spread goodness. We all need inspiration and creative thought in order to go about our daily duties, whether we are teachers, bakers or engineers. We all use the power of our imaginations to dream and create better surroundings for ourselves. Ms. Dvir-Livnat has created a nonpolitical, communal platform on FB. She has invited everyone to join in and celebrate with her their understanding of Inspiration Day.
An online magazine has been created to serve as a sharing platform for thoughts and suggestions.
A variety of articles have been donated from a theology university teacher, an architect, a play-dough sculptor, the CEO of the Israeli author’s society an NLP trainer and an art historian.
All the articles discuss the moments when each writer met with inspiration. They are called as a collectiv :” inspiration sparks”. We ask of all the of the communities and organizations, business, private and governmental, schools etc. taking part in this campaign to share with use their interpretation of the Inspiration Day celebration.
Ms. Dvir-Livnat also shared with us her vision of creating a different kind of museum than the existing one, for the next millennium museum goers: “An Inspirational museum”.
It will be a new and exciting place to experience the exhibitions and interact with them. At this location one will enjoy a new state of awareness: a creative, innovative and inspirational one.
Contact information
Industrial Designer Ilana Seleznev,
https://www.facebook.com/StudioRDD
http://www.studio-rdd.com/
https://www.instagram.com/studio_rdd/
kbenin1990@gmail.com- HIT
https://www.onepirsum.net
tali@onepirsum.net