As a child, Marie filled small plastic bags with water and transformed them into people, while Sara, on the other hand, began to draw floor plans of her childhood home at an early age. The duo behind Oslo Aula later chose to study anthropology and design respectively, and their paths crossed at the meeting point between man and object. Together they have created a unique field of work called anthropological design practice with the aim of uncovering and understanding how we humans shape and are shaped by our surroundings, both the homes, the things we surround ourselves with and the art we like.
What kind of work do you make?
We work with design, whether it is objects or spaces, by putting it in contact with people. Who will use the product, the room? How can we design so that people want to care for, love, respect and appreciate? We like to design objects that challenge something in one way or another, whether it's design language, function, materiality or production technique. The best compliment we get is when we hear that it has taken some time for someone to like the object we have designed, that they have had to reflect, think a bit and feel before they know whether they like it or not.
"The best compliment we get is when we hear that it has taken some time for someone to like the object we have designed, that they have had to reflect, think a bit and feel before they know whether they like it or not."
What is your earliest memory related to art, or to creating something?
Sara: I started drawing floor plans of my childhood home early on, without having been introduced to or taught the technique. It became a tool for exploring different furnishing options, as well as a desperate attempt to convince my mother to knock down a wall so I could have a bigger bedroom.
Marie: When I was a child I filled small plastic bags with water and used them as dolls. I drew on their faces and hair and looked after them as if they were full family members. That experience of being in oneself, with oneself, as I make little "persons" out of plastic bags and water, was an all-consuming feeling that I can recognize in the design processes and creative processes I am in today. To immerse oneself in something.
When in life did you first learn about your field of work? What brought you there?
We come from two different directions that have led us to the same place. We feel that in many ways we have created our own field of work; anthropological design practice. Sara has a degree from the University of the Arts in Oslo, and Marie has a degree in anthropology from the University of Copenhagen. You could probably say that our paths crossed in that Sara has put people first in her encounter with design and Marie has put things at the center in her encounter with people. It is undeniable that people and things have an equal influence on each other; in everyday life, in history, in our development.
"You could say that our paths crossed in that Sara has put people first in her encounter with design and Marie has put things at the center in her encounter with people."
What is the best advice you have received?
The best advice we've been given is to listen and trust our intuition and gut feeling. It is about presence in life and work, in relationships and situations. Intuition and gut feel are strong in our work, and often it is as simple as feeling something is right, then it usually is.
What is your relationship with the various materials you work with?
We constantly want to learn and understand more about different materials, both in terms of the materials' properties and possibilities of use, while at the same time we want to challenge existing production methods. That is why you find several different materials in our designs, everything from textiles, to wood and metals, and now also ceramics. Materiality is as important a part of an object as the design language itself, and it is precisely this combination that we find exciting to explore.
Tell us a little about your workplace!
Our workplace is where we are, and it is with us almost all the time. It is a space of joy and frustration, and we are constantly on our way somewhere.
What is the most challenging thing about being your own boss?
One of the most challenging things is creating distance from Aula and what we work with, not having everything so close. For us, Aula is such a big part of who we are and vice versa, and in that way Aula becomes like an extension of the dialogue you have with yourself about who you are. By creating some distance, we are often better equipped to make good decisions and trust our own intuition and work.
What motivates you?
Solving a task, feeling mastery, having designed something that meets all the different issues and requirements you set yourself, aesthetic, materiality, quality, functionality, production and distribution. Getting through the many challenges and demanding phases of the design process and feeling that it is "loosening" - that feeling motivates.
Do you have any tricks or techniques that never fail if you need inspiration or to get out of routines?
We often move the office to a new location, such as a cafe. It's a good way to get new energy around you. It also never goes wrong to go to a museum, see an exhibition or take a trip to the library. Read books and watch a documentary, or ice baths. Last but not least, drinking wine and having a party with nice people always gives new energy and new perspectives.
Tell us a little about the objects you are presenting in this year's exhibition!
For this exhibition, we have explored concepts related to the exhibition's premises; femininity, hope, nature. We wanted to create a tribute to nature and what it gives us. We wanted to create an object that would stand as strong on its own as when it is in functional use. The result was a modernization of the traditional stand dish, a fruit dish in 3D printed ceramics. The barrel is designed double-sided, so that it can be turned both ways, depending on need. The dish lifts the fruit off the table, almost as if on a pedestal and an elevation of nature.
"Femininity for us is not linked to gender, but a value base that symbolizes a shift in focus in the times we live in. Feminine values and attitudes are about hope in change, looking after each other and the nature we live with."
What kind of imprint or representation of yourselves have you left in the works for this exhibition?
We started the design process by defining femininity. Femininity for us is not linked to gender, but a value base that symbolizes a shift in focus in the times we live in. Feminine values and attitudes are about hope in change, looking after each other and the nature we live with. In addition to this, the dish is a tribute to nature, and in that connection it makes sense for us to have as little environmental footprint as possible. That is why we have chosen 3D printing as the production method for our contribution. With 3D printing, there is no material waste, only the amount of materials needed to create the final result is used. New production techniques provide new aesthetic possibilities, and we have therefore designed a dish that challenges the more traditional design language found in ceramic production.
About Aula
Aula is an anthropological design agency that develops visual expressions within a spectrum of the design field, such as branding, set design, interior architecture and product development. The common denominator in their work is that they draw an anthropological way of thinking into the subject of design, i.e. the study of people and cultures. Aula's main goal is to uncover and understand how we humans shape and are shaped by our surroundings, both our homes, the things we surround ourselves with and the art we like. By entering into projects with a focus on these relationships between people, space and object, Aula works in parallel between actor and recipient, and in that way creates a more directed and sustainable final product.
