GeniusLoci-Countries

Genius Loci & Material Culture

Genius Loci Global & Local Each Country is unique with unique characteristics and patterns to propose, shaping also the trends and the Collective Imaginary on a global level.

Therefore, understanding the way the global trends meet and influence the local phenomena, and vice versa, becomes important, for the innovation process, design and creativity.

The world of creativity for instance, has different faces in different countries, consequently influencing both production and consumption, locally and globally. The Rise of the Creative Class by R. Florida

Genius Loci Global & Local Genius Loci is a Latin expression meaning the talent and spirit of a place. Every place has its own unique qualities, not only in terms of

aesthetic qualities and productive expression, but also of how a specific place or even a country it is perceived by people. Design is born as the industrialisation of the genius loci, and very often represents the local answer supplied by industry

in a defined social context starting from the first industrialised Countries.

Genius Loci Global & Local Understanding what is the genius loci of a country allows the understanding not only of a specific market but also one’s own talent and identity.

The identification of a country’s rooted characteristics and competitive advantage could become additional point of reference and guideline for designers’ working process.

It is therefore necessary for creative people to deepen their knowledge of the territory they live and work, not only to enrich their cultural background but to discover also their unique character and talents.

Genius Loci of Design Global & Local Genius Loci Program is a research program that analyses the cultural characteristics and the consumption patterns in 21 Countries around the world. Since 1999, a task force of experts dedicate themselves full-time to the job of elaborating profiles

for each of the countries under observation. The Country profiles: Africa, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Colombia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland, India,

Israel, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, Sweden and USA.

Genius Loci What can different cultures teach us?

Brazil

Influences on genius loci

Cannibalist Manifesto Date: 1928

Capoeira’s Legalization Date: 1937

Carmen Miranda Date: 1930’s

1900

Edificio Copan Date: 1951

Tropicalismo Date: 1968 Morumbi Fashion Date: 1996

2000

- Oswald de Andrade in his 1928 “Manifesto Antropófago” (Cannibalist Manifesto) urged Brazilian artists to devour multiform influences from around the world and transform them into unique works rooted. - Carmen Miranda, whose career took off in the Rio carnival 1930, is Brazil's first and greatest international star, famous for accessorized hats and platform shoes, has affected the way latinas dress. - Capoeira is a Brazilian art form which combines fight, dance, rhythm and movement. Capoeira is a conversation through movement which can take on many shades of meaning. - The apartment complex Copan designed by Oscar Niemayer is one of the large modernist buildings for which the city of São Paulo is famous, and is South America's largest concrete building. - Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso are the leaders of the music movement born in the late Sixties. Tropicalismo (Tropicália) brought a new way of looking at music within the culture, a feeling of plurality and democracy. - Established in 1996 with the goal of putting Brazil on the fashion map, Murumbi Fashion, nowadays known as Sao Paolo Fashion Week, has become the spring board for young designers.

Finland

Influences on genius loci

Finnish women rights Date: 1906 Railway Station Date: 1919

1900

Savoy restaurant Date: 1937

Linux Journal Date: 1994 Marimekko for Jackie Kennedy Date: 1960’s

The man without a past Date: 2002

2000

- Finnish women were the first women in Europe to receive universal and equal franchise. - Saarinen's 1904 winning competition entry for the Helsinki Railway station had been roundly criticized and the completed building in 1919 shows how Saarinen moved to a more modernist expression of the concrete structure in response to the debate. - The Savoy Restaurant opened in 1937 in the centre of Helsinki on top of a commercial building in Helsinki with an interior and furniture designed by Aalto including the wavy glass Savoy Vase. - It was Jackie Kennedy who first helped captivate the international fashion crowd when she wore a Marimekko dress on the cover of a Sports Illustrated magazine in the early 1960s. - This magazine has become well-known as the Linux community's most trusted-source of information, including tips and tricks, in-depth tutorials, concise product reviews and insights. - The man without a past is one of 45-year-old Kaurismäki's best films and won the Grand Prix du Jury in Cannes Film Festival, affirming the film director's status as one of the masters of world cinema.

France

Influences on genius loci

Parisian Metro Date: 1900

2CV Date: 1948 Chanel No. 5 Date: 1923

1900

May 1968 Date: 1968 Mythologies Date: 1957

Centre national d’art et culture Date: 1977

2000

- The Parisian metro opening was celebrated in 1900. Hector Guimard designed the entrance, a sign representative of the city, recognised by people all over the world. - The Chanel No.5 perfume contained in an Art Deco bottle was the first perfume to bear a designer's name and a big commercial success in many countries. - 2CV presented first time in Paris Salon in 1948. History has confirmed that the car was not only charming, but a revolution in consumer transportation. - This book written by Roland Barthes is a text that provides a panorama of the events and trends that took place in the France of the 1950s and one of the most important essays on the relation of fashion and society. - In May 1968 France experienced a political and social upheaval that shook the regime to its foundations. Student unrest in the late 60's was a world-wide phenomenon. - The Centre National d’Art et De Culture also known as Pompidou Centre, is housed in a building whose architecture symbolizes the spirit of the 20th century designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.

Germany

Influences on genius loci

Bauhaus Date: 1919-33

Volkswagen Beetle Date: 1938 Nivea blue tin Date: 1925

1900

Berlin Wall Date: 1989 Der Spiegel magazine Date: 1946

Jewish Museum Berlin Date: 1999

2000

- Founded in Weimar, the Bauhaus college rallied masters and students who sought to reverse the split between art and production by developing exemplary designs for objects and spaces that were to form part of a more humane future society. - The Nivea cream tin, designed by an anonymous designer, has become the icon of the Nivea brand throughout the years, a small work of art. - The history of Volkswagen Beetle started when in the middle of the 1930s Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Germany, ordered Ferdinand Porsche to create a new "car for the people". - The style and orientation of the publication Der Spiegel, which means mirror in German, is critical, featuring articles not only concerning Germany’s reality, but also the world-wide political and social changes. - The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, and less than a year later, the two Germanys were reunited and meant the beginning of a new era in Germany. - The Jewish Museum, open to the public since 1999, is an award-winning building designed by Daniel Libeskind, as a homage to the Holocaust and its victims during World War II.

Holland

Influences on genius loci

De Stijl Date: 1917

Amsterdam Provo Date: 1960’s

The Diary of Anne Frank Date: 1947

1900

Droog Design Date: 1990’s Drugs Act Date: 1975

Erasmus bridge Rotterdam Date: 1997

2000

- The De Stijl movement was formed by a small artistic group (Piet Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg, Georges Vantongerloo) concentrating on representing the world by simplifying art. - The Diary of Anne Frank is a book containing the story of a 13-year-old Jewish girl and her family who are forced into hiding by the Nazis during World War II. - The Amsterdam Provo movement of the mid-1960s,a counterculture, attacked the established order and demanded greater political, social, and cultural freedom and influence. - Since 1976 the Narcotics Act in the Netherlands has distinguished between hard drugs and soft drugs: cannabis can be purchased in licensed "coffee shops. - A group of young designers, that took their name after the Dutch word “droog’”, which translates into English as “dry” as the subtle sense of humour that characterised all the pieces they exhibited the first time in the Milan Fair under this title. - The Erasmus Bridge is not only the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, it is also the highest bridge in Holland. It has the nickname,“The Swan,” because of its graceful posture over the water.

Japan

Influences on genius loci

In Praise of Shadows Date: 1933-34 Sazae-san comic strip Date: 1940’s

1900

Tokyo Summer Olympic Games Date: 1964

Heisei Period Date: 1989 Japanese Industry Date: 1970’s

Sendai mediatheque Date: 2001

2000

- In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki is a poetic book on Japanese people’s love for the traditions and past, a classic essay on Japanese aesthetics and beauty. - Sazae-san Japanese comic strip is the most classic newspaper comic after World War II designed by Hasegawa Machiko, one of the first examples of Japanese Manga cartoons. - The 1964 Games were s a turning point in the global visibility and popularity of the Olympics. These games were the first to be broadcast live on television. - During the 1970s, Japan became by far the richest industrialized nation in Asia and companies such as Sony and Casio became study cases in many Universities. - Hirohito's son, Akihito (the 125th Japanese Emperor), formally ascended the throne in 1989, and proclaimed the new "Era of Peace" (Heisei). - Sendai Médiathèque building designed by Toyo Ito, is a multi-purpose public cultural centre of stunning originality that explores the frontiers of public and private, the real and virtual.

Spain

Influences on genius loci

Sagrada Familia Date: 1883-1926

Fura dels Baus Date: 1980’s Guernica Date: 1937

1900

Barcelona Olympics Date: 1992

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Date: 1988

Bilbao’s Guggenheim Date: 1997

2000

- The Sagrada Familia cathedral, inspired by gothic style is a landmark of modern architecture, designed by Antoni Gaudí, who died before he could finish his biggest and most beloved project. - Is one of the most famous paintings by Pablo Picasso, who started work immediately on the Guernica painting right after the bombing of a small Spanish town, depicting the horrors of war. - La Fura dels Baus is Catalonian experimental theatre group that became popular in the early with the Acciòn performance, an extravagant shows, a mix of improvisation and provocation. - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a black comedy about the relation between women and men and established Pedro Almodovar as one of the most exciting of European filmmaking talents. - The first Olympic Games in three decades without a boycott was hosted by the Spanish city of Barcelona. Athletes from most of the new countries of the former Soviet Union competed as the "Unified Team" and for the first time since 1964, Germany competed as a unified country. - The Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, designed by architect Frank O’Gehry was constructed below one of the city’s biggest road bridge so that the bridge itself is cleverly incorporated within the design of the museum structure, and became a major tourist attraction.

United Kingdom

Influences on genius loci

Art Workers Guild Date: 1884

Festival of Britain Date: 1951 The 39 Steps Date: 1935

1900

Lloyd’s building Date: 1986 Swinging London Date: 1960’s

Turner Prize for Damien Hirst Date: 1995

2000

- The Art Workers Guild was an association that reflected widespread desire to create social contact between members of different artistic professions, for whom there was no existing institutions. - The 39 Steps film directed by Alfred Hitchcock in the mid 1930’s, is one of Hitchcock's very early works. It is a spy story that encapsulates themes important for the period such as loyalty and innocence. - Festival of Britain attempted to revive the spirits of the British people after the hostilities and austerity of the past. It inspired many groups of people to take a positive view of the future and promote art forms. - Thanks to the post-war “Baby Boom”, London experienced a cultural revolution in the 60s, becoming the centre of fashion and pop music. Scandalous new styles, like the mini skirt, were created and designers shifted to the ready-to-wear market. - Lloyd's building designed by Richard Rogers, situated in the heart of the City of London in the financial district, is one of London’s landmarks. - Damien Hirst, an artist whose work sets out to shock, won the Turner Prize in 1995, an award for his work mostly famous for series involving animals preserved in formaldehyde.

USA

Influences on genius loci

Jazz Date: Early 1910

Disneyland Date: 1955 Monopoly Date: 1934

1900

Woodstock Date: 1969 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Date: 1958

World Wide Web Date: 1989

2000

- The origins of jazz, an urban music, stemmed from the countryside of the South as well as the streets of America's cities. It resulted from two distinct musical traditions, those of West Africa and Europe. - It was 1934, the height of the Depression, when Charles B. Darrow invented the Monopoly game. Today, it's the best-selling board game in the world, sold in 80 countries and produced in 26 languages. - Children and adults alike were able to visit Disneyland California for the first time in 1955. They enjoyed rides and shows according to Walt Disney’s vision of a magical destination where families could come together to create memories that last a lifetime. - The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City first opened its doors in 1959. The museum is a hallmark example of "hemicycle" design thanks to Frank Lloyd Wright's amazing six-story spiral ramp. - The Woodstock Festival represented the culmination of the counterculture of the 1960's and the high point of the "hippie era." The Woodstock Music and Art Festival was held at Max Yasgur's dairy farm. - The World Wide Web was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, a computer programmer working at CERN, who wanted a way for physicists to share information about their research.

Italy

Influences on genius loci

Futurismo Date: 1909

La Dolce Vita Date: 1960 Fiat 500 Date: 1957

1900

Studio Alchimia Date: 1970’s

United Colors of Benetton Date: 1980’s

Luna Rossa Date: 2000

2000

- Futurism was an international art movement. Futurists took inspiration from the modern society: speed, machines, and cities, and their manifestos glorified the dynamism and violence of the new technology. - The Fiat 500 was launched in 1957 by the Italian company FIAT. This micro-car was marketed as a cheap and practical town car to combat the huge levels of congestion in Italian cities. - Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita is a portrait of celebrity-obsessed culture of the Sixties and as one critic wrote: "A landmark of cinematic social comment". The film was a worldwide box-office hit but condemned by the Catholic Church for its casual depiction of suicide and sexual themes. - Alessandro Guerriero founded an association of architects called Alchimia studio in 1973, with radical concepts of form and pattern, a statement against the rigid, austere Bauhaus principles. - Benetton fashion company adopted the "multi-racial" theme during its collaboration with photographer Oliviero Toscani. When a visiting United Nations official saw Toscani's new campaign he exclaimed, “This is fantastic! It’s the United Colors in here!” the United Colors of Benetton slogan was born. - The Luna Rossa sailing boat owned by Prada was the first time in history for an Italian skipper to sail as challenger in the America’s cup. The team's outfits were part of the Prada Sport collection.

Genius Loci

What can different cultures teach us?

N

Sustainability Simplification Collaboration

Performance Standardization Multiplication

W

E

Harmony Control Animism

S

Conviviality

Sensoriality Memory