Possible Landscapes / Coexist

An image, a vision or a projection showing a constructed mental landscape which is possible, but has not appeared yet or has not been written into a natural or, for that matter, urban environment, into the outer world, is in every instance a suggestion for new models, landscape depictions previously unknown and unseen. With them, the operation of the “new imagination” can become perceptible, i.e. the method for creating what is simultaneously topical and ideal, what we can call art. This new kind of description of our world and ourselves using a new type of image is also the transformation of the relationship between “us” and the “world”. This image is the mystery of the possible landscapes.

Hand in hand

A hand holds a bunch of grapes gently on a fine stem. If you look more closely you see that the berries have faces. This community of fate is held together by a central structure that supports each individual grape, which in turn depends on the holding human hand.

Visual Journey in the World of the Iñupiat People

Embark on a visual journey in the world of the Iñupiat people with the latest motion video created by illo.tv for Akima: a 3 minutes-long exploration of the values and history that define the native inhabitants of northwest Alaska.

The Iñupiat people have managed to thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth, guided by their strong values and by a lifestyle and a culture they knew how to nurture and adapt. This very set of values that has guided the Alaska natives throughout history receives a contemporary treatment, as they reunite as shareholders of the Akima companies.

illo.tv is an Italian design studio with a focus on motion design, illustration and set design, aiming for minimal and colorful aesthetic and clear storytelling. The project was made in collaboration with the American agency Yes& and YouTooCanWoo studio, and it is special in more than one way: from the true, impressive tale of the Iñupiat people, to the fact that it all started with a voice. An interview brimming with history and age-old values was the starting point for a creative process aimed at staying true to the Iñupiat story: a story of past, present, and future coming alive in muted tones, frame by frame textures and evocative characters.

The creative focus was on conveying the overall feel of the story being told, so the design studio approached this in a slightly different style than its usual bold minimalistic esthetic. Neutral shades got mixed with an Illo touch of pink and yellow for highlighting details, while realistic elements (such as well defined characters) counterbalanced the abstract and geometric shapes. The resilience of Iñupiat people reflects in the strong individual traits used to give life to the characters, while the vastness of the landscape tells a tale of solitude and endurance.

The story of the Iñupiat people finds its visual representation in a video that manages to carry ancestral heritage into modern times, with a mindful and creative approach.

Visual Journey in the World of the Iñupiat People

Client: Akima
Creative Direction: Ilenia Notarangelo 

Illustration Lead: Arianna Cristiano
Animation Lead: Laurentiu Lunic
Character Design: Sofia Buti
Animation: David Cubitt
Agency: Yes&
Creative Direction: David G. Stone
Sound Design and Audio Mix: YouTooCanWoo
Watch the video

with the non-human

To understand and accept each other as Earth beings is to transcend the limitation of languages, that is to embrace the living commonalities we share with fellow humans as well as non-humans. The way we use life around us defines the way life will eventually treat us. Regimes of abuse must be countered with ones of acceptance.

AL(L)ONE

We are all: We share a common land, we follow the same law and we belong to the same demographic groups. We are one: We have our own agendas, our own value system and beliefs. We are alone: Is there still enough common ground for our society to function?

MORIA

While the media is mainly focused on COVID-19 the living conditions in the refugees camp getting worse. In our homes we deal with the emotional difficulties of physical distancing while in Moria there is no possibility to keep distance to one and another. People are still suffering on Lesbos, we can´t even imagine. The idea of the Europeon Union is failing during this time.

EQUAL ROOM OF?

I’ve heard a lot of people say they want things to return back to normal. I don’t think we should return to the old ways. There is so much more we have to fight for than the pandemic. We have to create new structures and systems.
We have to create more “equal rooms” to shape better future for our society and fight against the climate crisis, poverty and racism. We have to reshape our future and escape from old patterns and structures. We as designers should use our power to support those issues and create a visual awareness.
Those could be for example: Equal room of opportunity, equal room of hope, equal room of communication, equal room of empathy, equal room of safety…

EGOTISM – COEXIST

My typographic posters show the transformation from egotism, which is to be distinguished from egoism, to coexistence, which needs a society that thinks collectively and expands peacefully into the future and which does not try to put only individual interests of single people in the foreground. It sometimes requires a change of the state of conscience. Here this is suggested by shifting letters, which gradually change from the term EGOTISM to COEXIST. The single letters contain both glyphs united in a three-dimensional form that changes by turning.

co-exit

For this artwork I concentrated on the decision between the topic “coexistence” and the consequences of not being able to coexist.
Because in the end, that’s all it really is: a decision. A change in everyone’s mindset, that can lead to a more peaceful life for everyone. It doesn’t cost much to go through life with more thoughtfulness. On the other hand, if everyone keeps on caring just for themselves without the necessary consideration or hindsight, what will follow is the “co-exit”. At this point we realise that we didn’t do our homework, but we are too far gone to make changes now.
I really hope for the outcome A, but honestly I feel like outcome B is more likely to happen.

Visual Diary

My approach to the proposal of COEXIST emerges from the obsessive idea I had in these unsettling times: the key element in survival and growth, evolution, is taking care of your ecosystem. Be it the family core, friends or colleagues, the attitude and behavior must be directed in the same way to those who are strangers to you. In this way, the annotations and the images are part of the visual material I registered during isolation and short walks outside the house, destined to take care of close ones.

untitled (intention)

untitled (intention) is a immediate and yet generally valid comment on the global state of society and planet. The work does not prescribe a particular reading, but symbolises aspects of fragility, vulnerability and the power of active intervention.

destruction or liberation?
And who actually throws the first stone?

Blend

I wanted to create something organic using shapes, which overlap and blend into each-other, hinting at coexistence. The solid shapes and thin lines suggest movement and growth but also fragility.

meaning of coexistence

With this work I have tried to clarify the meaning of the term “coexistence”. A core statement of this word for me is clearly the coexistence of different individuals, who are able, despite their different origins, their appearance or their opinion, to get involved with the unfamiliar and leave behind outdated ways of thinking and behaviour.