It is fun to follow the Alternative Design Capital happenings as well since the official Design capital arrengements have, as Erik Bruun has put it “is for the colleagues” or Yle News reported “as the emperor’s new clothes”

Journalist Esa Mäkinen summarised the critique toward the World Design Capital arrangemants with 5 main points already in the end of last year:

1. ‘Fake openness’: lack of resources to respond to the proposals from the open call and brainstorming sessions
2. ‘The whole initiative is already late’: the organisation has not been able to make decisions in time, so that the projects which are not selected would have time to look for funding elsewhere
3. ‘Big players are priviledged?’: WDC focuses on working with traditional big companies, museums and universities. Small organisations and companies will not benefit of the year.
4. ‘Lack of transparency in decision-making’: It is unclear who is making the decisions and based on what expertise.
5. ‘Too heavy bureocracy’: All selected initiatives must pass through the Helsinki WDC producers, the Helsinki WDC board and the ICSID organisation (the global organisation in charge of WDC)

The Alternative Design Capital try to be more inculsice and democratic:

• ADC is a platform for design projects which are realised during year 2012 in Helsinki or elsewhere in Finland. Anyone can sign up a project or an event to ADC 2012 programme.
• Alternative Design Capital (ADC) is a celebration of design and urban culture during year 2012!
• ADC is an open and evolving process, please get in touch with us if you would like to join the ADC working group!

Yes lets celabrate and join in now when fall is creeping in…….

Katu- ja pihakirppiksi Kalliossa

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