News
Staff mobilities
23/24
BIODESIGN SUMMIT IN NEW YORK
On June 12, 13, 14 and 15, several EASD teachers and students were at the Biodesign Challenge 2024 International Biodesign Competition held at Parsons The New School for Design and the MoMA in New York. This international biodesign meeting brought together students, teachers and professionals to explore the connection between design, biology and sustainability. The goal is to encourage collaboration, innovation and creativity, inspiring students to find sustainable solutions in design with a positive impact for the environment and society.
Our team, using a kilometer zero biomaterial experimentally, has developed tangible prototypes that show various applications. These innovative proposals, created under the name Biomatrix, address environmental and social challenges that seek public understanding of the interaction between biology and technology. Furthermore, this practical experience corroborates how collaboration between different disciplines can generate sustainable solutions, while preparing students to face the challenges of the future.
The event in New York was attended by teachers Alicia Bonillo, Lorena Cuenca, Marina García-Broch and Laura Hueso who have participated in the contest as instructors, along with two students Ana Pérez and Gema Madueño. There we had the opportunity to attend conferences and participate in talks with other art and design professionals of international prestige. Additionally, our students Gema Madueño and Ana Pérez presented and defended the project developed at the EASD Castelló BIOmatrix: Weaving Sustainability.
Images: Shannon Carroll/Vivid Story @vividstorystudio
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE HOCHSCHULE RHEINMAIN
In early June, our colleague Ximo Ruiz enjoyed a training stay at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden (Germany). Our colleague was able to observe English classes at different levels, both general English and English for specific purposes. The classes were enriching and the teachers were very professional and welcoming, as well as the students who were so cooperative. He also exchanged with them his teaching experiences at EASD Castelló.
He also had the opportunity to visit the thermal city of Wiesbaden and explored its gastronomy, in this industrialized region of Hessen, and at the same time producer of wine. It was undoubtedly a very positive experience that he highly recommends.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE UNIVERZITET U SARAJEVU
To Sorkunde Bilbao, taking part in an Erasmus mobility as a visiting teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts of the Univerzitet u Sarajevu has been an exceptional professional and personal experience. As a guest teacher, she had the opportunity to collaborate with a team of highly qualified teachers and artists, committed to education and the development of the creative skills of their students.
She exchanged teaching experiences with staff of the Graphic Design department, especially related to the use of artificial intelligence in creative processes and the development of digital products. She also participated as a guest advisor in the classes of teachers Sandro Drinovac and Adla Ivanovic with Graphic Design students.
The contact with enthusiastic and talented students was one of the most rewarding experiences for our collegue. As well as the warmth and hospitality of students and faculty members, who made her stay in Sarajevo very pleasant.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE ACCADEMIA DI BELLE ARTI DI ROMA
In mid-May, Begoña Robles, drawing teacher at the EASD Castelló, enjoyed a mobility at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, where she was able to learn about its organization and structure, together with the teaching staff of Grafica d’Arte and Illustrazione ed Editoria d’Arte.
Our colleague visited the building in Via di Ripetta and attended classes and workshops with students and teachers, where she discussed their work in the classroom, shared ideas, approaches and teaching methodologies. This mobility has fostered cooperation between EASD CASTELLÓ and ABAROMA, and has established collaborations that we hope can be developed in future courses.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE ACCADEMIA DI BELLE ARTI DI CATANIA
Our colleague Mar Moya visited the Accademia di Belle Arti di Catania (Academy of Fine Arts of Catania). This mobility took the form of a workshop called Corsetti innovativi in lattice (Innovative corsets in latex). The workshop was organized in the framework of the Erasmus+ project in collaboration with the Fashion Design course of the Accademia.
The workshop consisted in the elaboration of a corset on a mannequin applying a technique based on latex and fabric, from which the students were able to express their creativity freely, developing innovative and unconventional designs. The workshop was a very enriching experience for both the students and the participating teachers.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE ABADIR ACCADEMIA DI DESIGN E COMUNICAZIONE VISIVA
Last May, teachers Sofia Andreu and Maria José Peris visited the Abadir Accademia di Design e Comunicazione visiva, a private art school located in Catania, Sicily. It is a small school, with about 100 students and 40 teachers, which allows them to have a very personalized attention.
Our colleagues had a very positive experience, the first day they had the opportunity to visit the facilities and the program of Isola Catania, a space for collaboration, coworking, exhibition and training. They also had the opportunity to meet the staff of the Academy and attend a class of scale models by Professor Makoto Fukuda and a design class by Professor Giuseppe Arezzi, with their respective students of 1st and 2nd year.
On the last day they walked around the historical center and visited the most popular monuments. According to our colleagues, Catania as a city, and Sicily as an island, is a highly recommended experience.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE WESTERN CASPIAN UNIVERSITY
At the end of April, our colleague Marina Garcia-Broch visited Western Caspian University in the city of Baku, where she met the teacher Aysel Kukhmazova, who recently visited us during International Week. Marina had the opportunity to conduct a workshop for Interior Design and Graphic Design students. This involved the creation of symmetries using mirrors to design tile patterns.
A historical introduction was given beforehand, discussing the use of symmetries in the design of architecture and interior spaces throughout history and across civilizations, as well as symmetries in the growth patterns of nature. Marina greatly appreciates the hospitality and treatment received, and the interest and welcome from the university president, Mr. Hussein Baghiro
A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ENRICHMENT AT THE MALTA COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MCAST)
The professional stay of teacher Lorena Cuenca at MCAST has been a valuable opportunity to strengthen the ties between both institutions and countries, as well as to establish an interinstitutional agreement within the framework of the Erasmus+ program, laying the foundation for future collaborations.
This experience has been enriching for both institutions, facilitating the establishment of a long-term professional and collaborative relationship, while also fulfilling the personal objectives for professional development in teaching and research, as well as in the field of international exchange.
During her stay, Louis Aquilina, head of the International Office, and Martina Caruana, dean of the ICA, guided her visit and provided classroom materials to help her evaluate and understand the methodology used, the development of classroom activities, assessment systems, and more.
Overall, this experience at MCAST was profoundly enriching, contributing significantly to developing bilateral projects and potential future collaborations highlighting the value of academic exchanges and international cooperation in education.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE ESAD MATOSINHOS
Teachers Balbina Rodríguez and Ester Parra visited the private art school ESAD Matosinhos to share knowledge with the faculty there about new trends in graphic design project methodology (and everything related to final projects), creative techniques, Branding, motion graphics, editorial, self-publishing – DIY/DIT or AI.
ESAD Matosinhos has classrooms, and workshops for woodworking, screen printing, typography, etc., as well as a specialized stationery and reprographic service.
Alongside teachers Margarida Azevedo and João Lemos, they were able to closely observe the design, merchandising, and packaging projects worked on by students of the Degree in Communication Design.
They also had the opportunity to share readings and other information related to Letterpress and publishing with Ruben Dias and Sofia Meira, coordinators of the typography workshop, and with Diogo, maintenance technician and printer of the workshop. In summary, it has been a very fruitful encounter, especially about the typography workshop that we have been setting up at the school for the past two years.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AVEIRO
Last April, teacher Alícia Monteagudo visited the University of Aveiro, where she had the opportunity to conduct an illustration workshop for the students of the centre, in collaboration with Professor Pedro Bessa. The workshop focused on the creation of textures through the printing and layering of different matrices for engraving and printing: linocut rubber, foam PVC plate, Seipolan plate, etc.
The workshop involved the creation of matrices, experimentation with different types of inks, and finally the creation of compositions with textures to recreate environments, spaces, landscapes, and/or characters. For the creation of manual textures, basic elements of the visual language were used: points, lines, planes, shapes produced by instruments, and organic forms.
STAFF MOBILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN LODZ
Our colleague Maria Font participated in a mobility activity at the University of Technology in Lodz in April, where she visited the facilities of the Institute of Textile Architecture with Professor Marcin Barburski. The institution offers students the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art looms and machinery to explore and experiment with different textile materials.
She also had the opportunity to conduct a photography workshop with a dozen students from the 2nd year of fashion design. The workshop proposal was based on purely visual communication, in which, starting from an initial image made by the teacher, the students must respond through another photo (via email) to the next classmate on the list. Each photo must maintain some parallelism or similarity in terms of color, shape, composition, visual rhythm, texture, or theme concerning the photograph received from their classmate.
This project is ongoing and will culminate in the production of an audiovisual and a publication with the series of photographs obtained. It has been a pleasant experience to get to know the students and faculty of the school; it is undoubtedly a highly recommended destination for our fashion students.
STAFF MOBILITY AT STATE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS SANTA GIULIA
Teachers Xelo Galbis and Nacho Grech had the opportunity to visit the Academy of Fine Arts Santa Giulia in Brescia last April. During their stay, they attended various classes related to scenography, history, and typography, where they could closely observe the methodology and content taught by prominent professionals such as Francesco Ugolini, Paolo Sacchini, Benedetto De Maio, and Daniela Zangrando.
Both teachers expressed their gratitude for the enriching experience, the treatment received, and the kindness shown during their visit.
STAFF MOBILITY AT STATE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS OF YEREVAN
Our colleague and teacher at the EASD Castelló, Ana Llorens, carried out a stay at the State Academy of Fine Arts of Yerevan (Armenia) last March. Her field of study is ceramics, and she was able to explain two of the Research and Educational Innovation projects developed at EASD Castelló: one on «Synergies between gastronomy and ceramics» and the other on «Connections between jewelry and ceramics. From design to object and staging».
Ana Llorens also conducted a workshop on ceramic transfers for undergraduate and master’s students in ceramics, as well as for students in other specialties, showcasing traditional designs of Valencian ceramics adapted to contemporary language and techniques.
She also had the opportunity to visit a sculpture exhibition accompanied by the artist and university professor Getik Baghdasarian, as well as to visit the ceramics workshop of Professor Gurgen Vachyan, which was very enriching.
STAFF MOBILITY AT HÄME UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
In early February, our colleague Julia Català had the opportunity to attend the 10th anniversary of the Freezing Week at the Häme Univertsity of Applied Sciences (HAMK) in Hämmenlina, Finland. This year the theme was «Making Sense of AI in Higher Education». It has been a great opportunity to delve deeper and learn about the application of AI in the field of education, art and design. Throughout a week there have been a series of very interesting lectures and workshops around the use of AI and how to make use of it by students and teachers.
To conclude the event, participants went ice fishing on Lake Alajärvi and enjoy the warmth of a Finnish sauna and a dip in Lake Ahvenisto, which, in the words of the teacher, was a great experience.
21/22
STAFF MOBILITY AT TBILISI STATE ACADEMY OF ARTS
Our professor Lorena Cuenca had the opportunity to go on an Erasmus teaching exchange at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts (Georgia), with whom we have an Erasmus + KA107 exchange program.
The historical building where the Academy is located is from the 1850’s and represents one of the most prominent examples of Georgia’s architecture. It combines different western and eastern European building techniques and aesthetics. One example is the so-called Mirror Halls. Master Iranian craftsmen were brought to Georgia to complete these decorations, in a Persian manner. The result is a very characteristic blending architecture.
Lorena led a workshop on image transferring for the painting and printmaking students of this institution. The workshop was linked to a project that started last year in our school, organized by the Equality and Erasmus departments. This project revolves around the research of female artists and designers. The students were able to create some postcards and works on paper using images of some iconic Georgian artists such as: Vera Pagava, Natela Lankoshvili, Tamara Kvesitadze, Rusudan Khizanishvili, Niniko Morbedadze and Lia Bagrationi.
STAFF MOBILITY RHEINMAIN UNIVERSITY
Last spring, our professors Araceli Giménez and Alicia Rodríguez had the opportunity to go on an Erasmus teaching exchange in the Design Communication Department of RheinMain University of Applied Sciences as part of the Erasmus + program.
The two of them led a 15 hour long course (3 hours/day) for 16 students, 12 of them locals and 4 of them Erasmus students themselves. The theme of the workshop was ‘The four degrees of iconicity in scientific illustration’ and focused on representation in scientific illustration and color management in ceramics. The two topics were linked and introduced to the students, highlighting the potential of the link between graphic design and ceramics, and introducing the students to ceramic digital printing and ceramic coatings.
Overall, they had a very rich experience and Araceli and Alicia were able to talk with faculty there about different pedagogical methodologies and the presence of technology within schools and learning systems.
STAFF MOBILITY AT TBILISI STATE ACADEMY OF ARTS
Last spring, our Interior Design professor Miretxu Sardina, had the opportunity to go on an Erasmus teaching exchange at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in Georgia.This year marks the 100th anniversary of this prominent Academy, and it has received a UNESCO recognition for it.
The Academy has different historic buildings throughout the city of Tbilisi, and many of them are palaces and are now being remodeled and rehabilitated by professionals and students. The Interior Design school is located in the Architecture School.
During her stay, Miretxu had the opportunity to hold meetings with the dean and faculty to exchange ideas and points of view on Interior Design teaching. She gave a talk on trends in Interior Design and the current state of this discipline in Spain now. In addition to the lecture, she held a two-day workshop on conceptual design, and the importance of light, color and texture in communicating different ideas and feelings. The students came up with really interesting results that were shared with the dean and chair of the Architecture School and received a small diploma.
STAFF MOBILITY AT ACCADEMIA DI BELLI ARTI DI CATANZARO
Our professor Lorena Cuenca had the opportunity to go on an Erasmus teaching exchange at Accademia di Belli Arti di Catanzaro (Italy) last may. There, she led a workshop on image transferring for the Illustration students. The workshop was linked to a project that started last year in our school, organized by the Equality and Erasmus departments. This project revolves around the research of female artists and designers. The students were able to create some postcards and works on paper using images of some iconic Italian artists such as: María Grandinetti Mancuso, Lia Drei and Emilia Zinzi (art historian).
STAFF MOBILITY AT HOCHSCHULE RHEINMAIN IN WIESBADEN
Our professor Sorkunde Bilbao Madariaga had the opportunity to go on an Erasmus teaching exchange at Hochschule RheinMain in Wiesbaden last spring. For a week, Sorkunde was able to work closely with the faculty and students of Computer Media from the Design-Computer Science Media School, located in the Unter den Eichen campus.
Sorkunde’s experience was very enriching, for she had the opportunity to attend different master classes from faculty there who have a prominent professional career outside of their teaching practice, in most cases.
The school facilities where classes take place used to be recording studios of the German public-service television broadcaster, ZDF. Interestingly, although these facilities have been remodeled with an educational activity purpose, they have kept a very effective and versatile set up, facilitating an optimal learning environment. Classes are taught in German and are always recorded, so students can follow them from home or rewatch them if they need to. Overall, the atmosphere is very good, with a constant exchange of ideas between faculty and students, and fomenting team work.
The city of Wiesbaden is located on the shore of the Rhine river, and is the capital of the federal state Hessen. It is known for its mineral springs and thermal baths that have attracted generations of European tourists. It also has numerous green areas and it is not far from Frankfurt, one of the most important cities in Germany.
STAFF MOBILITY FOR TRAINING AT NCAD DUBLIN
One of our teachers, Elena Cuadrado, specialized in Fashion Design, has made a mobility programme from 4 to 8 April at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin which has trained important Irish artists and designers, such as the Irish fashion designer Simone Rocha.
The educational offer of this school is characterized by four types of studies: design, education, fine arts and visual culture. The school opens in the mornings. No teaching takes place in the afternoons, but the center and all its workshops are kept open so that students can continue to work on their own projects.
Our teacher had the opportunity to attend different workshops and classrooms to get to know how they work. She was able to see some presentations of Master Projects and their filming, such as «Design for Body & Environment» and to participate in different subjects of the different fashion courses.
STAFF MOBILITY FOR TRAINING AT ESAD MATOSINHOS
Eva Verdú, technical drawing teacher of our school, went with the mobility programme to Portugal to visit the ESAD of Matosinhos from 14 to 18 February 2022.
During her stay at the school, she attended various illustration classes, taught by Emilio Remelhe. In these classes, different points of view and ideas were exchanged in order to achieve a better project. One thing our teacher emphasizes is the professionalism of the school, the motivation behind the group work and the commitment and precision with which it is carried out.
One thing that surprised her was the possibility of negotiating with the municipal government for the cession of spaces that would allow students to start their professional activity. This helps to create very interesting situations, which make the different studies of the school visible by sharing events in the different spaces.
