Ecological thinking and sustainability are valuable issues as part of D.P. in Media and Arts- studies, alongside e.g. emerging media, art, music and developing entrepreneurship skills. Lecturer Fanni Niemi-Junkola of fine art study path did a study trip to Iceland University of Arts in Reykjavik (IUA) to meet the students and teaching staff.

IUA is situated about 5 km from the center of Reykjavik at a seaside. The university is a self-governing institution providing higher education in fine arts, theater, dance, music, design, architecture, and art education. All departments are situated in the same building. Students have their own studio spaces and there are some lab spaces, for example for sculpture, painting and AV-equipment available too. IUA offers BA and MA -level education and is part of our exchange program on BA -level.

"I had a very interesting time meeting the fine art -students discussing the topics that they work on. We all took part in Olafur Eliasson (an Icelandic-Danish artist) SOE Kitchen communal project, for the artist talk and lunch by OE. I also gave a public talk of my own work processes in IUA and the place was packed! I totally recommend IUA as a choice for exchange, especially if you are interested in environmental issues and ecology."

IUA Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavik

Fanni Niemi-Junkola: Artist talk in IUA, Reykjavik

Olafur Eliasson SOE kitchen project in Reykjavik, Marshall House

More info: fanny.niemi-junkola@tamk.fi; international co-ordinator sohvi.sirkesalo@tamk.fi

Mediapolis

Almost 30 exchange students have now arrived at the TAMK Mediapolis campus, and they were greeted by Sohvi Sirkesalo, our International Coordinator.

Sohvi Sirkesalo (left), with exchange students

This fall, we have exchange people from Germany, Lebanon, South Korea, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, even Mexico and Uruguay, to name a few.

Lake Tohloppi

The Finnish weather was behaving exceptionally well, and let's hope some students will find the nice paths and beaches at Lake Tohloppi, and the public beach sauna!


Text and photos by Carita Forsgren, 2016

About three month ago I have packed my flat in Tampere and flew to the land of everlasting rain. The official reason for this trip was my Erasmus studies in the University of Salford and a job at the web design agency BLISS. The truth is, that I was sent to verify if it is true that all the residents on the British island oddly adds milk into their tea (they are, mission accomplished).

Tea with milk. Do not try this at home.

A few days before christmas, I have landed in Manchester, the home of the finest English football, the BBC and unpleasant bus drivers. It occurs that (as I have understood myself in a short delay), England is (still) a christian country, and seems not to operate so well during the christmas and new year’s time. So we had to spend our first few weeks here without an Internet connection, while experimenting other communication platforms (did you know you can still use your phone for calling?)

By Laura Räsänen, 11 IMP

 

Modeling practice: getting down with the basics of 3Ds Max.  A diner from the 50's in less than 1000 triangles.

On the character design class we learn a lot of useful stuff  about the human anatomy, porportions, muscles, skeleton etc.  Which has to be put in use in modeling/sculpting practice.

My first ever encouter with zbrush and sculpting!  Putting the stuff learned in the anatomy lectures in use.  Getting there, getting there...

Perspective practice from the drawing and composition module.  This module aims to teach some basics of concept art and design.

The campus area in an extraordinary weather (not rainy).

By Eeva-Kaisa Ahlamo
Every spring in TAMK there is an orientation day for those who are going to head abroad for their exchange studies. During this day the students will hear about practicalities, what to expect and what not to fear. Often there is also a student who will tell about her own experiences and surprising situations she has faced when living in another country. This year this task was given to me.

Eeva-Kaisa Ahlamo Photo by Tuula Härkönen

I’ve been living in New Zealand and Germany, total of about 4 years. I’ve met a lot of people from different cultures and truly gotten myself into situations where I’ve wondered if this is for real. (A very good example was when I was conducting my study exchange in Germany. Our flatmate became psychotic and we had to get her to a mental hospital. Now it sounds amusing, but it wasn’t funny when she entered our rooms at night just to stare at us while we slept.)

Smart people learn from their experiences, really smart also from the experiences of others. Here are five tips I presented during my show. I’ve learned they are quite useful when travelling abroad.

1. Challenge yourself. Do something you would never do at home. That’s the reason you go abroad in the first place. Life is there for you to live it, fill it with experiences that make it worth living.

2. Stay free from prejudice. Be ready to try things you are not used to. Find out how the things are done, some of the ways might be more productive than at home. Face people as humans, not as a part of a race, religion, doctrine, etc. Give people a chance but don’t forget to use common sense.

3. Don’t do too many plans. If you are given a chance, grab it! It is very likely it will never come to you again. If you have too many plans you are less likely to recognise the chances you are facing. It also makes you more prone to disappointments when your plans don’t follow through as you intended. Like John Lennon said: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”

4. Be prepared. Anything can happen. Don’t be afraid to act if needed, you might be the only one who can do it. The girl we had to get to mental hospital in Germany didn’t know anybody in the country, didn’t even realise she needed care. Our school only said our problems were probably some cultural differences but we didn’t give up and finally managed to get help for her. The officials said we were amazing flatmates because we didn’t leave her alone and spent so much of our own time with the matter.

5. Be polite. It’s funny, but nowadays you will be best remembered if you act polite and considerate. It will give you a huge advantage and insures that your company will always be valued and looked for.

The time abroad can help to boost self-esteem, give life-long friendships and lead to completely new directions in life. Still, it is only worth it if we are ready to accept the lessons we will learn. Happy travels!
|||

The author is a student of TAMK Degree Programme in Media
Read more stories by and about IMPs, the international media programme students
|||

Our 26 exchange students for this spring have arrived and have been busy on courses for two weeks now. First week most of them participated in the one week intense courses Video Techniques and Expression, Script Writing Workshop and WEB Workshop or started the two month Video Art course.

On left our international coordinator Sohvi Sirkesalo On right the Visual Styles workshop professor Christopher Hales

Last week they started the Game Design or Future Film Studies modules and other courses.

Here you can find all Art&Media courses for exchange students this spring.

We haven't been able to catch them all for a group photo, but here you can spot half of them after the show of the awesome movies they made at the Visual Styles Workshop, the first part of Future Film Studies.

The exchange students this spring come from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain and the United Kingdom.
|||

By David Marin

There is something more behind the color, the paths and the letters, all together create a story, a fresh experience to the user. This is the story of the development for the Immigrant Advice Center in Tampere  Finland.

Four months ago the opportunity to develop a new image from the Immigrant Advice Center was presented as a part of the Design Management course.

A group of students from several countries dealt with the problem and came out with one result that was officially presented in the first week of December.

It was not easy to come out with a logo that manages to include everything that the IAC was trying to convey, after several ideas we pulled it off, one logo and some applications were ready, the client was really pleased about it and also our group.

At the end, this task was a great experience for me, the highlight of my exchange studies here in Finland, one think that will live for me all my life. At the end all i can say is thank you to my teacher, my team mates and the IAC.

The author studies at Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México. He did his exchange period in our International Media Programme this autumn semester.
|||
The teacher of the Design Management course was Simona Vitalini
|||

By Sanna Kuisma, doing her exchange period at OCAD, Toronto

Grange Park in November - View from the school window

Toronto has welcomed me warmly and the atmosphere is great – people are friendly, helpful and polite. The city provides lots of activities from jogging at the beaches to visiting various unique stores and restaurants, characteristic neighbourhoods and opportunities to meet people from different cultures.

View from my home street - Toronto is a mixture of old brick houses and modern high-rises

During the four months I’ve been learning studio photography and UI design  as well as been experimenting with illustration and painting. I’ve learned more techniques and new tools by taking a leap not only far from Finland, but also far from my comfort zone.

Photography course work

The way of studies at OCAD is very independent - a typical course consists of a three-hour class and six hours of independent working in a week. Some course work was to be produced in fast pace, having a new assignment bi-weekly, whereas some courses only consisted of two bigger projects. High workload and tight schedule were something all courses had in common.

As well as the demanding teachers, dedicated students make the courses successful. Fellow students with different backgrounds and styles can give very useful feedback, and it’s been a pleasure to follow and be part of interesting conversations.

Some of the graffiti at the walls of OCAD – not allowed and constantly painted over

I am happy with my exchange, since I met awesome and inspiring people, got new friends and surely gained many new learnings for my future work. I can recommend OCAD for those prepared for hard work, and would encourage everyone to be active and make the most of your time abroad.


|||
The author is a student of our International Media Programme
Read more about student exchange

Read more stories by and about IMPs, the Media students
|||

By Vesa Rantanen, doing his exchange period at OCAD, Toronto

I currently study in exchange program at Integrated Media in OCAD University in Toronto, Canada.
OCAD has huge depth and breadth in visual arts and design programs. Emphasis on imagination, functionality and critical inquiry, OCAD is -by far- the most distinguished art and design school in Canada.

OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) University

Also, for me it is the foremost high-flying and demanding school I have ever been to. Studying here is all about getting your feet wet, rationalizing your work, and critical engagement in design.

School
OCAD´s way of approach to design differs a lot from TAMK´s. First, OCAD is a university and thus, more academic. BA students take courses in social studies (i.e..culture anthropology, psychology) and have more theory courses in general. In addition, projects involve more research, reasoning and written process work. At the end  of the day, it is more important to justify your decisions, clarify the process to others, rationalize your design and demonstrate the functionality of it. Also it is important to know how to place yourself in the creative field, how it affects you and vice versa.
Design itself is, in some assignments, only a fraction of the final mark.

From the magazine Vesa has made at OCAD with the topic"Observations of an outsider in Toronto"

OCAD is very demanding in terms of professional way of approach to everything students produce. Half-baked work is automatically a fail (of course, a subject of consideration by professors). Students are constantly pushed to go beyond their comfort zone. Result is prominent; classes full of confident, talented young designers and artist who produce new, high-quality material all the time.
Amount of classes available is overwhelming. From 3D printing to nano publishing and guerrilla entrepreneurship, focused courses specialize to basically anything you feel like wanting.

Unconventional learning methods are widely supported. Like exquisite corpses, where one day, all of a sudden, professor mixes up everyone’s work by saying "Hand your work to the person sitting next to you".  Then students take up where the initial designer left and continue from there.
Not always the methods are that progressive and insightful; In my 3D print class, professor announced, that in two weeks, each of us should know our ways around in Rhinoceros 3D software, which is beyond complicated. And learn it by ourselves.

From the magazine Vesa has made at OCAD with the topic "Observations of an outsider in Toronto"

Tempo of work is high. In my first classes, I did not realize that the assignments given we´re for next week. Telling by the amount of work, I thought they were coursework's for which there would be three months of time to work.

Sounds rough, huh? It is. On the other hand, I have learned a lot of crucial and essential information a designer should have.  Also I have produced more work in few months than I did the last whole year.

Toronto
Canada holds some weird prejudices, that are, for sure, out of date.
Lumberjacks with flannel shirts on, chasing beavers? Ice hockey players with no teeth, constantly saying Ehhhh? Maple syrup on top of everything?
Canada is one of the most progressive countries in the world. Canadians are pioneers when it comes to art and design. They influence from the diverse nature and it shows. Canada embraces it ́s nature as well as preserves it. Even though the biggest imperium of twentieth-century lives right next door, Canadians keep to themselves. I founded that as something very positive. Canada is not the hat of the US. It is it´s own, prosperous and progressive country with amazing, laid-back people.

Toronto

For now, I have been too busy to travel outside of Toronto, but I don´t mind. Toronto is Canada´s biggest city with approximately 3 million people (6 million in GTA).  A major north-American metropolitan city has everything a young fellow can wish for; lively music scene, bars, cultural happenings. A rich and vivid street culture in general.


For those, who might be looking for a prospective exchange at OCAD, go for it! Yet, keep in mind not to book too much stuff for the time in here. School work takes a lot, so prepare to spend long hours and weekends working (some classes end at 10:30pm anyways). Then again, you will -for sure- walk out of the school as a better designer you were before coming here.

|||
The author is a student of our International Media Programme
Read more about student exchange
Read more stories by and about IMPs, the Media students
|||

By Aino Yrjänä, doing her exchange period at Konkuk University in Seoul

Itaewon, my home neighborhood, view from my bus stop

It has been now a bit over two months since I departured from Finland. It feels surreal. Another two months and it's time for my final reports. I have been attending classes now a bit over a month and it's been very interesting for me. It is totally different from Finnish educational system with its pros and cons, of course. I have been generally happy with my studies. I have gained more academic knowledge under Communication Design than I could hope in the beginning of my semester. This was one of my learning goal. I have learned a lot from other students of my major (and from others in general) by observing and getting to know them.

180 exchange students of Konkuk University fall semester

I have been also eager to learn Korean language, one of my main learning goals as well. Hangul (Korean alphabet) is definitely learnable, but you need to do your own extra work on it on your free time, maybe with the help of Korean friends. Last week we have mid-terms, I will see how I have been developing. This is one more good reason to go out to streets, cafes and restaurants to practice my basis of Korean language. I have noticed that I learn the best way by doing or repeating what I want to learn. Independent studying and connections with Korean students have been vital to me to learn Hangul.

Spot Aino from the subway crowd

My learning goal towards Target Country was to get to know Korean culture and society has been developing very well beside my academical goals. I have been lucky to travel in many different cities of South Korea. I have also attended different events and festivals around the country for locals and foreigners. By meeting new people, I have been enlightened almost every day. It's been very awarding to spend my time here.

On top of a peak of Mt. Bukhansan. Behind tiny, tiny Seoul.

I'm living off-campus with two Korean women so I get to be part of the local culture during most of my stay here. I have been introduced to Korean cuisine and its traditions, tea culture and Korean spiritual traditions among many other things. I have learned a lot with my roommates. We have our differences but I feel grateful to learn new things every day. I live in an area where's lot of immigrants living called Itaewon district, but in my neighborhood of nearby blocks lives only Koreans – mainly elderly people. I guess I could ramble many pages about Korean grandmothers. I am forever fearing and respecting them, tough ladies. If they open their home and heart to you, you will learn and gain so much understanding towards their culture.

Attending Bike & Rhythm Festival in city of Gwangju

I have been blessed to have warm-hearted people around me, locals and exchange students. I experienced minor cultural shock when I arrived, which still rises its head sometimes, but I assume it is because I have never been in any Asian country before. To me it's weird that people really stare at you most of the time. They won't look away even though you would look back. Maybe only when you make funny faces.. Some people also have touched me without asking my permission or without approaching me beforehand. I also feel sometimes like a celebrity by having so many pictures taking with or without my knowledge. Having fair looks can be nice here, you definitely get the extra attention, but when you have a bad day or it's just getting old, you really should stop for a minute – breathe – and try to remember all the good things about your target country and try to put things into perspective. Humor also gets you through a lot of things. Life is not that bad after all, you know!

Autumn finally arriving to Konkuk University

I truly think every single person on Earth should go to live for awhile in completely opposite culture of their native culture. It will open your eyes, gain some gratitude and compassion to others and most importantly gain some understanding towards other people - what in my opinion we mostly need more in this world. Even though my journey to South Korea is mainly academic, I feel strongly that it's also very spiritual journey to me.

I highly recommend people go to exchange or have their internship abroad if they have the opportunity!

Best wishes,
x Aino
|||
The author is a student of our International Media Programme
Read more about student exchange

Read more stories by and about IMPs, the Media students
|||

Greetings from the county, where the cars drive on the wrong side, the buses are (red)double-deckers, the rain is our daily companion and the girls are wearing way too little clothes for the rather fresh temperatures. It's not all just myths, it's reality!

beautiful British architecture in Manchester

It's been four weeks now since we arrived to Manchester, four chaotic, challenging and above all, very interesting ones. Ignoring that fact that the university had immense troubles with the IT and all the timetables as well as that there was no responsible person (Erasmus tutor) for us when we arrived, the time so far has been amazing and the fact that a very generous welcoming package was awaiting us, compensated for all the troubles we had to go through.

Our first week here was mainly dedicated to organizing courses, fixing schedules and arranging all necessary things for living in a foreign country and of course getting to know the surrounding and all the campuses of University of Salford. During the first week, there were several welcoming events going where one could have a closer look at the British culture, through pub quiz, workshops and lectures as well as afternoon coffee and tea.

traditional British tea party

Already during the first week, Kristina and I got an invitation from the Ersamus Coordinater of Art and Design School to give a presentation to the local rotary club about Finland as well as our home countries. We felt highly honored and at the same time a little anxious about presenting to a big crowd afraid of not understanding their questions due to their British accent, we were not used to by that time. Despite all worries, we succeeded and even got lots of positive feedback about the interesting facts presented and, who would have thought that, our fantastic English.

Finally, after this busy week, out studies began and we got to know our own campuses, courses, lecturers and other students. From what I saw till now, the teaching methods here in Salford are a bit different to what we are used to in Finland. Every single lecture is very intense, packed with lots of information and tasks, the speed of talking is incredibly high and after every lecture we have to accomplish quite big tasks additionally to the main tasks, which is due by December.
One of the courses I am taking is Digital Media, where we were promised to be pros in Autodesk 3D Max after six weeks, which sounded totally surreal for me during the first lecture. However, after two and a half weeks of practicing, I am confident that I will have a good understanding of the program by the end of the course and my fingers are already flickering very controlled over the keyboard.

wireframe of the 2nd assignment: Victorian house with sash windows

and with faces - yes I did it! thought it's not ready yet.

I am absolutely enthusiastic at the moment about 3D program which lead me to take another 3D course, where Maya is taught, supported by stop-frame animation to get to know the basics of movement. At the moment, Maya is just basics, though separating all the short cuts and menus from 3D Max is a bit challenging.

stop frame room in the MediaCity - one of my now working areas

And last but not least, I got to take a course, which is mainly focusing on motion graphics, but that one is unfortunately only starting in November, what means that I still have to wait a few weeks till I get to learn more of the secrets of After Effects, 3D Max and motion graphics. I can't wait.

I could still go on, but I think most of people got already bored after the first paragraph and those of you who made it till here - thanks for staying with me and congratulations to you, you made it till the end! :)

Greetings from Salford,
Sabrina

Story & Photos: Sabrina Seidl