Inside The Experience

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

ALAA BERUWIEN

ALEXANDRA DURAND

DILARA HAKYEMEZ

ILANA BLADY

LUCIE GLASS

SANDRA SORDINI

SOYI LEE

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INTRODUCTION

The Erasmus Programme is a mobility programme funded by the European Union which allows students from higher education institutions to study abroad in a European country. A financial contribution from the EU gives students the opportunity to follow courses, sit exams and use the facilities available at a foreign university without paying any tuition fees. The Erasmus Programme promotes cultural experiences abroad and encourages to learn about new systems of higher education, to improve their knowledge of another language and meet young people from other countries, actively participating in the construction of an increasingly united Europe.

To be honest, when you think about the Erasmus project what comes to your mind is: parties, parties and parties. Well, that’s also true. But there is much more: students from all over the world, who for the first time live and study in another country, with different cultures and languages, who have to learn and understand them. All this creates a real sense of community among students.

This is what happened to us, during our experience at the Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar (German is a tough language, fortunately here they speak English so well). So we thought to make a book about the Erasmus and Exchange students we met, about their experiences in a foreign country and different university, showing their projects as well (Erasmus is not only parties).

We also did a website, hoping to create a community that could help students choose the right place for their future social and cultural experience.

“I’m French, Spanish, English, Danish. I’m not one, but many. I’m like Europe, I’m all that. I’m a real mess.”L’ Auberge espagnole.

Raffaella and Elena

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Born in1993, Edinburgh

NationalityBritish/Libyan

IDpotatoes are her favourite

vegetable, loves Ceilidhs and her accent is amazing

StudiesBA in Architecture, Robert

Gordon University, AberdeenErasmus in Weimar

Architecture, summer semester 2014

Field of studies Architecture

ProgramsPhotoshop, Revit, AutoCAD,

V-Ray, Illustrator, InDesignInterests

music, sculpture, dance, basketball, languages, eating,

men with beardsWebsite/Blogs

it’s coming soon…..

ALAA

BERUW

IEN

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DUNNOTTAR CASTLE2013, Aberdeen

The aim of this project was to develop an understanding and sensitivity to the adaption of historic buildings with the approach of contemporary architectural design. In particular looking at one of the most used materials concrete and coming up with different designs in how they can be utilized when dealing with architectural interventions.

They were given the keep of Dunnottar castle, a 15th centaury watchtower, located in Stonehaven, on the north east coast of Scotland.

They managed to come with a solution that would emphasise not only the delicacy of what still remains of the keep but also save what is still standing intact.

The design allowed to accentuate the characters of modern and old at the same time, and to hold the majority of the keep in standing condition.

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Why did you choose Weimar for your Erasmus? And how was your experience at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar?

As an architecture student it is a privilege to say that you studied at the Bauhaus, in Weimar. You can say it is the birth place of modern design, and to be able to work and study in a place in which you know has so much history and has a well respected reputation in not only architecture but design and art is a great educational and emotional experience. My home university is very organised, but saying that I have enjoyed my time here despite I was lost and didn’t know what I was really doing for about a month. For the project I was doing in Weimar I didn’t need to use the work shop which I would of liked to have done. I think my home university offers good projects and facilities, but I would like to have every semester a choice of different project to participate in like the Bauhaus, rather than being already dictated for us from the beginning of the semester.

I felt that I have learned a lot in Weimar, not only about design itself but programmes you need to be able to communicate your ideas with, which I tried to avoid in my home university because I was afraid to try it. What is also great is that my university back home for architecture is very small so it’s nice to come here and see a wide variety of different design styles and approaches.

Did you notice some changes in your way of working and thinking after this experience?

I can say I have developed more confidence in myself, it’s really interesting to see yourself change and adapt to other cultures and ways of teaching that are not familiar to you. It has been a really challenging but one of the best experiences of my life, is so great to meet other people and look not only at how they approach design or art but also how they look at things from their perspective. I loved my time here and I really enjoyed learning the methods of working here in Bauhaus and the language also.

Did you notice some cultural differences between your country and Germany?

People are more reserved but once they open up to you they are very nice, blunt when answering your questions but it’s a good thing not a bad thing. They really welcoming and super funny. The nicest group of people I’ve met in my life was in Germany.

5 key words for describe your Erasmus experience?

Dancing, eating, football, trees and fireflies.

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF ALAA BERUWIEN

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SPACE HUB ERFURT 2014, Weimar

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The aim of this project was to look at buildings collectively with relation to urban space. The focus here was to understand how buildings and spaces are organized to create professional and recreational public and private spaces in relation with public transportation.

The project was focused in Erfurt and here they had to come up with solutions to make the city a more densely populated with the up coming new ICE City Ost. The area to re-design and adapt was the Juri-Gagarin Ring street and everything behind it towards the rail tracks.

In order to liven up the area, they looked at reducing the number of cars and roads available private transport and turning them into larger more open pedestrian walk ways with the addition of contemporary timber construction the regrowth of green space.

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ALEXA

NDRA DURAND

Born in 1992, Montreal

Nationality Canadian

IDopen-minded and detached

about traditions and expectations that come with life

(quebecois culture), very resilient to temperature changes

StudiesIndustrial Design, Concordia

University, Montreal Exchange in Weimar

Visual Communication and Product Design, year 2013/2014

Field of studiesIndustrial Design

Focus of work Graphic Design, Digital Art,

PhotographyInterests

reading, writing, sewing Website/Blogs

behance.net/AlexDesignPortfolio

http://www.behance.net/AlexDesignPortfolio

http://www.behance.net/AlexDesignPortfolio

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TIMES NEW ROMAN2013, Montreal

This project is both an individual and group project part of a graphic design course: at every student in the class was assigned a typeface, and was asked to research, explore and present the typeface in a 12-16 page signature. All the signatures were then compiled together in one book and bound and the cover and end pages were individually done.

Alexandra stripped the Times New Roman down to the essential and tried to have fun with a typeface that has been exhausted. She looked at the typeface, inspecting it and trying to find out what made it itself, unique and different and then proceeded to try to use the typeface itself as source of structure to the signature. Colour was also meant as a means of putting emphasis on certain aspects of the signature.

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Why did you choose Weimar for your Exchange? And how was your experience at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar?

The Bauhaus-Universität was one of the natural choices, because offer both graphic and product design and let me have the option of taking both, and there are few schools who have a reputation like Bauhaus’. Here there is not only the creativity part (the project), but also technical courses and seminars, in subjects that wouldn’t be taught to design students. Also the way the students work is so much more laid back and left to explore.

At Concordia University the structure is very rigid, and therefore does not allow for as much exploring, but has a key word (very typical of Montreal’s current mindset) that I have yet to see at Bauhaus: sustainability. Culture and mentality influences a lot design and other artistic practices, so the experience was definitely different, and definitely worth it as well. It was what I expected, and maybe even more.

Did you notice some changes in your way of working and thinking?

I have never lived outside of my home town. To have to adapt to another town, another culture, another language, and to have to do it all so fast was definitely a difficult, but also a very mind-broadening experience. It was a growing experience,

where I gained independence and knowledge about myself. I am a different person than when I left my home town!


Simple things like breakfast food, the size of beer bottles and how the streets are paved differ from both countries. One thing I have noticed is very different. While Montrealers are known for their illegal street crossings, Germans are rule abiding, especially when it comes to things like crossing on red lights and pedestrian crossings.

When I try to cross in the middle of the street, the Germans are fen polite enough to let me! The worst is when I’m at pedestrian crossings. When confronted with a pedestrian, a Québécois driver will accelerate; I have therefore taken the habit of waiting for cars to go, even of theoretically I have priority. But Germans stop as you near it, so that it often happens that I wait before crossing and the German drivers will give me an odd look as they stop, wondering why I am not crossing.

5 key words for describe your Exchange experience?

Growth, difference, social, traveling and culture.

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF ALEXANDRA DURAND

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THE CITY OF COLOURS2013-14, Weimar

As part of the project “Odyssee” at the Bauhaus-Universität, this piece is basically the idea of building a book from scratch and making the outside form represent the content. The 50K-word novel was written as part of the NaNoWriMo challenge in November, whose subject is an essay on art, or specifically what is art and what makes a person an artist, and also the idea of the odyssey. The graphic design part came in the design of the interior of the book and the outside (cover, bookbinding).

The physical aspect of the book was then born using the typical novel design as base, while the pages with important passages where then designed differently in order to reflect the written words: sharp edges when characters fought, white text on black when the character stepped out at night, black squares every time the words were uttered by the characters, etc.

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DILARA

HAKYEM

EZBorn in

1989, GiresunNationality

TurkishID

friendly and hospitable, believes that sharing increase happiness

Studies Bachelor in City and Regional

Planning, Middle East Technical University, Ankara

Master in Restoration and Conservation of Historic Sites and Monuments, Middle East

Technical University, AnkaraExchange in Weimar

Urbanism, summer semester 2014

Field of studiesPlanning and Conservation,

UrbanismFocus of work

identity of cities, historical sites, value assessment, restoration

ProgramsPhotoshop, Corel Draw, Autocad,

GIS, Space SyntaxInterests

theater, photography

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ISTIKLAL QUARTER2013-2014, Ankara

This is a group project about an urban renewal of the Istiklal Quarter, located in the historical urban center of Ankara.

The group tried to evaluate holistically the condition of the buildings and of all the area, and to make a plan paying attention to the environment, culture and every social aspect.

At the end, every group gave a suggestion of how the quarter could continue its existence with more vitality.

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My choices were Italy and Germany, and my first one was Weimar because Bauhaus-Universität Weimar has a good reputation in my home university in Ankara. I was curious about German education before I came here, but I couldn’t take German lectures because my German level wasn’t enough to follow them.

I find that here the education system is more relaxed than in Ankara. Learning is more up to student and there are many possibilities (for example, in my lecture I had chance to go to Vienna for my project studio, which is almost impossible in my University), but as far as I understood, students should work to improve themself rather than follow professor’s leading. In my university, lectures are more intense, and generally I couldn’ t find free time for research on my own.


Sure, also because this was my first experience abroad.

I saw different planning processes in Vienna, and different perspectives that I didn’t know before, which I found very helpful to improve my knowledge about this area.


Yes, there are some difference, like the traffic rules in Germany. People obey to the rules strictly. Even when the road is empty, Germans don ‘t try to cross the road, but they wait until the red light is off. In Turkey, pedestrians don’t care so much about traffic lights.


Travel, friends, parks, dance and dinner meeting.

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF DILARA HAKYEMEZ

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INTEGRATED FREQUENCIES 2014, Weimar

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For this group project, they studied two areas of Vienna with the methods developed by Space Syntax. The goal was to analyse and visualize in how far the creation of urban space is related to movement patterns and in how far those can be integrated in planning the urban realm.

Based on the analysis of Am Spitz, an existing neighbourhoods in Vienna, they tried to understand in how far a masterplan can incorporate urbanists’ ideas and visions.

Therafter they conducted a masterplan-analysis of a new urban development “Aspern Seestadt” in Vienna recognizing its deficiencies and potentials.

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ILANA

BLADY

Born in 1993, New York

NationalityUSA

IDvery open and friendly, can also

be kind of loudStudies

BFA in Fine Arts, Illustration, Pratt Institute, New

YorkExchange in Weimar

Visual Communication, summer semester 2014Field of studies

IllustrationFocus of work

Graphic Design, Editorial Illustration, Comics, Children’s

booksMedia of work

gouache, ink, watercolors,pencil, felt, digital media

ProgramsPhotoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

Interestswatching movies, keeping a

journal, cookingWebsite/Blogs

facebook.com/ilanaartscargocollective.com/ilanablady

ilanablady.tumblr.com

https://www.facebook.com/ilanaarts?fref=ts

http://cargocollective.com/ilanablady

http://ilanablady.tumblr.com/

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STAGE FRIGHT!Winter 2013, New York

This excerpt is from a comic about Ilana’s first unrequited love for a boy in her math class when she was thirteen, and how her view of him changed over time.

It was an exercise in storytelling and personal narrative, and it’s one of her favorite things Ilana has ever done.

It’s been realized with ink and then finalized on digital.

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He was a musician.

but it felt prettyintense at the time.

I was thirteen whenI first thought I had fallen in love.

I had no idea whatlove actually was,

Yeah, and I’m trying to get a band together.

We’re gonna be the next My Chem.

So, uh, youplay drums?

Alright, class, we’regonna work in pairs

for this next project!

Heh, so do youhave any idea what

we’re actuallydoing here?

Nah, I wasn’t really paying

attention.

Partner up withthe person to your right...

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(Besides, he’d offered freeband shirts to whomeverbought tickets from him.)

Several years, many newfriends, and even a relationship later,

and I still felt the same way about this guy.

Finally, an opportunity to see him perform finally presented itself.

I wanted to beproved right-that he was thestar I’d alwaysdreamt he was.

I knew hardlyanythingabout him,but he had

already becomemy personalrock god.rock god.

I barely knew whatto do with myself.

I was so head over heels,

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I chose Weimar for my exchange program because I felt that it was the program, out of all that my school offered, that best suit my needs as a student. The program promised a lot of academic freedom and more of a mentorship program than sitting-in-lectures type of education, which I was hoping would prepare me for my senior projects next year. It also looked like it had more options for illustration majors than the other schools I could have applied to.

Pratt Institute goes by the old Bauhaus way of working: all students have a common foundation year and are then split up into their majors, which I don’t believe is the case here anymore. We’re also worked a lot harder, and up until our senior year we have teachers constantly looking over our shoulders at the work we’re doing.

I assumed that there at Bauhaus would be more guidance with my studies than there was, I definitely did not expect to be spending so little time actually in class!


Being here has gotten me out andsocializing more than I normally would at home, so getting to talk with a lot of students from other countries has helped

me change the way I do things a little bit. I think I’m more relaxed about my work

now: I’m not constantly stressing over it while trying to get it done, and having help from graphic designers from all over the world has improved my skills in that area a lot. I’m just more relaxed overall, I’m not constantly pressuring myself to be working constantly, and I’m outside a lot more often.


The cultural differences between America and Germany are not so huge, but one thing that was really apparent was that Germany is so much older than America. In America, it’s hard to find buildings that are older than the 1700’s but in Germany there are entire towns preserved since the middle ages everywhere.

People also are a little more direct here, even to the point of being kind of harsh- but I don’t think I had any really funny experiences with this.

And after living in New York City for two and a half years, it’s sometimes weird coming to such a small town! I still walk very fast and expect things to be done for me very quickly (because that’s how it is at home).


Fun, frustrating, enlightening, sometimes scary and mind-broadening

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF ILANA BLADY

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PFLANZI2014, Weimar

This small felted creature is a character of Ilana, Pflanzi, whom she developed through a character design course at Bauhaus-Universität.

It started as a character (a desktop plant) based on herself but gradually took on a life of its own.

Then from this character Ilana developed a children book “Pflanzi und Ich”, with illustrations made with pencil and watercolors.

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LUCIE

GLA

SSBorn in

1991, EnglandNationality

BritishID

has british humour, polite and friendly to strangers

StudiesUniversity of the Creative Arts,

BA Fine Art, England Erasmus in Weimar

Fine art, summer semester 2014

Field of studiesFine art (liberal arts)

Focus of workMixed media installations,

PhotographyMedia of work

acrylic paint, wood, MDF, metal, wire, paper, card, foam

ProgramsPhotoshop, InDesign

Interestsminimal and spatial art, illusional, surreal/ form

photographyWebsite/Blogs

lucieglass.tumblr.comwww.facebook.com/

LucieGlassArt

http://lucieglass.tumblr.com

https://www.facebook.com/LucieGlassArt?ref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/LucieGlassArt?ref=ts

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UNTITLED2013, Canterbury

A site specific mixed media installation, with the idea of three dimensional drawing and collage.

Lucie was interested in creating something light like a drawing and looking at the relationship between sculpture and painting as well as incorporating art tools as a material themselves.

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I chose Weimar as I felt it was the university that suited my style of work the most. Previously I have been drawn to many artists works and architecture styles that originated from the Bauhaus and Germany.

The Bauhaus university gives the opportunity for students to try different projects/lectures, so students are able to learn a variety of different skills, but the individual classes work separately from others. At UCA we have different classes but we work in the same open studios, allowing us to communicate more freely with each other as well as to talk with other tutors. This gives a more broad range of discussion and supportive environment to work in. However at the Bauhaus more independent practice is encouraged this as well as in depth discussions when meeting in tutor groups and a very strong focus and ability of critiquing prepares students on more of a professional level.

I met other students and saw the similarities and differences in how they work such as their style or method of practicing. As well I gained more knowledge of essential architecture and learned how all the art forms relate to each other and can be incorporated together. In the future it would be great to collaborate with architects on spacial pieces.


My way of thinking has adjusted a lot personally and in work. I now don’t see boundaries between different countries or find it intimidating and would like to work internationally. Also I have learnt how a level of professionalism is needed in all areas and that I should be less reliant on the comfort of my university. Continuing to practice outside as to to gain independance, experience and a high level of professionalism needed to do so well and with confidence.


In Germany apparently people don’t say hello to you on the street even if they know you but are not friends with you. For example, I have seen the same man in the Post Bank many times and I saw him in Erfurt railway station and said hello but he completely out right blanked me. It happened to a friend of mine as well with the Fritz Mitte guy: he refuses to acknowledge but he must serve everyone in Weimar.


Food, music, bottle, enlightening and challenge.

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF LUCIE GLASS

AMBIGUITY2014, Weimar

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The project was to work on individual practice dealing with the idea of ambiguity and contrariness of narrative statements and with meaning shifts that can appear in images and objects, experimenting in many ways conceptually and physically.

As a side project, they did a workshop based on making something inspired by a table chair or bed.

So the project started from a drawing of an abstract melted dinner table as an idea for an installation, then Lucie tried to experiment further with materials and working on a larger scale.

However when making the installation it was too representative of a pre-existing form and so she decided to begin collaging photographs that she had taken also looking at forms and everyday objects and tools in a painterly way.

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SANDRA

SORDIN

IBorn in

1992, Vipiteno Nationality

ItalianID

like a good italian, loves food and likes shouting for more wine

StudiesBA in Design, Free University of

Bozen, Bozen Exchange in Weimar

Product Design, summer semester 2014Field of studies

Product Design and Visual Communication

Focus of workinterdisciplinary design with

focus on social topicsMedia of work

digital media, print, wood, metal, fabric

Programs Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign,

Rhinoceros Interests

drawing, paper craft, philosophyWebsite/Blogs

cargocollective.com/sandrasordini

design-thought.tumblr.comraininyourdesert.tumblr.com

http://cargocollective.com/sandrasordini

http://cargocollective.com/sandrasordini

http://design-thought.tumblr.com /

http://raininyourdesert.tumblr.com/

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BOLZANO ON THE ROAD2013, Bolzano

“Bolzano on the road” is a social communication project on the topic of homelessness developed in collaboration with the commune of Bolzano. Visiting the different associations that work with homeless people, they started collecting statements and photographies.

This finally resulted in a city map for homeless people which shows dormitories, canteens, places where to get free clothes, a bath or consultation. The map was distributed all around the city, reaching homeless people as well as making Bolzano’s citizens aware of the topic.

The project ended with a travelling exhibition on a cart, where they also distributed postcards with comments and drawings of homeless people.

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I chose Germany because I would also like to work here later for some time, and I wanted to experience their way of studying and working. So I followed the Bauhaus University’s reputation for its project-based teaching model, great workshops and of course its history.

The studies are structured pretty similar to our system, with the main project module next to practical and theoretical courses. I really enjoyed working in the workshops which we don’t have back at home, like the ceramics and plaster workshop, or doing interesting courses like a philosophy course and one on sound design. Also here, the project groups live and work in the chaotic and lively ateliers and have a pretty close contact to the academic staff. But as far as I’ve experienced in the project I chose, it seems that professors do not guide students so strongly and things are not so tightly structured and well organized as back in Bozen.

Initially I was looking for a semester which would bring me further on my way of being a designer, but I’ve found more parties and maybe less design than I thought.


Even if this was my first experience abroad it didn’t really feel like being in a foreign country for me, also speaking the language. Regarding my way of working, maybe I’ve adopted a more autodetermined and a bit more relaxed approach than back home, where often every step of the project is supervised and criticized by the professors.


Coming from a German-speaking region, moving to Germany didn’t really feel like a culture chock. Of course there are some differences to Italy, like overly polite car drivers who stop as soon as you approach the street. And when they won the world cup, Germans seemed to be lacking some Italian exuberance. But funny enough, I’ve noticed that things at the university were more relaxed than back home: many things were done just at the last minute, the organization could be chaotic, the bureaucracy slow, and nobody really got angry about that. Only my German flatmates sometimes couldn’t understand how you could have dinner at 9 p.m., and still be late more than an hour.


Dinners, casual encounters, open airs, wine and exchanges.

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF SANDRA SORDINI

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KLANGKÖRPER2014, Weimar

During her project in Weimar she worked with the material porcelain. Sandra decided to create a digital music instrument out of porcelain which can be played right away without any experience.

The end results are three differently shaped vessels which translate a melody into a three-dimensional form. The objects are painted with silver lacquer, which works as a sensor: the integrated microcontroller Arduino registers skin contact with the conductive lacquer and plays tones accordingly.

Following the lines on the vessels with your finger, you can play a simple melody, or just create your own sounds by gently caressing the object.

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SOYI

LE

EBorn in

1986, Busan Nationality

South KoreanID

loves to make her things and loves all the wines

StudiesEcole des beaux arts de Toulouse

( Art school of Toulouse), France Erasmus in Weimar

Fine Art, summer semester 2014

Field of studies Fine Art

Focus of workInstallation, video

Media of workobject

ProgramsPremier Pro

Interestsinstallation making

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A NICE DAY2013, Toulouse

The subject is death. Death comes to us without any warning. Death creeps upon us. It’s not temporary.

Sometimes we see other people dying. It’s so horrible, but we are survivor because we avoided death and we feel lucky for this.

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I choose the Bauhaus-Universität because I wanted to leave my school to change the environment and experiment more for my installations.

I thought that Bauhaus had bigger places to work and much more materials than my school in Toulouse, but they weren’t still enough enough for me.

Like in my art school, the students don’t have many lessons and are free to work. In Toulouse we have many professors, and all students have to ask advice to them. It’s a little bit tiring but we can choose which advice follows.

Here, in Bauhaus, I could choose just one professor, with whom I was very close, but I think this can restrain and affect the student’s artwork.


It was a good experience but it was just about five months, they are not enough to influence me.


About the difference between german and korean culture, I don’t have many things to tell you, but I can tell you the differences with the french culture.

The first time I took a train in Germany, I was surprised because the train didn’t wait for me. The time when the train stops at the platform is too short, so I always had to hurry up to not miss it. The Germans like to be punctual, French are more relaxed.


Party, short moment, beer, trip and friends.

THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF SOYI LEE

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AU BOUT DU MONDE2014, Weimar

The central focus is the army. In South Korea, the military service is obligatory because of Nord Korea. But we usually forget that soldiers are human like us and are considered just like weapons.

Soyi made an installation with mini biographies writtens on umbrellas. Every umbrella represents a personality.

We can feel protected when we are under the umbrella and we can know the person who is behind the soldier, so he will be never considered anymore just like a weapon.

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A project byElena Rota

Raffaella De Rossi

Documents

Inside The Experience