April 2015
Dear all,
the ICDAD Board met on 2 March 2015 in Zurich, where the Museum of Design provided meeting space in the new location on the Toni Areal. At the end of the meeting we toured the new Schaudepot (Open Collections). Once again, our thanks to director Christian Brandle and his colleagues.
We accept the resignation, for personal reason, of longtime board member Petra Krutisch. She will be replaced at the annual meeting in Krakow by Rosita Nenno, who was chosen in the last election. We thank Petra for all of her hard work.
The annual meeting is very professionally prepared by ICOMAM. Detailed information, including registration, has been posted for two months on ICDAD’s website. The possibility of a post-conference tour has been deemed too time-consuming for some participants. We have asked Michal Dziewulski for an alternative program in Krakow and surrounding areas where it is possible to learn more about applied arts and design, instead of travelling to Warsaw.
In the context, and at the recommendation of Annie Carlano that it is very expensive for North American ICDAD members to travel to Europe, we propose creating “continent-wide” ICDAD groups to improve communications and exchange proposals and project ideas.
Greater communication activity within the international committee and its outcomes in terms of collaboration, publishing, quality of lectures at meetings, etc., is also essential for SAREC (Strategic Allocation Review Commission)’s annual evaluation. That commission determines budgets allocations, and not just by the number of members! Therefore, we ask for your cooperation in sending content for the website. This year’s ICDAD budget is not the full requested amount, which means a limitation in the allocation of travel scholarship for annual meetings, and other similar expenses. The Board’s work is voluntary and expenses are not reimbursed. This is ICOM’s principle, but given current political and financial troubles greater activities are difficult to accomplish. Therefore, I address all of you again, requesting support for our activities in order to achieve meaningful work.
We look forward to our Krakow meeting in September.
Helena Koenigsmarkova