"You are part of a melting pot that creates unique connections"

Prof. Agnieszka Ziemiszewska, who came to Israel from Poland for the first time as a guest lecturer in the Faculty of Design International Workshop Week, summed up her experience by saying how impressed she was by HIT – as well as the Tel Aviv ‘experience.’  “The diversity of people who come together from such different places in this melting pot called Israel is exciting". 

Prof. Agnieszka Ziemiszewska together with the students during the week of the Faculty of Design's international workshops

Photo: Bar Kloch

Prof. Ziemiszewska, a graduate of the Academy of Arts in Łódź and the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Arts in Warsaw, currently works as a lecturer at the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technologies in Warsaw, where she heads the Typography Studio. Behind her is an important and prestigious body of work which has been internationally recognized and awarded.  

The annual workshop week brought together international design students and leading lecturers, all of whom are trying to give expression to the questions and issues that are present in our daily lives.

This is Prof. Ziemiszewska's first visit to Israel and the workshop she led was called "Experiments - Between the Word and the Image". The workshop focused on troubling issues identified by the students, and ways in which they can be expressed through graphics . "My intention was to create a way of thinking that would result not only in beautiful pictures, but also in the ways to deal with such a broad spectrum of challenges. The candid interactions brought to the surface such issues as the rise of anti-Semitism, public transportation problems in Israel, dangers of excessive sugar and the impatience that characterizes Israelis while standing in line, among others.”

The ways in which the students chose to express their messages were diverse and included stickers on the floor (a homage to this successful way of expression during the Corona period), use of biblical messages and famous quotes.

Tami Wiesel, a lecturer at the Faculty and the Director of the Workshop alongside Prof. Ziemiszewska:
“The workshop is a micro-cosmos of long work processes compressed into a dozen days. The experience is intense and immersive. The energy of designing in a short period of time increases creativity and helps manage decision-making more effectively. The students were exposed to different work processes and types of feedback on exercise presentations in English.  This improved their abilities on several levels: they were exposed to international content and presentations and felt part of the global village that awaits them after they complete their studies.”

Dr. Yael Eylat Van Essen, Head of the International Department at the Faculty of Design:
“This is the third time that the Faculty of Design holds the International Workshop Week and once again we see its huge contribution. This year's workshop week hosted 16 lecturers from Canada, Italy, Poland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, who taught 12 workshops jointly with local lecturers from HIT.  Not only is this week an opportunity to begin the school year with high energy, but also, the meeting with the guests opened up different ways of thinking and approaching design teaching both for the students and the lecturers.”

The joint meetings made it possible to examine different perspectives, work methods and new technologies that will undoubtedly resonate in the studies at the Faculty now and in the future. Over the course of the workshops, the guest lecturers presented their professional work as designers, which was a source of inspiration and an introduction to a wide variety of design work.

Most of the international lecturers who joined are designers from institutions with whom we already have a tradition of collaboration, although with some, it was the first time. During the week, the foundations for future collaborations were laid for a number of fascinating projects to be further developed with our partners from abroad, within the framework of subsequent joint workshops and research initiatives. 

Posted: 08/11/2022