Julia Lohmann
Maggots. Sheep stomachs. Seaweed. German-born designer and researcher Julia Lohmann investigates and critiques the ethical and material value systems underpinning our relationship with flora and fauna. She is professor of Practice in Contemporary Design at Aalto University, Helsinki, where she also lives with her family. Julia studied at the Royal College of Art, where she has also taught and completed an AHRC-funded collaborative PhD scholarship between the RCA and the Victoria & Albert Museum. As designer in residence at the V&A in 2013, she founded the Department of Seaweed, an interdisciplinary community of practice exploring the sustainable development of seaweed as a design material. She has been external examiner on the Central Saint Martins MA Material Futures. Julia Lohmann’s work is part of major public and private collections worldwide and has received awards, bursaries and support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the British Council, Jerwood Contemporary Makers, D&AD, Stanley Picker Gallery, Arts Foundation, WellcomeTrust and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
Photo by: Mikko Raskinen
ARTWORKS
Kombu Ahtola, 2020
Seaweed and rattan
170.0 x 280.0 x 260.0 cm
Copyright the artist
SOLD
EXHIBITIONS
Julia Lohmann
Kombu Ahtola
10 September - 23 October 2021
BIOGRAPHY
Education
2017 PhD, ‘The Department of Seaweed – Co-speculative Design in a Museum Residency’, Royal College of Art and Victoria & Albert Museum London, UK, funded by Arts & Humanities Research Council
2004 MA (RCA) Design Products, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2003 CLTAD introduction course for tutors in art and design Centre for Learning and Teaching in Art & Design, London, UK
2001 BA (Hons) Graphic Design, Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College, Epsom, UK
Exhibitions
2023 'Climate & Art – Alternative Approaches’, Chappe Art House, Tammisaari / Ekenäs, Finland
2022 Sydney Biennale ‘Rivus', Corpus Maris I, Museum of Contemprary Art, Sydney, Australia
2022 ‘Tideline, Messums Wiltshire, Place Farm, Tisbury, UK
2021 ‘Kombu Ahtola’ Boutwell Schabrowsky Gallery, Munich
2020 Partnering with Nature, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, World Economic Forum 50th Annual Meeting, Davos, CH
2020 Énergie animale, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, CH
2019 DoS Living Archive, State of Extremes, Design Museum Holon, Holon, Israel
2019 Sea Ceremony, Lofoten International Art Festival: High Tides and Kelp Congress, Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter, NNKS, Svolvær, Norway
2019 Design Triennial: Nature / Salvage, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, US, and Cube Design Museum, Kerkrade, NL
2019 Oki Naganode, Milan Triennale: Broken Nature, Milan, Italy
2019 La Fabrique du Vivant [Designing the Living]: Mutations/Créations, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
2019 An Accelerated Culture, Friedmann Benda, New York, USA
2019 Critical Tide – Critical Design and the Ocean, Design Museum Helsinki, Finland and European Committee of the Regions, Brussels, Belgium
2019 Permanent collection, MAK,Vienna,Austria
2018 Cow bench Janne: Purchased for the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA
2018 Food Revolution 5.0: Gestaltung für die Gesellschaft von Morgen, Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, Germany and Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, CH
2018 Raw Design: Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, USA
2018 Dissident Gardens: Biotopia, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2017 Department of Seaweed / Design on Display, Konzernforum,Autostadt Wolfsburg
2017 Earth Matters,Tilburg Textiel Museum,Tilburg, Netherlands
2016 Vienna Design Week, Austrian Cultural Forum, New York, USA
2016 Future Archaïque, Mudac, Lausanne, Switzerland
2015 Earth Matters,Artipelag, Stockholm, Sweden
2015 Future Archaïque, Le Grand Hornu, Belgium
2015 Open Ended, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, Netherlands
2015 D-Espazio, CentroCentro, Madrid, Spain
2014 Hit the Future – Design Beyond Borders, Munich, Germany
2013 Isn’t it Romantic? – Contemporary Design Between Poetry and Provocation, Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Germany
2013 Cut/Paste/Grow“ – Science at Play: Bioart in Brooklyn, The Observatory, Brooklyn, New York, USA
2012 Everything Forever Now, British Council, Bangkok,Thailand
2011 Post Fossil: Excavating 21st Century, Design Museum Holon, Israel
2011 Böse Dinge – Positionen des (Un)geschmacks, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, Switzerland
2010 Tidal Ossuary, Gallery Libby Sellers, London, UK
2010 Post Fossil: Excavating 21st Century, 21_21 Design Sight,Tokyo, Japan
2010 Dead or Alive, Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, USA
2010 Laminarium, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston Upon Thames, UK
2010 Collacqueration, Japanese Embassy, London, UK
2009 Co-Existence,WellcomeTrust,London,UK
2009 Contemporary Makers, Jerwood Space, London, UK
2009 Design Miami, Miami, USA
2008 Rough Cut: Design Takes a Sharp Edge, MoMA, New York, USA
2008 Design in the State of Nature, Design Miami 2008, USA
2008 The Conformitory, Somerset House, London, UK
2008 Origin, Crafts Council, Somerset House, London, UK
2008 Designer of the Future, Design Miami Basel, Switzerland
2008 Translating Tradition, Lungomare Gallery, Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
2008 Panta rei, Galleria Nilufar, Milan, Italy
2007 The Catch, S-AIR/ICC, Sapporo, Japan
2007 Grandmateria, Libby Sellers Gallery, Design/Miami, USA
2007 Everything Material Something Immaterial, Galerie Lucy Mackintosh, Lausanne, Switzerland
2007 Grandmateria, Libby Sellers Gallery, London, UK
2007 Get it Louder, Shanghai, Guang-Zhou, Beijing, China
2007 Great Brits, Concert Hall,Athens, Greece
2007 Tabourets, Galerie Kreo, Paris, France
2007 Design Contre Design, Grand Palais, Paris, France
2006 Design Miami/Basel, (with Galerie Kreo), Miami, USA
2006 Betes du Style, Mudac, Lausanne, Switzerland
2006 Eden ADN, St.Etienne, France
2006 Travelling Apothecary, British Library Piazza, London, UK
2006 Alien Archaeology,V&A Village Fete, London, UK
2006 New British Designers, Droog Design,Amsterdam, Netherlands
2006 Great Brits – The New Alchemists, ICA Singapore, Singapore
2006 Football Fever, Design Museum, London, UK
2006 Exhibition One, Designer’s Agency, Köln, Germany
2005 Great Brits – The New Alchemists, escorter AOYAMA, Minato-ku,Tokyo,Japan
2005 Shed, part of News from Nowhere:Visions of Utopia, London, UK
2005 Ron Arad Presents,Ausstellungshalle für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Münster, Germany
2005 European Design Show, Design Museum, London, UK
2005 Great Brits – The New Alchemists, Paul Smith Headquarters, Milan, Italy
2005 Twinkle Twinkle, 100% Design Moskau, Russia
2004 Design Mart, Design Museum, London, UK
2004 Biennale Internationale Design, St.Etienne, France
2004 The Show, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2004 Tools Galerie, Paris, France
2001 IF Design Awards, Hanover, Germany
2001 D&AD (British Design & Art Direction) New Blood, London, UK
Awards/Grants
2020 Artistic Activity Award, Aalto University School of Arts Design and Architecture
2014 Hamburg Teaching Award for innovative teaching methods, Germany
2014 Arts Foundation Award for Material Innovation, UK
2011 One of „20 designers, that will influence the next Century“, nominated by Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli in the Rolling Stone Magazine Design Special Issue
2010 Audi Mentor Prize, Architektur & Wohnen Magazin
2010 Arts & Humanities Research Council PhD Studentship at the RCA and V&A
2008/09 Stanley Picker Fellowship, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston-upon-Thames
2008/09 Designer of the Future Award, Design Miami/Basel
2004 Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Award, Design Museum, London
2004 Qatar Logo Competition, First Prize Costume Museum Identity
2004 National Grid Transco Award, Shortlisted
2001 IF Design Award, 2 „Best of Category“ Preise: Ecology und Product Design
2001 D&AD Student Award, First Prize, Product Development
2001 John Gillard Award, First Prize, Best Student on Show