Where did it all go wrong?

May 17th 2009

On the 12th of May the Swedish magazine, Resume, published online a short article entitled “They Will Steer Hyper Island“. The article is about a new professional board of directors, expansions, profits and it included a photo of 7 middle aged white men dressed in cheap black suite and v-necks… haven’t we all seen this “future” before?

hyper-island-board-of-directors
Foto: Peter Jönsson

Many of the comments on the article raise the question ‘where are all the women?’. Fare enough, but not quite unexpected since in Sweden you get that question whenever the majority isn’t female. One comment, on the other hand, takes a wider picture and asks where are all the rest:

HyperIsland is a great school, that’s for sure. But please, don’t talk about growing and opening up to the world, and then present a board of administration composed only of 30 to 50-y.o. swedish men with 100% swedish background, because this picture tells another story, really.

For sure, it hurts to know that the board of directors for McDonalds, Costco Wholesale, FedEx and even the US Iraq Study Group all include both men and women and has a wider cultural spread than a foremost new media school in Sweden.

But that’s not my biggest issue here.
That’s not what rubs me the wrong way.

I read the article, look at that photo and wonder; where did it all go wrong?

As a former student and post lecturer, for me, in many ways, Hyper Island was the ‘crack in the wall’, the ‘lunatic’, the ‘[ones] who understand that culture and design are not about fatter wallets, but about creating a future’, the [ones who] understand that wealth is a means, not an end’ that Tibor Kalman explains in his essay ‘FUCK COMMITTEES (I believe in lunatics)‘.

In my view, Mattias Hansson, the CEO since ‘07, has failed to acknowledge the strength of Hyper Island and what led to it’s success, and is trying to mould it into something he and the corporate world can understand to at least retain it’s success on paper.

Personally, I think all of this is a massive mistake.
And it makes me sad.

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Running into people

September 17th 2006

Yesterday, while I was being a good citizen of the society by giving back some of the money I have earned through some general consuming, I ran into two old friends from school: Johan Haren and Magnus Nilsson. It is a bit weird that you can run into people in a huge city like London – but this is not the first time it happens and definitely not the last, and it’s times like these that you really appreciate that it do happens.

So if I’m not totally wrong, at the moment we are 7 people from my old crew living in London.

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I’m writing this with you, with butterflies in my fingertips

June 22nd 2006

Tomorrow I’m off to my hometown Skelleftea in the north of Sweden to celebrate midsummer. This has kind of grown to be a standing tradition – that I every year go back for this event. Since my parents have moved from Skelleftea and lives in Italy, I don’t go home for christmas. So you could almost say that midsummer is my christmas (Im saying that I’m going home. It’s weird. Since it’s not where my parents live. It’s not where I live. It’s where I was born, raised and grow up… is there a name for that kind of “home”? is it hometown or more like growing-up town?).

Normally it’s loads of fun. Meeting a lot of old friend. My sister (who still lives there). Playing silly games. Having barbecue. Singing songs. Playing volleyball. Drinking beer (Norrlands Guld). I’m really looking forward to it, and a full report on this event will be posted on this blog once I’m back.

This year, two ‘non-northern friends’ are coming with me (and Willow of cause, but it’s not her first time); Henrik Engdahl and Johan Enstrom (a.k.a Mr Tall).
So this year we’re also taking the opportunity to do a little road tip by hiring a car in Stockholm and drive up. I love driving. And since I live in a country where they drive on the left side of the road – driving have come to be something I don’t do very much. – which is kind of sad.

What makes the north of Sweden special during this time of year is the midnight sun. And that, my friends – is amazing! First time I really realised how amazing it is, was the first summer I wasn’t there; my first summer down in Karlskrona (where I went to university at Hyper Island). That year, for some reason, I decided not to go back up north… then I started longing for the midnight sun and jumped on a plane and went back.
When living there, in the north, the midnight sun wasn’t something I regarded as that special. It felt more like my human right after the long and cold winter (yeah, the winters are quite the opposite). But… it is very special and I can suggest the experience to everyone at anytime.

I also have a sad – and happy – announcement to make; My lovely PowerBook, named Alecia (after the artist Pink) and I have separated. After over three wonderful years together, we decided it’s time for her to go in pension. So tomorrow she’s taking a flight over to Stockholm with Mr Tall to go and live her last years with my brother Jonaz.
This means as well that in about 3 weeks I will adopt a new girl. This time around it’s probably gonna be a MacBook Pro.

Here’s some links related to this post:

and here are some random links I have found interesting in the last few days:

  • listography
    your life in lists create. share. read.
  • La Coupe du Monde 2006 de Football en un coup d’oeil
    Every single goal so far in the World Cup. Click on the match score, then click the spinning ball next to the player’s name.
  • CSS for Designers
    If you don’t learn, or get more understanding for CSS through this – just give it up.
  • Apple – Trailers – Why We Fight – Trailer
    This seem to be a very interesting documentary. Probably a scary one as well.
  • Beggr – Scrounging 2.0
    He he, Im afraid he makes a very very good point
  • MacNN | 50 Cent turns to Apple for Mac deal
    What caught my attention is the “I never got into it for the music. I got into it for the business.” part. I don’t think Mr 50 is the only one we can blame for all shit music that is floating around – but he sure as hell feeds the beast. After have seen Foo Fighters twice within a week and all… just wished more people did it for the same reason as FF, and with the same respect towards music as an art from. About the Apple deal… if it follows through I will be very disappointed with Apple and Mr Jobs.
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