Between 7-9 December, Sweden’s first Human Rights Festival was co-organized by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and Altitude Meetings in Lund. In collaboration with Kolossal, a design agency in Lund, they designed six different wrapping papers specifically for the festival with patterns focusing on different issues related to Human rights. All revenue was donated to local organsation, IM (Individuell Människohjälp).
“This year’s themes range from asking questions about the availability of freedom, to celebrating the Polish protest movement and the women’s rights struggle”
Six graphic designers worked on these patterns, reflecting an aspect of human rights. Below you will find their designs and their interpretation of Human rights from idea to pattern.
30 carrying pieces (30 bärande delar) – Martin Sandström
“One of the most difficult parts of tackling a large and difficult topic is the delineation. So I decided to narrow the scope. I have chosen to interpret all 30 articles from the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this way, each article has been allowed to stand on its own, while together they create a whole that harmonises despite their individual differences. In addition, when using the wrapping paper, the user is allowed to participate in deciding which elements are exposed”.
The organism (Organismen) – Leondios Fex-Tsiobanelis
“Human rights are about both taking space and giving space. It’s about having the space to be yourself but also giving others the same freedom. If you look closely at my subject, you can see how different we are after all. But from a distance we become more like one organism where the parts, despite their closeness, make room for each other. A vision of how we should be able to function in symbiosis”.
Available freedom (Tillgänglig frihet) – Mikael Johnsson
“My pattern is an abstraction of freedom, a query on the difficulties rather than a solution. The labyrinth shows the way to freedom, a theoretical possibility, but for many it is anything but accessible. When mental illness and invisible structures create walls, freedom disappears from sight, leaving a feeling of being trapped”
The collective power of the Human Being (Människans samlade kraft) – Jesper Olofsson
“Sometime early in the process I ran across the definition that human rights are something we have just by virtue of being human. At the same time, it is something that many fight so hard for, with blood, sweat and tears. I want to show the synergy when people come together. How two or more hands can create something greater when we see the world through a common lens. How victory can be the result of meeting with peace”.
Symbolic strength (Symbolisk styrka) – Erik Tencer
“With my roots in Poland, I have followed the country’s political developments in recent years with particular concern. While the equal rights of all are under threat, there is also a courageous and a clear and well-organised resistance. That’s why my subject is a tribute to the Polish protest movement. Therefore my pattern features symbols of both oppression and resistance in the form of the umbrellas and the lightning-like sign that have become a symbol of the current fight for abortion rights and what is known as the women’s strike – strajk kobiet”
Different shape, equal value (Olika form, lika värde) – Andreas Pedersen
“Demographically, humanity is spread across the globe, different beliefs and lifestyles. But also physically in height, size and appearance. My interpretation of human rights is that despite our differences, we are all human and we all have a place on this planet. We all have the same rights and deserve the same respect. The challenge has been to boil this interpretation down into a pattern-oriented solution that intends itself well to a wrapping paper, and at the same time respect the complexity of the subject”.
