In 2007 I collaborated with the atelier Intégral Ruedi Baur Paris
to work on the signage system for the Marina Residential District
of the City Aktau in Kasakhstan. I was involved in the overall
planning and coordination, giving art direction and developing
and designing the signage system.
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We took the cultural heritage of Kasakhstan as our main visual
inspiration. The Kazakhs have a well-articulated culture based
on their nomadic pastoral economy. The traditional Kazakh dwelling
is the yurt, a tent consisting of a flexible framework of willow
wood covered with varying thicknesses of felt. The Kazakhs live
surrounded with ornaments. They richly decorate their yurts with wall
carpets and multicoloured embroideries. As the carpets were
orginaly used to cover the grounds and walls against the wind and
the cold, carpets have been embraced as a symbol of social status.
They are a symbol of salutation and friendship.
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