Studio

Johanna Seelemann leads a design studio which explores material cultures, related to mundane objects and their contexts, production systems, ecological cycles, in order to create desirable future scenarios. The practice embraces a multi-disciplinary approach that leads to a wide range of typologies, such as product design, spatial design, design consultancy, conceptual design works for exhibitions and working in various collaborations.

Profile

Johanna Seelemann (b. 1990, Leipzig, Germany) founded the studio in 2020. The designer developed her fascinations during the Contextual Design master program at the Design Academy in Eindhoven (2019) as well as the bachelor course in Product Design at the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavík (2016). She previously assisted Studio Formafantasma in their ‘Ore Streams’ and ‘Cambio’ projects.

The studio’s practice encompasses conceptual design, developing products, exhibitions, videos and working in interdisciplinary collaborations, often transcending the distinctions between different fields of creativity. The works explore the process and the aesthetics of everyday-consumed products, commodity journeys along their supply chains, developing sustainable design methods. The investigations morph into designs developed using the tools of substitution, adaptation, and resiliency. Unearthing these hidden contexts of these products that enable today’s everyday life through the formulation of optimistic suggestions and alternative future-scenarios.

EXHIBITIONS

Seelemann’s works were previously exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Museum of the City of New York, Villa Noailles in Hyères, Van Abbe Museum Eindhoven, MAKK Museum Cologne, Design Museum Helsinki, Regional Museum Skåne, Vandalorum Sweden, Vögele Kultur Zentrum Switzerland, Tønder Art Museum Denmark, Industrial Museum Chemnitz, TextielMuseum in Tilburg among other.

Acknowledgements

For her work Johanna Seelemann recently received the Green Concept Award, she is laureate of 2021 Design Parade Hyères Eyes on Talents x Frame Special Mention Prize as well as she was recently forwarded by Formafantasma as one of the creative leaders of the future ‘expanding the ways design is practiced today’ as part of Wallpaper*s ‘5x5’ anniversary project. In 2021 she received the Talent Development Grant from the Creative Industries Fund NL. In 2019, Johanna and her part-time collaborator Björn Steinar got selected amongst the ‘Icon Design 100 Talents to watch’. In 2017 Johanna was selected as one of ‘20 young designers to shape the future of design’ by Design Indaba, World Design Events and Dutch Design Week.

EDUCATION

Alongside the activity of the studio, in Spring 2023 Johanna holds the position of programme director of the Master Design Explorations and Translations of the Iceland University of the Arts in Reykjavík.

COLLABORATion

For collaborations, enquiries and more, please reach out here.

POSITIONS

Johanna Seelemann is looking for an ambitious assistant. If you would like to do an internship at the studio, please send a CV, portfolio and cover letter here. The projects require a critical and constructive interest in environmental contexts and material explorations, research skills, skills in model making, sketching, 3D visualisation and rendering softwares, visual communication through Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, as well as fluent written and spoken English skills.