It is the 12^th time.
The 12^th time that I made a motif for a award winning company.
The award is the Danish Industry Initiative Award 2009.
The company is the Fittings Specialist in Fredericia, Denmark.
It was a couple of months ago.
As always I initiate the job by talking to the CEO. His name is Finn Roy, and he thoroughly informed me about products, organisation, etc.
We managed to drink three cups of coffee.
The chemistry between us was right.

Now you must see the robot, Finn Roy said.
The robot???
First I thought of Gyro Gearloose' Little Helper in the Disney Comic series Donald Duck by Disney and then of Lego Robots by Lego in Denmark.

I recently heard about robots that could create 3D prints - but these have just been invented and they are not yet tested properly.
Then there are CNC robots that I have seen in different companies.
But.
It was none of the above.
I was without a clue.

In plain English the robot collects items from stock for delivery.
Technically speaking the robot was a LOGIA WMS - an internal logistics- and warehouse management robot, which was integrated in Concorde C5 - the administrative computer system.

You might wonder that The Fittings Specialist can handle 35.000 items.
The robot is the secret.
It collects fittings from 88.000 boxes on two rows of shelves in a height of 7 meters (23 feet).
The robot rushes along among the 88.000 boxes - up and down, back and forth- all day with 25 miles per hour.
Without sweating.
The robot is computerized and it optimizes itself all the time. Among other things it places items with a high frequency together.
It doesn't use its full capacity - it runs at nearly only half power (60%).
The Fittings Specialist is increasing the number of item numbers due to world wide expansion.



The motif, which was granted to The Fittings Specialist - winner of Danish Industry's InitiativeAwardCompetition. To the left tubes with fittings. In the middle the fairy tale about Robert Robot and to the right Robert Robot himself. Robert Robot is constructed from fittings in the Fittings Specialist's catalog.

Through my talks with the CEO, by attending the presentation and listening to Finn Roy, John Damkjær, chairman of Danish Industry Region and Uffe Steiner, the mayor of Fredericia and not least by talking to the staff and guests, I had sure a feeling, that this was something special.
Why - I know a lot of companies - why is this particular company something special.
I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
And I wondered.
Oh!!!!
I see!!!!
They use - consciously or unconsciously - a very special set of corporate values.
I'll use ART to make this fact visible to the staff, to management, to customers, to suppliers, to the surrounding organizations, to the surrounding society, to......
I constructed 6 keywords that matched the special set of corporate values.
Here are the keywords:

Interplay/Decency - Interplay among colleagues, customers, suppliers and others - in a decent way...
Meticulosity - Means care, precision, solicitude, be careful. Quality at all levels...
Respecting Recharging - Employees have the right and an obligation to recharge...
Changeability/IT-Readiness - The company as a whole needs to be ready for change...
Think Globally - In the near future the company intend to approach international markets so employees must think globally.
Strict Financially Management/Strict Equity Control - Strict financial management ends up in strict equity control.

Inspired by these keywords I have designed 6 artworks, size: 132,1 x 132,1 cm (52 x 52") primarily for a permanent exhibition in the headquarters, but as well for promoting the special corporate values in general:



Interplay/Decency
An employee in the Fittings Specialist communicates on a daily basis with management, colleagues, customers, suppliers, people in different fields of service etc. etc.
All communication and any agreement, deal etc. is based on decency.



Meticulosity
Means care, precision, solicitude, be careful.
Every process in the company needs to live up to the highest standards concerning quality.
Meticulosity or Meticulousness even means
Extremely careful and precise or extremely or excessively concerned with details.

Respecting Recharging
Employees have the right and an obligation to recharge.
As a ground rule we do not do overtime.
It's important that our most valuable resource is fit at any time during work time. This can only be accomplished by insisting on that the employees have a fruitful leisure time, a fruitful family life etc.



Changeability/IT-Readiness
There is a rapid change in how to operate a company.
The company as a whole needs to be ready for change, the employees need to be ready, customers need to be ready and even suppliers need to be ready.
Especially the field of Information Technology (IT) sees changes every day. New opportunities.
It's important to be constantly aware of what happens in the IT field.



Think Globally
In the near future we intend to approach international markets so we must think globally. We can reach every spot in the world by the internet.
We can offer our products and we can accept orders via phone or internet.
Hereafter the main issue is to observe developments in logistic possibilities.
Improving your English is another issue.



Strict Financially Management/Strict Equity Control
Strict financial management ends up in strict equity control.
This is extremely important in our company as we want to increase our number of items and want to approach international markets.
The value motifs and the adjacent texts were presented to the CEO: Bulls Eye, he said.


The employees were introduced to the special corporate values in a folder in English and a meeting with me.
In order to underline and distribute the value motifs much more than usual I have designed a Fittings Specialist e-shop in which the company, employees etc.
can buy posters, postcards and merchandise like T-shirts, shoes, mugs, mouse pads etc. - all of them based on the 6 motifs.
You can see the contents of the e-shop at www.zazzle.com/fittings. The e-shop is based on the concept "Manufacturing on Demand", which means, that the products are manufactured and shipped AFTER ordering. No stock needed, you can buy only one piece, if you like.
Fittings Specialist's e-shop is run by a team of computer nerds in PaloAlto, CA in USA. Nerds that I have worked together with for some time.
They are crazy.
The most crazy thing they have introduced so far - as nothing is impossible - is an agreement with US- Postal, meaning that I as a PRO-Contributor to Zazzle can design US-Postal stamps for any company I like.


Sincerely,
Asbjorn Lonvig, Artist
"Lille Fejringhus"
43 Fejringhusvej
8722 Hedensted
Denmark

WAITAHA: NGA AHI KAA “ LIGHTING THE FIRES OF THE SACRED MEMORIES” - 19th Dec 2009 to March 28th- An exhibition of sacred taonga from the Waitaha people. This exhibition includes both ancient & modern taonga. From old stone taonga toki, whao etc, mokihi, raranga to modern paintings, sculpture, & film are on display. A tribute from the Waitaha People to Te Tuapapa / foundation of this sacred land, honouring the tree and its many branches that have grown from those foundations. Acknowledging the past, to empower the future. The Kurow Museum invites you to attend
the opening of WAITAHA, Nga Ahi Kaa “Lighting Fires of the Sacred Memories” in Association with the Waitaha People
.Preview Saturday 19th December @ 4pm at Kurow Museum
at 57 Bledisloe Street, Kurow , New Zealand -Please confirm your
attendance by contacting Carron museum@kurow.co.nz or phoning 03 4360 950 by Wednesday 16th December 2009

We F.A.T. freaks in Tokyo got together to hack Japan with “Free Art & Technology”!
At tokyo.fffff.at, we will be showing Japanese translation of F.A.T. posts, reporting of F.A.T. related applications, and our own reports of free-art development.

WHERE Toko Mata Gallery
82 Lichfield St, (1st Floor)
Between Colombo St. & Manchester St.
Christchurch
Ph: 021 024 86 133

PREVIEW Thursday 16th October @ 7 pm

DURATION October 16th ? November 22nd 2008

GALLERY HOURS Monday ? Friday 12:00 ? 5:00 pm
Saturdays 12:00 - 2:00 pm

www.ruapick.vc.net.nz




Artist comment: Rua Pick
These Taonga (Treasures) pay homage to the Tuuaapapa (Foundation) of sacred lands, a journey of many directions along ancient pathways, all connected in time and space. Timeless creations written on stone so long ago, singing of the past, present and future like the bright stars above. This exhibition is a tribute to the ancient Nga Kai Tuhituhi (Scribes).

‘Nga Huarahi Tawhito’ follows on from the ‘Purapura Whetu’ (Star Dust) Series - 2006, in which I painted old stories within the shapes of the Waitaha nga hoanga tuhituhi (rock drawings and paintings) of the South Island of New Zealand.

Within the formats of this current body of work I pay homage to the sacred rock art from around the world: Aotearoa, Rapanui, Hawaii, Utah and other ancient lands. A number of the paintings are inspired from other forms such as manu tukutuku (kites), taha (gourds), kohei (pendants) - pekepeka, kopepe, rei miro and Sumerian sculpture. Voyages of sky, land and sea are portrayed within these most primal of windows. Te Ariki Tupoupou o nga Rangi, Te Waiariki, Te Ruapekapeka, Waitaha, ‘Anasazi’, Sumerian and other ancient cultures are honoured in these artworks. Te Manuhiri / The Shimmering Birds, dance within the paintings like stars reflected in the water.

Mai te rangi, ki te whenua
Mai te whenua, ki te rangi
Te porowhita o te moehewa hurihuri
Ka huri te Ao Pouri
Ka huri te Ao Marama From the heavens to the lands
From the lands to the heavens
The circle of the dream revolves
The world of darkness turns
The world of light turns.

TE NGAHURU KI TE KOANGA
EQUINOX TO EQUINOX

19th March ? 26th September 2008

Toko Mata Gallery
82 Lichfield Street
Christchurch
New Zealand

ph. 021 024 86 1 33

Hours: Mon ? Fri 12am-5pm,

www.ruapick.vc.net.nz
Kia ora Tatou

Exhibition information:

The ‘Te Ngahuru ki Te Koanga’ exhibition pays homage to the equinoxes.
Light & dark are balanced equally.
The times in-between the thresholds of Ao (Light) & Po (dark),
the times when two realms meet.

The artworks in this exhibition honour ancient stories of lightness & darkness. A number of works display narratives of activities that occurred during seasonal equinoxes:
Te Ngahuru (Autumn Equinox), the harvest and seed season. The tenth month in the Marama Taka (moon calendar) is known as Te Pu Toki o Te Tau, this is when the stars of Poutu te Rangi, the great pole that Tane used to separate his parents Ranginui & Papatuanuku, shine brightly in the heavens. Poutu Te Rangi (Altair) is the star at the top of the pole & Whanui (Vega) is at the base.

This exhibition then travels the cold dark months of Te Hotoke (Winter), when nature contracts, shuts down and rests, emerging with Te Koanga (Spring Equinox). Spring bursts forth with new shoots & buds, life is renewed, Nga mara (gardens) are dug and planted when the soils are warm. Fishing grounds and the trails of land and sea are opened, new journeys begin.

These taonga are inspired in story and form, from the natural world, Tuputupu Whenua (Grandmother Nature). A homage to the Nga Kai Purakau (Story Tellers) and the Nga Kai Tuhituhi (Scribes), who walk gently between Te Ao Marama (The World of Light) and Te Ao Pouri (The World of Darkness).

Rongo Aio Katoa


Rua Pick

Dates and Hours:
13:00 - 21:00, Saturday, March 29th, 2008
10:00 - 21:00, Sunday, March 30th, 2008

Venue: Ueno campus of Tokyo National University of Arts and Music

Admission: free

Inquiries: 81.050.5525.2606 / info(at)negritokyo.org
Tokyo National University of Arts and Music, 12-8, Ueno Park, Taito ku, Tokyo, 110-8714

Organizers: Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Inter Media Art course, Oil Painting course, Musical Creativity and Environment course, Graduate School of Film and New Media.

Co-organizers: International House of Japan / Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo

Support: Japan Airlines (JAL)

Access: 10 minutes walk from Ueno Station (JR, Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Hibiya Line)
Official website: http://www.negritokyo.org/geidai/

First Spring Storm: InsideOutburst with Mr. Negri - Invitation -

KOBATA Kazue, Professor, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music

Who is Antonio Negri? Born in Italy, now in his mid 70’s, a philosopher, a researcher of Spinoza, and imprisoned, then lived in exile in France. In 2000, he transformed the outlook of the world by a book “Empire,” he co-authored with Michael Hardt. They definitely showed the emergence of globalization and networking, its power of transcending the obsolete units that have constituted the present world, namely the fixed notions of nation-states and territories. They also warned about its possibilities and dangers to humanity; made a break through the dogma of modern democracy, capitalism and Marxism, and enhanced the bouyant feelings, free, light and lively, for everybody to think about the meaning of his/her existence in the surrounding reality. Negri hammered out and orchestrated the tempo of life and politics for the Multitude, the countless anonymous beings?the way we think, talk and act.

Mr. Negri is coming to Japan for the first time. Let’s welcome him in our own modus operandi of the Multitude. No boundaries between inside or outside of universities, and with lively wisdom and real meaning. A get together of activists, artists, consumers, thinkers, adventurers...everybody. Discuss together life and politics. Our focus will be giving rise to a common field (architecture), witnessing and imagining (film), body, memory and sympathy (performance and music), skills and creativity (art). There will also be events and exhibitions regarding medical care and arts.

Thanks to Mr. Negri we have learned and will learn a lot about philosophy and ways of thinking, and we gained knowledge, humor, and courage. In return, let’s tell him what’s happening here in Japan and around-----actual and concrete activities, emerging new phenomena, and the essential sensibilities that are prevailing more rapidly and widely. Let’s tell and have a dialogue with him about them ! Not only in words, not only through arts, we shall be in direct touch with this visitor from afar. SEE HIM and FEEL HIS VIBE as a real person, as a living body, close with us.

It is also a precious opportunity for us to meet up. To meet and talk with those we cannot meet otherwise. A real encounter, body and soul, not on the net nor virtual. Will it be a field where this side and the other side will be mixed without boundaries? Can we enhance and deepen our own mind and body to such a liberated level?

We have a premonition that something profound will happen for us to be tuned in with the earth and humanity on quite a new level. Follow this organizer’s optimism and come together. It will happen at the same time as the nearby Ueno Park will be waving to and fro with cherry blossom parties, and just before new students join the universities. On the weekend of March 29th and 30th, we shall be looking forward to seeing you, aliens as well as friends, the Multitude.

Program

Debates: Actuality, Change and Prospect - Free Talks with Mr. Negri

Round Table #1:
Poietic Approach to the Body and Medical Care
Hospital as Society - for the Second, Third and More Laborde Clinics
[Sat., March 29, 6:00 - 8:30 pm]
UNO Kuniichi, KAWAMOTO Hideo, MIWAKI Yasuo, SAKAUE Masami, et al

Round Table #2:
Art and Multitude
[Sun., March 30, 1:00 - 2:30 pm]
Antonio NEGRI, TANAKA Min, KAWAMATA Tadashi, TAKAMINE Tadasu, UNO Kuniichi, HIROSE Jun

Grand Round Table #3:
with Antonio NEGRI on Subjectivity and Streetwise Japanese Scene
[Sun., March 30, 3:00 - 7:00 pm]
freeter unionists, activists, researchers, outcast workers

Exhibitions/Events: Contingent Sensibility for a New Vector

Multitude Music Gig Gig Gig
[Sat., March 29/ Sun., March 30]
Jinta La Mvta/Hideyovich UESUGI/ECD/hainu et al.

Dance Performance <Locus Focus> by TANAKA Min
[Sun., March 30, Noon - 1:00 pm]
“In order for me to thoroughly take responsibility as a dancer, it is essential to discern to what extent dance is
involved with the human society. The question is probably significant for those who may become interested in
dance in the future .... Thus I declare as one mere dancer - I am struggling, and sometimes take a refuge, for in
favor of irresistible situations that cannot be named.”?Min Tanaka

Medical Cell Exhibition & Demonstration
Sports as Dialogue
[Sat., March 29/ Sun., March 30]

Medical Cell Exhibition
EPOCH: Community Mental Care and Art
[Sat., March 29/ Sun., March 30]

Site Cell
[Sat., March 29/ Sun., March 30]
The site cell takes following multidimentional approaches to deploy and expand the site beyond its physical means. Hosting the round-table discussion with Antonio Negri to aggregate the site, intervening indirectly by providing posters and sandwichmen all around the venue as well as publishing and distributing printed materials in order to expand the marginal site.

Tid-Bits Cell
[Sat., March 29/ Sun., March 30]

Tune in Mini FM KOJIMA RADIO, Roger !! FM 88MHz
[Sat., March 29/ Sun., March 30]

Movies / Desktop Images
Visions Reversed: Stigma and Premonition

Movies on and related to Mr. Antonio NEGRI

Revolt That Never Ends
[Sat., March 29, 2:00 pm - / Sun., March 30, 1:30 pm - ]
53min, 2004, Alexandra Weltz and Andress Pichler, English
Interview with Mr.Negri, him at seminars and protest scenes after his release from prison in 2003. His friends and comrades commenting on him.

Medical and Psychiatric Documentary Movies

Homo Exercise - Homage to Survival
[Sat., March 29, 4:00 pm - / Sun., March 30, 4:00 pm - ]
45 min, 2007, Scenario by KAWAMOTO Hideo
New scientific, philosophical and artistic approach to therapy involving rehabilitation.

Laborde Clinic Residents with Felix GUATTARI & TANAKA Min
[Sat., March 29, 5:00 pm - / Sun., March 30, 5:00 pm - ]
25 min, 1987, Produced by Josephine Guattari, edited by Francois Pain, French, Japan premiere


Testimonies of Rebellions

YAMA: Attack to Attack
[Sat., March 29, 5:00 pm - / Sun., March 30, 1:30 pm - ]
110 min, 1985, Directed by SATO Mitsuo, YAMAOKA Kyoichi, English Subtitles
A document of urban manual workers’ struggle and solidarity, Two directors of this film were assassinated by their enemies.

Prisoner-M
[Sat., March 29, 7:00 pm - / Sun., March 30, 7:00 pm - ]
113min, 2006, Directed by ADACHI Masao
The first film made by Adachi since he was deported to Japan after having joined the Palestinian Revolution.
URL: http://www.prisoner-m.com/

Sanrizuka: Heta Buraku
[Sat., March 29, 2:00 pm - / Sun., March 30, 7:00 pm - ]
146min, 1973, Directed by OGAWA Shinsuke
A documentary, on the life of the farmers of the Heta Village opposing their resettlement due to the construction of the Narita Airport.

Multitude’s Biopolitics (documents, features, desktop images)

Ride Forward on Your Bicycle
[Sat., March 29, 7:00 pm - / Sun., March 30, 4:00 pm - ]
115 min, 2003, Directed by SUGIMOTO Nobuaki, English subtitle Depicts communal life of a talkative autistic young man in Osaka Korean district.
URL: http://www.montage.co.jp/jitensya/

You can order print on demand* directly
- in Seattle at Imagekind.com
- in Palo Alto at Zazzle.com (including T-shirts, ties, mugs, caps etc.)
- in Salt Lake City at ArtWanted.com
- in San Francisco at ArtistRising.com
- in New York City at FineArtAmerica.com (Asbjorn Lonvig)
- in New York City at FineArtAmerica.com (Lille Fejringhus Gallery)
- in Paris, France at Poosteers.com

*) Print on demand means:
You find the motif you want to buy on the internet,
you order it and you pay it with your creditcard,
the print in printed for you,
the print is sent to your address directly.