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Beautiful art and design objects are regularly created as part of courses at the Institute of Architecture and Media and the Institute of Spatial Design, where students learn how to design and create products. These student works are displayed at public presentations or exhibitions at the end of the semester. At these presentations, there are always enquiries as to whether the works can also be purchased or produced in series. Due to this interest in purchasing and following the self-conception of TU Graz as an entrepreneurial university, a project team has been working intensively over the last few months on the possibilities of licensing and selling student work.
Platform for design enthusiasts – business card for students
The result is the new StudentsART web shop www.studentsart.tugraz.at through which the art and design objects can now be purchased. The store also "serves as a business card for students and gives us the chance to make our work visible," says a delighted architecture student, Aline Lugner. She is represented on the platform with a universally applicable stool she designed herself.
The prices of the products available in the web shop – including high-quality design acoustic panels, artistic ornaments made of special paper and prototypical pieces of furniture – range from 35 to 2000 euros. The furniture can be viewed before purchase by appointment. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the students. The other part covers costs or benefits the work with the students.
Alliance of students, teachers and staff members
Albert Wiltsche and Milena Stavric from the Institute of Architecture and Media, Rainer Eberl from the Institute of Spatial Design, and Mario Fallast and Alexander Muhr from the Research & Technology House of TU Graz were in charge of the project. The team was supported by the service department of the TU Graz Student Union – "Printkultur" – which operates the StudentsART web shop . "Due to the partly joint design by students and employees of TU Graz, a legal framework also had to be created for the sale of the objects. Together, we managed to do this. In addition, there are now clear framework conditions for the licensing of furniture designs by production and distribution partners," says a very pleased Mario Fallast on behalf of the project team. From now on, the exclusive one-of-a-kind pieces can no longer only be admired in work shows, but can also be found and purchased on-line and worldwide.
