My Interview on "Consulting Unplugged"

I had the pleasure to be interviewed by Andrew Pek on his popular podcast and educational platform called "Consulting Unplugged". Known as the "Consultant's Consultant", Andrew Pek is an internationally recognized authority on innovation, design thinking and entrepreneurship. 

From start-ups to mature companies, Andrew has helped organizations such as Bayer, BNP Paribas, Biomerieux, Citi Group, Estee Lauder, Ferring, Intracellular, The Limited, Pfizer and Steelcase become more innovative. Andrew has been invited to speak worldwide and his views on innovative leaders, change management and design thinking have been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, The New York Times, Investor Business Daily, Chicago Tribune and Readers Digest. He is a best selling author of "Stimulated: Habits To Spark Your Creative Genius At Work "​ (Greenleaf Book Group 2008).

I didn't dare watch the interview but if you would like to do it, here is the link.

"Adam and Eve" by Zlatko Bourek

Zlatko Bourek (1929 – 2018) is one of the most prolific artists I have ever known. He was a painter, sculptor, animator, children's book illustrator and theater set designer. He was a director of puppet theater, for which he created his own puppets.

Two and half years ago, I ran into him on the streets of Zagreb. He asked me if, by any chance I am going to be back in May that year. I told him unfortunately not and that why he was asking. He told me that he is going to have a solo show and in one of the paintings Adam and Eve, he has painted me.

I asked him, "Am I naked?" He told me, "Don't worry, you are in a suit and tie." I told him that I was a little disappointed as I prefer naked over suit and tie.

A year later, when I visited him, he was sick and in bed in his home and told me that unfortunately, the painting of me is on display in some show. But when it comes back, I can take it.

Then in May 2018, he passed away. Soon after that, I was contacted by his family to let me know, that the painting, on the back on which, he wrote my name, is waiting for me.

The painting is now here with me in New York.

Thank you, Zlatko.

 

CENTRO diseño | cine | televisión

CENTRO diseño | cine | televisión just posted a little story about my lectures, workshop and the Design of Dissent show at their university in Mexico city in September this year.

For more images from the workshop and the show, please see here and here.

Pop-Up Talk in Detroit

"Break your routine and have coffee with us on Monday to start your week fresh with Mirko Ilic. Go into work invigorated and informed to make a difference. Mirko will be sharing two presentations in One; Symbols of Hate + Design of Dissent."

ArabAd

ArabAd is the the first and oldest advertising and communications magazine in the Arabic world.In their new Nov/Dec 2018 issue under the title "Goodvertising, Design for Good, Tolerance ..." they published an article about the conference Creative Day organized by AdPulse in Beirut, Lebanon.
Among else in the article they are writing about my lecture Graphic Design as a Social Commentary, the traveling Tolerance Poster Show and Tolerance Poster Competition for students and professionals in the region.

The whole article can be read here.

"Head to Toe" with Mirko Ilic and Steven Heller

Window of Rizzoli Bookstore, 1133 Broadway, New York
https://www.rizzolibookstore.com/news/head-toe-mirko-ilic-and-steven-heller

Brand New Conference 2018

I'm happy to announce that I will be speaking at the 2018 Brand New Conference hosted by UnderConsideration alongside other amazing speakers.

The title of my lecture is "How Neo-Nazis and white supremacists ruined my favorite shirt" and I hope I'm going to see you there.

The conference will be on September 13 and September 14 at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

Interview in Magyar Narancs (Hungarian Orange)

Because I don't read Hungarian, I think this is my best interview ever! 
The interview appears in Magyar Narancs (Hungarian Orange). The title of the newspaper is a reference to The Witness (1969), one of the most satirical depictions of Soviet Communism in Eastern European film.

Lecture "Symbols of Hate" in Ljubljana

The lecture, Symbols of Hate, at the House of Tolerance Film Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia on March 23rd.

Lecture at MOME

Last week, as a part of my visit to MOME - Moholy-Nagy Művészeti Egyetem (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) in Budapest, Hungary, I gave a lecture about the Design of Dissent. Special thanks to professor Vargha Balazs, who organized this lecture.

Workshop at MOME

Last week, I had a workshop at MOME - Moholy-Nagy Művészeti Egyetem (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) in Budapest, Hungary. The students in the workshop created posters about different social causes. They did an excellent job, especially considering that they only have two and a half days to complete the task. The workshop was organized by professor Vargha Balazs. You can see photographs of the workshop below.

Stars and Stripes

With Andrea Monfried and Paula Scher at Poster House. Photo by Louise Fili.

Ms. Gloria

Every day something happens in New York. Very often something good, but very rarely right in front of your studio. Today in front of our studio there was a street co-naming event. Our East 32nd Street and Third Avenue became "Ms Magazine Way" because Ms. Magazine was established in our building. Actually on the same floor where my studio is (appropriately marked in pink).

The first publisher and editor of the magazine, Gloria Steinem gave a speech and helped unveil the name of the street. That gave me a chance to talk to Gloria and take a picture with her. For me this was quite special because Gloria was one of the first people whom I met in 1986 when I came to New York. Through these years we have seen each other from time to time, but this was something quite special.

Lecture at Facebook headquarters

Poster announcing my internal lecture at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California on October 12th. The talk was part of the Facebook design lecture series. At the lecture I spoke about The Design of Dissent and Symbols of Hate. Facebook will soon be posting the video of the lecture making it available online.

Regional Cultural Center Awards

This is an award ceremony for the competition for the design of the facade of the Regional Cultural Center "Mikser House" in Sarajevo. Mikser House will be open on September 8th, 2017.

First place was shared by Ajša Beširević and Bojan Galić.
Thrid place went to Danira Isović
The people's choice award went to Ana Kovačić.

The jury for the awards was Maja Lalic, Bojan Hadzihalilovic, and I.

Congratulations to all participants and the winners.

Hari Džekson in New York

I recently brought back from Serbia two black and white photographs of Hari Džekson (Harry Jackson), which he was displaying in the window of his photography studio.

Aljuš Musli (1944–1999), a young Muslim photographer from my hometown of Bijeljina
(population 10,000-15,000 at that time), who was a passionate Western films lover, so much that starting in the seventies he changed his name to Hari Džekson and devoted all the time and
money he had to shooting Western movies, with 8mm camera. He and his friends, fellow "actors" built sets of Western towns from scratch. Local peasants were supplying them with horses and
local Roms (Gypsies) acted as Indians. At that time he became a cult personality.
Unfortunately, by now he is mostly forgotten.

Soon I will be taking his photographs to the West of USA, he deserved to finally make that trip.

Unfortunately, all links and stories I have about Hari are in Bosnian language.
More about Hari Džekson here.
___

I par isjecaka iz clanka “Vecernjih novosti” (06.04.2010):
*
Sem Harija, Nastić, Muratović i Ristić se sećaju i drugara Ota i Žaka, koji su na snimanju
`popili mnogo batina`, jer se to radilo odistinski, nije se moglo odglumiti.
- Mašinovođu potplatimo sa litrom rakije i dve porcije ćevapa, da malo uspori voz, kako bismo snimili scenu pljačke voza. Nije nama ništa posebno trebalo. Kamenolom imaš u Teočaku, Drina ti je kao Rio Grande, u Jablanuši je ona livada bila jalova, ništa se na njoj nije sejalo, bila je bolja nego prava prerija. U mahali nađemo nekoliko Roma, samo im stavimo ratničke boje, pa kao pravi Indijanci.
I seljaci su bili dobri, davali nam svoju stoku kad god je trebalo da snimimo krdo goveda, milo im da se njihova goveda pojave u filmu - priča Juso Muratović, čiji je čitav život obeležen filmom.
*
HARI Džekson je u to vreme bio veoma popularan, pa su nas zvali da snimamo reklame. Vršačka pivara nam je 1987. ponudila da snimimo reklamu za sok. Bili su slogani `Hari Džekson pije sok, alkoholu kaže jok` i `Žedan sam ko pas, daj mi ananas`. Ja sam dobio honorar od 37.000 dinara.
Ali, sve je pojela inflacija, takvo je vreme bilo - kaže Đorđe Nastić.

WakEUp! Festival in Belgrade

I am leaving for Belgrade where I am going to open the festival WakEUp! with
Serbian playwright Biljana Srbljanovic. 

WakEUp! festival will be held December 7th–16th, with a goal to raise questions related to the refugees and their uncertain destinies, and at the same time it calls
the world to show solidarity and humanity.

I hope to see you there!

More about the festival here.

More in English.