NODE is a Berlin- and Oslo-based design studio founded in 2003 by Anders Hofgaard and Serge Rompza. The studio works collaboratively across various media for a diverse range of clients from individuals to institutions, focusing on print, identity, exhibition and interactive work. Besides studio projects, NODE gives lectures and holds workshops at art & design academies.
Clients include: Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo (NO) Bundesministerium der Finanzen (DE) The Bronx Museum of the Arts, NYC (US) Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), Montréal (CAN) CAC, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius (LT) DAAD, Berlin (DE) Deutsche Bank, PalaisPopulaire (DE) Deutscher Übersetzerfonds (DE) Deutsches Historisches Museum (DE) Diller Scofidio + Renfro (US) Extra City Kunsthal Antwerpen (BE) Gambit Hill & Knowlton (NO) Galeria Toni Tàpies, Barcelona (ES) Goethe-Institut (DE) Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin (DE) Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin (DE) Henie Onstad Art Centre, Oslo (NO) Hellenic Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (GR) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE) Kulturstiftung des Bundes (DE) Lehmbruck Museum (DE) M HKA, Museum for Contemporary Art, Antwerpen (BE) MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology, Cambridge (US) The Munch Museum (NO) Museum Ludwig Köln (DE) The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design (NO) NGBK (DE) Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research (NO) Norad (NO) Ny Musikk, Oslo (NO) OCA, Office for Contemporary Art (NO) Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), Rotterdam (NL) Oslo Architecture Triennale (NO) Oslo Jazz Festival (NO) OSLO PILOT (NO) Statoil (NO) Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo (JP) Tallinn City Enterprise Board (EE) Temporäre Kunsthalle, Berlin (DE) Torpedo Press, Oslo (NO) Ultima, Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Oslo (NO) United Nations Environment Programm, Paris (FR) University of Oslo (NO) Villa Romana, Firenze (IT) ZKM, Karlsruhe (DE)
NODE has taught at the following institutions: Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle (DE) Estonian Academy of Arts and Design Tallinn (EE) Elisava Escola Superior de Disseny Barcelona (ES) Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach am Main (DE) Hochschule für Künste Bremen (DE) Kolding Design Academy (DK) KHiB, Bergen National Academy of Arts (NO) KHiO, Oslo National Academy of the Arts (NO) Köln International School of Design: KISD (DE) Salzburg University of Applied Sciences (AT) Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart (DE) Tromsø Academy of Contemporary Art (NO) Trondheim Academy of Arts (NO) UdK, Universität der Künste Berlin (DE) Westerdals School of Communication Oslo (NO)
Works by NODE have been published in (selection): +81 Magazine (JP) Camera Austria (AT) Creative Review (UK) Etapes Magazine (FR) FILE magazine Fully Booked, Gestalten Graphic Magazine (KR) IDPURE (CH) Onehundred at 360°, Laurence King Regular, Graphic Design Today, Gestalten Turning Pages, Gestalten Young European Graphic Designers, daab
Text by Theodor Barth, Oslo
The distinct feature of the work done at NODE lies in its relational approach to graphic design. The graphic designers that make up NODE reflect a lot about the way they work. A number of colleagues see NODE as a conceptual design studio. However, NODE may also be seen as a strategic studio, seeking to relate to people in projects where design can happen.
This is why their portfolio, so far, contains many cultural projects; both in the private and public sectors, as well as with corporate and individual clients. This focus does not reflect a desire to specialize on cultural projects, but reflects the mere fact that this context affords and requires a degree of freedom. The cultural context requires a degree of finding out about the project -- or, design research -- that affords the responsive way of working that constitutes the signature of this studio.
In this sense, NODE is a research-driven studio motivated by an appetite to do interesting projects, with interesting people and interesting learning-outcomes for all parties involved. The studio is high-end with regard to the contextual relevance of their design products, and high-edge with regard to the process offer their clients; using visual communication to land and re-vitalize corporate intelligence. This is why the graphic designers at NODE do not use their project to enhance and develop a particular style, but rather as an occasion to increase the studio's competence in context-sensitive visual communication.
If it were to be expressed in words, their portfolio would comprise field-notes of the unique, an experimental record of tests, and the annals of reflective practice from the efforts of dreaming up a synthesis. But since they work with graphic design -- rather than text -- the activities of the studio can be best characterized as a form of design authoring, informed by a documentary attention to the needs of their clients.
In sum, the people at NODE Berlin Oslo run a hotel in their graphic design studio, in which they host customer- and project-identities. The way they work fosters a strong sense of belonging to the studio among the graphic designers that work there.