Euskadi trademark

When: 2002-2008.
Where: Basque Country.
What: Art research on the cultural identity in the Basque Country and the emocional and economical factors in its creation and promotion.
Who: Saioa Olmo, thanks to a grant of the Cultural Department of the Governmet of the Basque Country .

Euskadi Trademark, Is “Euskadi” also a name of a trademark?

EUSKADI ™ is a line of work that approaches the subject of the identity of a concrete culture, the Basque culture in this case, as an economic value. Questions are done whether “EUSKADI” could not only be the name of a community of people, of a culture and of a territorial unit, but also the name of a trademark. There is a reflection on how the culture and the identity thing are turned on to an economic value in this consumer society. It is also on how the commercial scope helps to spread out a concrete culture.

The objective is to open a debate and to make a graphical investigation about the strategies of visual identity. The idea is to create a reflection tool, more than to cause a concrete and closed effect on the information receivers. Different questions may be considered:

EUSKADI Trademark: Is “ EUSKADI “ also the name of a trademark?

• EUSKADI, alluding to a territory, to a country, to the Basque culture: is it exaggerated to treat it as a trademark? Is it inadequate to relate it to economic interests?
• Are trademarks and companies at present being capable of encouraging and of creating culture as much as the proper public administrations?
• What image of The Basque Country is being sold outside it in different tourism campaigns? What image is being built inside? What is the Basque? Is it something related to folklore or is there a more modern image of the Basque? Does it already exist? Is it necessary to create it, or it does it arise from a spontaneous way?

The project is materialized in diverse formats:

• a forum – web www.euskadi-tm.com
• a publication
• specific projects

The web forum www.euskadi-tm.com fulfills the function to compile opinions of the very diverse people, about the topic. It was active from 2003 to 2005 and several questions were directly proposed to persons whose activities were related to each of the themes. The forum was active by periodic e-mailing, through these questions. Thus, there were comments and answers that had to do with the topic.

The publication will have a more visual approach to the topic. It will treat aspects related with the branding of a nation, a region and a city through photography, illustrations, graphs, prototypes … and thanks to the collaboration of different graphic designers, illustrative designers and artists. This will end in 2008.

Among the specific projects done for a concrete frame or under the invitation to participate within a program, I would remark:

• ” What is Zumaia for you? ” in Zumaia, inside “Divergentes” program in 2004.
• ” Andoain 20140 ” Andoain, 2007 during ” Label In and Out ” exhibition.
• Participation in “Tell me truth” exhibition.
• Collaboration in Piperpolis Bilbo Hiria Irratia radio program suggesting topics related to art, design and image in the Basque Country.