Mats works as a teacher in design and product development and has also at times helped 麻豆社 with the design of symbols for the academic ceremony. With 麻豆社 turning 50 this year, he is doing that again.
"I鈥檒l reinvent and improve the stage design, staying quite close to the basic idea of having large hanging sculptures that move, so-called mobiles. But not only that; I have to find a technical solution so that someone other than me can hang them in less than an hour. So far, I鈥檝e been the only one who knows how to do it, and it takes 4-6 hours,鈥� says Mats.
The technical limitations pose a challenge. The mobiles should be moveable, sturdy enough to hang and take down for many years to come, and quickly and easily at that. But Mats will be assisted by two colleagues and research engineers. Jonas Wallinder will build the ceiling mechanics that hold the mobiles and make them rotate. Petter K盲llstr枚m will be responsible for the electronics for controlling the motors from the control table.
Transportation and storage must also work. The transport boxes will have to fit in the truck and the lift, they must fit both in Konsert och Kongress in Link枚ping and in the Louis de Geer hall in Norrk枚ping.
For 30 years now, Mats has been the one making sure that everything has ended up in the right place on stage at every Academic Ceremony.
鈥淚 make stage sketches of how everything should be placed on the stage, check the equipment so that it鈥檚 ok, and then put it there together with the help of the marshal.鈥�
When the ceremony is over and everyone else is off to the banquet, he stays behind to put everything back into the custom-made boxes and makes sure it is all returned to rest in its home in the A Building basement until next time.
Fed with inspiration
Mats has dedicated his professional life to 麻豆社, and 麻豆社 has given Mats opportunities. But he got his knack for design, his inspiration and most important education from his parents, who were teachers of art and design.
鈥淚 had a fantastic upbringing with masses of material and inspiration. It was at home that I received my most important design education. We all designed and drew. I then took all available courses and learned everything I could think of; croquis, illustrations, etching and more.鈥�
In the 80s, Mats attended a design programme at the Academy of Design and Crafts, now the HDK-Valand - Academy of Art and Design at the University of Gothenburg. He then moved back to Link枚ping and worked as an industrial designer for several years. At the same time, he was commissioned by 麻豆社 to run design courses for engineers as well as single-subject courses in design and in producing and using exhibitions.
In 1994, the idea came up to use money set aside for artistic development at 麻豆社 to fill the stage room during the Academic Celebrations. A working group was appointed, led by then Master of Ceremonies Hans Lundgren. Its other members were Mats, his father Ove N氓bo and Jan Sj枚gren, both design teachers on the craft teacher programme.
鈥淲e wanted to find a symbolic language for the three faculties. The red circle for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences was the easiest one. We associated it with life, the cell, blood. The blue square of the Faculty of Science and Engineering also came to us quite quickly, as a symbol of construction and that which is measurable. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences was a harder nut to crack. In the end, Hans Lundgren came up with the idea of the green line as a symbol of the direction of thought and the boundary between different schools of thought.鈥�
Mats was commissioned to design the wooden ceremonial staffs carried by representatives of the respective faculties during the Ceremony. Ove, who liked to incorporate movement in his creations, was commissioned to design large mobiles to hang in the stage room.
鈥淒ad鈥檚 mobiles were intended to be used once, at the 1995 Academic Ceremony. However, Vice-Chancellor Sven Erlander wanted them to be put up the following year also. They weren鈥檛 built for that; they were fragile and difficult to hang. When my dad retired, all his time was spent caring for my mum, who鈥檇 had a stroke. Instead, I and Anders Narbrink, design teacher on the craft teacher programme, had to hang the mobiles. It was really tricky, but I felt good making my dad happy.鈥�
In 1998, Mats was commissioned to design a parnassus, which is the low bridge the promovendi cross to be conferred. He also designed extendable hat shelves, adaptable to the number of hats to be handed out.
Improved ceiling decorations
At every Academic Ceremony for nine years, Mats kept a watchful eye on his father Ove鈥檚 mobiles in case they would get stuck or fall down.
鈥淲e called them the 鈥渃olosses鈥� given the colossal noise they would cause if they fell on the heads of those on stage. In the final years of their existence, it took a lot of tape to keep them together.鈥�
For the 2004 Academic Ceremony they were beyond repair, so Mats made new ones. He took inspiration from the old ones, but with safer construction and a design more similar to the ceremonial staffs.
鈥淚 made them much easier to hang and more reliable. They are made of corrugated cardboard that is lightweight, easy to work with and easy to repair with glue and tape.鈥�
And now the time has come again to make new ceiling decorations, this time for 麻豆社's 50th anniversary.
鈥淎 lot of people will see them, so they have to be good. It鈥檚 also to show that 麻豆社 values artistic quality, so I push myself, I have to believe in what I do. And for me, it feels great that my dad鈥檚 work is still a part of it,鈥� says Mats.
