Why?

Because we love it!

 

Design and art must be based on a concept. 

The Hypnotized Society artwork is constructed of a stamp that is a replica of a police form one receives when reporting a crime. The four different artworks are hand stamped on a pastel colored paper. This is on of the most important works in the installation, if not the most important. It might be difficult to understand, and for a foreigner probably impossible to understand if the concept is not explained, or  it if one has not been to the police. Literally the viewer is asked to read between the lines.

People tend to see what they want to see, not see what they actually see in front of them. Many people are not necessarily able to connect the police form and the artwork, and their replica character, as the police form can be normally found at the police stations, not in an art gallery. Ministry likes to leave things unexplained and up to the viewer to interpret.

The philosophy of the ministry is to copy-paste text from a source and create art from that text. This simple and repetitive pattern is the way the ministry works. The process is more important than the design and the work itself is done in a very quick manner, can be compared to crime. If you snooze you loose kind of philosophy!

Viva Windhoek Lager-! juxtaposes the philosophy of Ubuntu, the thought of African youth and the pitfalls of national consciousness from different printed sources that highlight different perspectives of the society in one artwork.  

Graphic design (which is not born in Namibia as a theoretical discipline) will maybe never enter the minds of the majority of graphic designers in Namibia. DOES IT HAVE TO? Does design have to be based on theory?

Posters are generally looking for actions from the viewer. Generally they direct the way to a happening. Ministry of Truth and Typography uses posters in a passive way. The happening was a crime, in this case. It is past its happening and a natural continuum from crime would be police solving the crime. 

The only activity the poster encourages to happen, is reading and thinking which either happens or does not. This is not crime prevention. These alphabets are about the society and self-expression of the Ministry of Truth and Typography. If you know M is for Murder series. That is the reference. Now.

Ministry of Truth and Typography is anti lavish money produced so-called designs.  We downgrade to regular standard paper sizes, hand stamps, posters with no physical action or modifications needed, such as, if there is a poster inviting you to an opening, you start to modify your appearance to something you necessarily are not. 

Honesty stands behind the work R is for robbery. Design can never exist without the context, and this context is the Namibian society.

 

G is for getaway.

Ministry is collecting alphabets based on reals events in the society.

Viva ABC!

R is for Robbery is one of our favourite design products. It creates a cosy atmosphere in the flat.

Polytechnic of Namibia, Architecture students, visited the exhibition today. The Honorable Minister excitedly explained and answered questions together with the sometimes speechless PS. Your feedback has been noted to the Text Charter and is in line with the Ministry of Truth and Typography's NTP4 2015. Viva 123!

 

Ministry of Truth and Typography is pure critical social commentary through typography, it is NOT social awareness or trying to make social change.
There is a huge difference between these.

This poster want to give a feeling of a missing person's ad -  in its' simplicity and ordinary tone of design.
 This portrait is very descriptive and works almost as the brand identity of the ministry. The upside-down quotations marks communicate the essence of the ministry's work as they communicate that the minister himself does not speak but he quotes to sources in the printed media.
The placement on top of the eyes refers to being blind and in denial. It wasn't me!
It wasn't me exhibition with words as the minister did not write the texts, It wasn't him. All the texts gathered to this exhibition are copy-pasted texts from the Namibian media, and one poster is a quote from the South African media.
The texts are for example simple sms's from an individual or article in the newspapers. Ministry takes them to a gallery space and they move the the context of design and art. An individual person's comment in an Art Gallery!
This project, like the Love Matters in Art, uses low key methods, standard paper sizes, b-w printing, hand stamps. The visual language refers to ordinary life where 'fashionable', glossy papers and expensive lavish lifestyle thinking are not found INTERESTING.
The whole of the Ministry stands together in saying that unconscious consumerism, materialism and want for a superficial lavish lifestyle are for the blind and the unconscious.
There should be more respect for the nature and hum,ans should become HUMANistic and sensible.
Nietzsche has said that only individuals have the sense of responsibility.  Ministry interprets this statement so that an individual should take accountability and responsibility of their doings.
If this was the case the world would be a more beautiful place. Of course this is a mere Utopia, as we can read from the news now exhibited in the Omba Gallery.

The Ministry's work is never done. Come and see the results at the Omba Gallery until 2nd of November!

Minister of Truth and Typography at the opening of the It wasn't me exhibition on the 7th October at Omba Gallery.

Ladies and gentleman, 

As is customary on an occasion like this, one thanks and acknowledges the sponsors of the artist. In this instance many thank you to the Finnish Embassy for their financial and mental support to the exhibition. Unfortunately the Ambassador Anne Saloranta cannot attend the opening this very afternoon. Furthermore thanks to the Omba Gallery for hosting this exhibition. Thank you to the general public for providing continuously, continuously, and endlessly the stimulation and the content for the work of the Ministry of Truth and Typography. Thank you James the Pumpkin for challenging my work as well as supporting throughout.

Generally someone would stand up and introduce the artist, explain the merits of the exhibition as well as the path taken to reach this point. In this instance, the Ministry of Truth and Typography speaks for itself insofar as we await the pomp and ceremony around the eminent launch of the text charter of the MTT.

As with all the art and design one looks at the concept, context and implementation. The MTT was formed in response to denial and ignorance, and manifested itself in a project called Love Matters in Art. The Minister capably oversaw this most successful project.

The tagline for this project It wasn't me was taken directly as all the rest of the work from print media in Namibia. We have asked the PS to say a couple of words around the topic 'It wasn't me'

............................ Pause as the PS speaks.

It wasn't me project acknowledges the input for commissioned artist, Samwele Kamati, Samuel Dumeni and Windhoek Rubber Stamps who are guilty as charged for the work. Special mention deserves to Samwele Kamati in making the ministry alive through his skilful craftwork, in form of the Honorable PS and Honorable Minister. As the Ministry will expand also new members with no portfolios will follow.

In line with the Ministry of Truth and Typography's NTP4 there is a further project planned to facilitate a road show whereby a larger audience receives exposure to the work of the Ministry. This is under a project called All Protocol Observed. Not only will this happen in Namibia, but in South Africa and Europe. Europe will be conquered first in Finland.

Viva ABC!

Viva 123!

Viva Literacy!

Viva Accountability!

Viva HIV, o!

Niina Marjatta Turtola handing over the microphone to the PS (Permanent Secretary) Honorable Dr T.H.Ick-knee for her Opening Words. Thank you!

Press release

It wasn’t me by Niina Marjatta Turtola

Ministry of Truth and Typography

https://www.facebook.com/ministryoftruthandtypography

niina.turtola@gmail.com

Partner and sponsor: Embassy of Finland in Namibia, Windhoek

Omba Gallery, Namibia Craft Centre,
Old Breweries Complex, 40 Tal St. Windhoek

Design and art must be based on a concept. Form is born from the concept. Concept can take various forms. Thinking and the process are extremely interesting and important. The appearance is a mirror of thinking, but not the ultimate goal or function.

Niina Marjatta Turtola started the Ministry of Truth and Typography in 2013 as she could not comprehend that there were no questioning activities in the art scene in Namibia, about arts nor the society. Newspapers and everyday life in Namibia are violent in different ways. Namibians seem to take if for granted and live with it better than her, a foreigner. She sees Namibia as a hypnotized society that rather denies the truth than wants to approach it.

Art generally in Namibia, seems to be craft and meant for tourists. Except for a few exceptions of course who are swimming against the stream, like her.

Niina Marjatta Turtola holds a Master’s Degree in Graphic design. In Namibia it means absolute nothing. Anyone is doing graphic design. Let them do it. This juxtaposition drove her towards practicing arts using the elements and principles of graphic design without a complaining client.

If there is not concept there can be no design or art. Her art describes the society as it has been printed in the society. It wasn’t me creates a representation of the Namibian society. It is a mirror of it. All the words used and expressed through typographic expression can be found in the printed matter in Namibia, from Namibians to Namibians. It wasn’t me creates an image of the Land of the Brave through eyes and expression of a Finn visiting Namibia for some few years.

One of the art works is called The Hypnotized Society. She wrote these words down after visiting an exhibition of Bernard Tschumi, avant-garde theorist and architect called Concept and notation in Paris, May 2014. Theoritecial approach must take place. Mostly pure commercial work can be mere visual pollution, as the client does not speak any visual language, but relies on the gut feeling, which is mostly wrong anyway. And the we look at the big vomit of so called design.

On the occasion of the appointment of the Permanent Secretary, Honorable Dr T.H. Icknee, to the Ministry of Truth and Typography, and on the occasion of the official launch of the It wasn’t me project the ministry invites people to the Omba Gallery to reflect upon the meaning of questioning of the society and what art and design is.  

It wasn't me is a concept. It flourishes from the continuous acts of denial - of individuals - us all - in the society. The words It wasn’t me are a vernacular, a too common talk, therefore making people justify all types of irresponsible acts with these simple words.

As with all the art and design one looks at the concept, context and implementation. The MTT was formed in response to denial and manifested itself in a project called Love Matters in Art. The Minister capably oversaw this most successful project.

The Minister, a Spotted Eagle Own, and the PS Spotted Thick-knee are monogamous birds. Viva Monogamy!

Niina Marjatta Turtola, will pursue her PhD studies in researching the visual culture of Namibia. She is the Personal Assistant to the Minister of Truth and Typography, was born in Finland and is currently visiting Namibia. She holds a MA degree in graphic design and typography. She is a lecturer, researcher and between-lines-reader. Niina undertakes self-initiated, non-commercial conceptual design projects that question normative social constructs and generic arts and craft. To question is to think.

I thank you.