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Studio Jørn Aagaard (AAAA) delivers services including, but not limited to graphic design, photography and web development. The studio is based in Oslo, Norway working with clients and collaborators worldwide. Jørn Aagaard holds an MA in visual communication from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and is a co-founder of the artist-run exhibition space Hulias (2020—) and the skateboard magazine Dank (2011—2014). The studio treats graphic design as a interdisciplinary method as well as a particular way of thinking, seeing and approaching problems. Advancing design as a conversation, AAAA aims to work with clients and collaborators in an interactive process that leads to a continued relationships that follow the evolvement of the endeavour.

Clients and collaborators include NODE Berlin Oslo, Yokoland, A K Dolven, HULIAS, The Norwegian National Museum, Grafill (Norwegian Organisation for Visual Communication), Astrup Fearnley Museum, Bacon OSL, Dank, Transcultural Arts Production (TrAP), Gyldendal, Ljå Forlag, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Cappelen Damm, Dugurd, OlssønBarbieri, Flamme Forlag, Arts and Culture Norway, Morgenbladet, AFFIX, Singular Vision, 10/10, CODA Oslo International Dance Festival, Kolon Forlag, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Bokvennen Literary Newspaper (BLA) and Vinduet Literary Journal.

studio@aaaa.as

(+47) 951 02 413

Vanlige potteplanter (Common Houseplants)

Ljå Forlag

"For green-fingered enthusiasts seeking advice on how to look after their leafy companions, there are plenty of titles on hand to guide them through plant parenthood. None of them, however, resemble Vanlige Potteplanter (Common Houseplants), a new title from Oslo-based publisher Ljå Forlag with unconventional plant portraiture from photographer Thomas Ekström. Its pages are filled with advice on how to care for 24 of the most common houseplants, accompanied by Ekström’s shots of everything from a red- flowering hibiscus perched on top of a lavatory to a jungly mass of greenery tumbling out of a car window. “We wanted to create something that was a mix between an art book and a cookbook for plants,” says Ekström. The book was designed by Jørn Aagaard, a frequent Ljå Forlag collaborator. “He’s a good friend of ours and we pretty much gave him free reign to design it as he liked,” says Ivar Kvaal, one half of the duo behind Ljå Forlag. “We wanted the book to appeal to a slightly different group than those who might normally buy a book about plants,” says Kvaal. “So we took the visual language of an artist to create a non-fiction book.” The result? A title that’s perfect for leafing through. Just remember to wash the potting mix off your hands before you crack the spine."

Monocle, 10.11.2021