The RodinaStudioContext
👁️

The Rodina is a post-critical design studio with an experimental practice drenched in strategies of performance art, play, and subversion. Both in commissioned work and in autonomous practice, we activate and re-imagine a dazzling range of layered meanings across, below, and beyond the surface of design.

“The Rodina treat design as an agent for activity, for evoking restless responses and continual conversation.” – Eye on Design, AIGA

The studio explores spatial and interactive possibilities of virtual environments as a space for new thoughts and aesthetics that come forward from between culture and technology.

"We invent ways in which experience, knowledge and relations are produced and preserved."

The Rodina works mostly with cultural clients and specialises in visual identities, unique exhibition design, unforgettable user experience, and participatory installations. Our approach is dialogical, each design is developed processually in a close conversation with the client.

The Rodina has been researching performativity within graphic design since 2014. We coined the term "performative design"––in the field of visual communication––which is further described in Action to Surface publication.

"In their brilliant publication Action to Surface, the duo sets a new order for the political urgency of surface-led visual culture..." – There and back again: an art history of memes in the post-truth era; Alice Bucknell for Artsy


Clients

CARA, USA
Harvard GSD, USA
Columbia Uni GSAPP, USA
FRONT International, USA
Van Abbemuseum, NL
EPFL Pavilions, CH
JOAN Los Angeles, USA
ZKM Karlsruhe, DE
FACT Liverpool, UK
Rewire Festival, NL
Sonic Acts, NL
Stroom Den Haag, NL



Design Pedagogy


Tereza Ruller is a Professor of Communication Design & Digital Practices at the University of Arts and Design Karlsruhe.
Together with Vit Ruller, they teach Critical Narratives and 3D Environments at MA Information Design at Design Academy Eindhoven.
Tereza Ruller is Design Research tutor at ArtEZ Arnhem.
The Rodina exhibits, leads design workshops, and gives lectures internationally.



Internships


We are not looking for any interns at the moment.

Alexandra Superson, LU, 2022
Handi Kim, KR, 2020
Milana Kasianova, RU, 2019
Nicolai Schmelling, DK, 2019
Marianne Noordzij, NL, 2017
Jonathan Castro, PE, 2016
Anežka Minaříková, CZ, 2016
Adam Švejda, CZ, 2015
Cyanne van den Houten, NL, 2014
Constant Fernandez, FR, 2014
Jules Vaulont, FR, 2013

Address


The Rodina
Borneolaan 291
1019 HZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands

studio@therodina.com

Follow


Instagram


Contact


We are always happy to meet new people, support your project visually or just give a consultancy.

Tereza Ruller (she/her)
+31(0) 646 814 126
tereza@therodina.com

Vit Ruller (he/his)
+31(0) 615 925 822
vit@therodina.com

  • 2024

    SEE Conference – Gaining Insight through Visualization, Performance Graphics
    conference talk
    Wiesbaden, DE
  • Boston University MA Graphic Design, Liminal Design Exercises
    Amsterdam, NL
  • Matter of Art Biennial, National Gallery Prague, Seeding Letters, Growing Worlds
    performative publication launch
    Prague, CZ
  • Design Academy Eindhoven, MA Information Design, Critical Narratives and 3D Environments
    tutoring
    Eindhoven, NL
  • GDA ArtEZ Arnhem, Design Research: Climate Affordances
    tutoring
    Arnhem, NL
  • HfG Karlsruhe, Communication Design, Garden as a Method
    seminar
    Karlsruhe, DE
  • ArtEZ Master of Architecture, Corpo-real series: On Playfulness in Design
    workshop
    Zwolle, NL
  • Forward Festival , The Rodina – Transformative Imagination
    lecturetalk
    Amsterdam, NL
  • Lucerne University of Applied Arts, On Performative Design
    lecture
    online, CH
  • Chelsea College of Arts, Graduate Diploma Graphic Design, Carrier Bag Climate
    tutoringlecturehappening
    London, UK
  • 2023

    International Design Culture Conference, Wicked Worlding 위키드 월딩
    lecture
    Seoul, South Korea
  • HfG Karlsruhe, All About Love
    seminar
    Karlsruhe, DE
  • GDA ArtEZ Arnhem, Design Research: On Love and Care
    tutoring
    Arnhem, NL
  • GDA ArtEZ Arnhem, Design Research: Water Affordances
    tutoring
    Arnhem, NL
  • Formations of Power – Performing Democracy, Days of Democracy Frankfurt, Giving the Voice
    workshopperformative intervention
    Frankfurt, DE
  • Transart Institute for Practice PhD, On Communication Design as Performative World-making
    workshoplecture
    online, USA
  • Forward Festival, On Embodiment and Processuality
    lecturetalk
    Vienna, AT
  • Domaine de Boisbuchet, Garden of Encounters
    workshoptalk
    Lessac, FR
  • MA Visual Communication at ZHdK, 5 steps 1 dot
    workshoplecture
    Zurich, CH
  • Dis/Assembly of Performative Things Symposium, VIKA e.V. art space, A Polyvocal Hearing: Collective Exercise On Performative Design
    workshophappeningtalk
    Halle, DE
  • Chelsea College of Arts, Graduate Diploma Graphic Design, more-than-human
    tutoringlecture
    London, UK
  • Grafill Grafisk Design: Graphic Placemaking , On Pluriversal Communication Design
    lecture
    Oslo, NO
  • Royal College of Art, Visual Communication, Open Studio: On Spatial Affairs
    lecture
    London, online, UK
  • 2022

    Boston University MA Design, COMA Dutch designLAB
    workshop
    Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • ArtEZ SummerLab, Speculative Fiction
    workshoplecture
    Amsterdam, NL
  • GDA ArtEZ , Design Research: All About Love
    tutoring
    Arnhem, NL
  • 2021

    California College of the Arts MFA Design, Design Lecture Series, Togetherness
    lecture
    San Francisco, USA
  • ArtEZ WinterLab, Performing Image
    workshoplecture
    Amsterdam, online, NL
  • GOOGLE, Google Design , Collective Worlding
    workshop
    Palo Alto, USA
  • Huiput Creative Festival, Freedom and Playfulness – On Situated Communication Design
    lecture
    Helsinki, FI
  • University of Seoul – Graphic Design, Time, Space, and Bodies
    lectureworkshop
    Seoul, KR
  • University of Michigan Taubman College, Collective Worlding
    performative lecture
    Michigan, online, USA
  • ZHdK, Green Button Code
    workshoplecture
    Zurich, CH
  • 2020

    Winchester School of Art, Drivers of Change
    talkworkshop
    Winchester, UK
  • University of the Arts London, London College of Communication, Something or Other: Engaged Futures series
    lecture
    London, UK
  • Fotograf Gallery , Elements of Style
    performanceparticipation
    Prague, CZ
  • 5th Istanbul Design Biennial, Empathy Revisited: Designs for more than one
    exhibition
    Istanbul , Turkey
  • Strelka Institute, Drifting Closeness
    workshop
    Moscow, Russia
  • 2019

    Dutch Design Week, DDA, Dutch Design Awards
    award nomineeexhibition
    Eindhoven, NL
  • Sonic Acts, Stedelijk Museum, Accidental Geopoetics
    exhibitionperformance
    Amsterdam, NL
  • NEST, Slow Signal: Carbon Performs Silicon
    exhibitionperformanceparticipation
    Den Haag, NL
  • CCA Gallery, Banana Skin Credit Card
    exhibition
    San Francisco, USA
  • A–Z Presents, When the Work is Done
    exhibitionparticipationdiscussion
    Berlin, DE
  • IED, Designer as Environment
    talk
    Madrid, ES
  • Cooper Union, Typographics
    talk
    New York, USA
  • La Martinière Diderot, Accidental Geopoetics
    workshoplecture
    Lyon, FR
  • Design Summer 11, Face as a Territory 设计一一夏(杭州)
    workshoptalk
    Hangzhou, CN
  • School of Speculation, Design Museum London, School of Speculation
    talkworkshop
    London, UK
  • KABK – Fine Arts, NEST, The Future Body
    lecturetutoring
    Den Haag, NL
  • KABK, ACPA Conference, The Public Dimensions of Artistic Research
    lectureperformanceparticipation
    Den Haag, NL
  • POST Design Festival, On Performative Design
    talk
    Stockholm, DE
  • Typomania Design Festival, Communication Design & Performance
    talkexhibition
    Moscow, RU
  • Us By Night, Performing Bodies: Towards Solidarity
    talk
    Antwerpen, BE
  • Semipermanent, Collective Portrait of The Crowd
    performancetalkparticipation
    Auckland, NZ
  • Hochschule für bildende Künste, Digitale Grafik, Depatriarchalizing Pixel Lands
    workshoplecture
    Hamburg, DE
  • Text Form Function Atelier, Faculty of Arts, Rádio Ostravský sen
    workshoplecture
    Ostrava, CZ
  • 2018

    Die Angewandte – University of Applied Arts, Depatriarchalizing Pixel Lands
    workshoplecture
    Vienna, AT
  • MICA, The Fair of Situations
    workshoplecture
    Baltimore, USA
  • Weltformat, Recording Bodies
    workshoptalk
    Lucerne, CH
  • Palace of Typographic Masonry, The Chamber of Transformation
    exhibitiontalk
    Amsterdam, NL
  • Unfair, Unfair18 – Full Screen
    exhibition
    Amsterdam, NL
  • Stroom Den Haag, De Dignen
    exhibitionperformance
    Den Haag, NL
  • Salone del Mobile, My Practice My Politics
    exhibition
    Milan, IT
  • De School, Celestial Services
    exhibitionperformanceparticipation
    Amsterdam, NL
  • CHART, Unionize
    exhibitionperformanceparticipation
    Copenhagen, DK
  • Inform Awards, Inform Award for Conceptual Design
    award nominee
    Leipzig, DE
  • Weltformat, The Chamber of Transformation
    exhibitionparticipation
    Lucerne, CH
  • University of Illinois, Through the Glass Darkly – UIC Public Seminar Series
    lecture
    Chicago, USA
  • MCAD, 7 Stages of Performing Designer
    lecture
    Minneapolis, USA
  • Swiss Interactive Media Days, Designer as Environment
    talkworkshop
    St. Gallen, CH
  • Coded Matters, From Stone to Stone
    performative lectureperformancetalk
    Amsterdam, NL
  • FACT Liverpool, States of Play: Roleplay Reality
    exhibition
    Liverpool, UK
  • Recyclart, Unionize and Playbour
    talk
    Brussel, BE
  • 2017

    OTIS, Escaping the Flatlands
    workshoplecture
    Los Angeles, USA
  • CalArts, Borderlands: Towards the New Territories
    workshoplecture
    Santa Clarita, USA
  • Fubu, ZhDK, Abstract Portrait of 20 Young People in Canton Zürich
    workshoplecture
    Zürich, CH
  • Prague College, The Settlers: Designing a Storytelling Tool
    workshoplecture
    Prague, CZ
  • Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Mapping the Opportunities
    workshoplecture
    Jerusalem, IL
  • Royal Academy of Arts, Design Lands
    workshop
    Den Haag, NL
  • Le Signe, National Graphic Design Center, 26th International Graphic Design Biennial of Chaumont
    exhibition
    Chaumont, FR
  • Seoul Culture Station, 5th International Typography Biennale Typojanchi
    exhibitionparticipation
    Seoul, KR
  • Hyundai Design Card Gallery, Acting Bodies
    exhibitionperformanceparticipation
    Seoul, KR
  • Bezalel, Post-Reality, Symposium on The Future of Design
    panel discussion
    Jerusalem, IL
  • Stedelijk Museum, Sonic Acts, The Noise of Being
    performanceperformative lecturetalk
    Amsterdam, NL
  • 2016

    RCA @ Sandberg Instiuut, The Scene of Politics: Rethinking the Pilars of Democracy
    workshop
    Amsterdam, NL
  • AKV|St.Joost, Designer's Future Stack
    workshoplecture
    Breda, NL
  • Luca School of Art, The Chronicles
    workshoplecture
    Gent, BE
  • Tique Art, Abstract Portrait of the Crowd: At the End I became a Painter
    exhibitionperformanceparticipation
    Antwerpen, BE
  • GDFS, Graphic Design Festival Scotland
    exhibition
    Glasgow, UK
  • Stedelijk Museum, BYOB
    exhibition
    Amsterdam, NL
  • D&AD Awards, Branding & Identity Wood Pencil Winner from World Design Studio MTV, International team
    award
    London, UK
  • Hackers and Designers, A Non-linear Talk
    talkparticipation
    Amsterdam, NL
  • Willem de Kooning Academy, Gamification class Erasmus
    lectureproject reviewsclass supervision
    Rotterdam, NL
  • The Book Society, Action to Surface
    talk
    Seoul, KR
  • 2015

    Graphic Design Festival Scotland, Error Opportunity
    workshoptalkpanel discussion
    Glasgow, UK
  • Royal Academy of Arts, The good. The bad. The ugly
    lecture
    Den Haag, NL
  • ESAC – École supérieure d’art de Cambrai, Action to Surface
    lecture
    Cambrai, FR
  • Denver Digerati, Animation NOW!, Biennial of the Americas
    exhibition
    Denver, USA
  • UMPRUM – Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, Poklady Ostrova Pokladů
    lecture
    Prague, CZ
  • 2014

    Projektil, Bauhaus Universitat , Training for Future Criminals
    workshoplecture
    Weimar, DE
  • 24th Poster Biennial, Cutting the Territories
    workshoptalk
    Warszaw, PL
  • Banská Stanica Contemporary, Keep Smile
    exhibitionresidencypublication
    Banska Stiavnica, SK
  • Dutch Ministry of Finance, Dutch Education: Budget Cuts
    exhibitionaward
    Den Haag, NL
  • Neo New York, Cooper Union, Neo New York: Visual Thinking
    talkportfolio reviews
    New York, USA
  • 2013

    After School Club II, The God of Internet: Founder's Scrolls
    workshoptalk
    Offenbach, DE
  • NYA Skolan: After School, Democratic Design
    workshoptalk
    Stockholm, SE
  • Czech Ministry of Culture, The Most Beautiful Czech Book 2012
    exhibitionaward
    Prague, CZ
  • Le Signe, 24th International Graphic Design Biennial of Chaumont
    exhibition
    Chaumont, FR