d-act
About Noam Youngrak Son

Noam Youngrak Son is a communication designer practicing queer publishing. They explore revolutionary methods of disseminating deviant narratives. In their work, publishing concerns more than mere printed matter, since, in its etymology, the word "publishing" originally meant to populate communities and to breed interspecies relations. The term "queer" in this context is not used as a statement of identity but as that of methodology – small yet collective strategies of publishing that challenge the modern myth of a singular, heroic “Genius” designer.

Educations

 Design Academy Eindhoven, Man & Communication BA, Cum Laude, 2017-2021
 Gyeongsan Science Highschool, AP Biology, 2014-2017

Professional Experiences

 d-act, Self-run design service & publishing agency, 2018-now
 Bebe Books Collective member, 2021-now
 Studio Plastique Design research intern, 2020-2021
 Queer Constituency at Van Abbe Museum, Event facilitating, Researching, 2018-2020
 Designmatter, Seoul based design agency, Remote Researcher, 2019-2020

Exhibitions & Performances

2022
 Worlds that World, Kunstfort bij Vijfhuizen

2021
 Sensual Havoc II, At Subbacultcha, Amsterdam, Showing: Yummy Body Truck
 GS21 Design Academy Eindhoven, At Beursgebouw, Eindhoven, Showing: Yummy Body Truck
 ALIENATED, At 38CC, Delft, Showing: Hotel Symbiogenesis
 Interspecies Futures, At the Center for Book Arts, New York, Showing: Publications "Hotel Symbiogenesis", "Becoming a bat, embodying COVID-19"

2020
 DDW WATTBA 2020, At Temporary Art Center, Eindhoven, Showing: Hotel Symbiogenesis, In collaboration with Designmatter, As a member of Hypothetical Studios
 (IM)POSSIBLE BODIES, Curated by Stichting Niet Normaal, Showing: Money in vivo
 The Self Design Academy, At MU Hybrid Art Space, Eindhoven, Showing: Self Design Committee
 Sensual Havoc, At Broedplaats LELY, Amsterdam, Showing: The Gendered Cable Manifesto

2019
 Qtopia Nijmegen Queer Art Festival, At various venues including NEUS, Nijmegen, Showing: Queerlet, Designed a toilet signage system for the festival
 Ristorante di Attenzione, Participatory performance, Eindhoven
 DDW Embassy of Health, At Klokgebouw, Eindhoven
 Department of sexual revolution studies, at Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, Designed props for the performance of Eimar Walshe

2018
 DDW Made in Egalia, At Plug-in-City, Eindhoven, in collaboration with Alice Watel and Day Day Gay

Talks & Workshops

2022
 The symposium Dis/Assembly of Performative Things, At VIKA, Halle, Constituting the Union* for Unvalorized (design) Labors
 Post Design Festival, At Grafill & Podium, Oslo, Going domestic, Doing together: practicing design in the precarious world
 Mutability & Mutualism Seminar, Presented by the Institute for Postnatural Studies and the Institute of Queer Ecology
 The Story-Telling Eel-Orgy, A workshop supported by Sonic Acts, hosted by W139 Amsterdam
 Method/Art seminar, Hosted by Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts
 EXPLORATIONS & TRANSLATIONS, A guest lecture about Perception / Data at Iceland University of Arts

2021
 IAM Weekend 21, Planet Earth edition, A talk about the project ‘Self Design committee’
 Chimera Gastronomy: Malleable flesh, amalgamated bodies, and plastic kinship, At RE_NATURE Festival, Den Bosch and Subbacultcha, Amsterdam
 Planetary Imaginations, Arena panel at the Design Academy Eindhoven graduation show, Eindhoven
 Interspecies Publications Post COVID-19 panel, At the Center for Book Arts, New York
 Design-symposium Kompliz*innen, Hosted by FemPower Burg Halle, Halle
 The Reality of Symbiosis podcast, Hosted by Future Based
 Talks about self design, Hosted by MU Hybrid Art Space, Eindhoven

2020
 KD—LOUNGE lecture, A public lecture organized by The Hochschule Konstanz
 Designing Symbiogenesis, At TAC, Eindhoven
 Film screening, Q&A: Money in Vivo, At (IM)POSSIBLE BODIES Festival
 The Hmm on Facial Recognition panel, At Felix Meritis, Amsterdam
 The Hmm at Hackers & Designers, At Tetem, Amsterdam

2019
 The Gendered Cable Manifesto reading event, At Van Abbe Museum
 Queerlet Drawing workshop, At Van Abbe Museum
 Egalia Fairytale Party workshop, At Van Abbe Museum and Plug in City

Articles / Interviews

2022
  Dixit Algorizmi, presented at at the Pavilion of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Venice Biennale, The Manifesto of Queer Machines
  Ecoes #3, published by Sonic Acts, The Manifesto of Queering Eels and a Queering-eel
  Ponton magazine, Wait, what are we talking about?: The quantitative reading of Design Fest Gent, Invited by Z33 and Designregio Kortrijk

2021
  Kont Magazine, Artists help grow gigantic mushrooms!?, With Jeroen van den Heuvel
  U+ZINE 5, “History” by Plurality University Network, Money in vivo

2020
  The Hmm Dossier, The Self Design Committee: How a face filter might or might not democratize self-design
  Depatriarchise Design, Creating Myths from the Margins. A Conversation with Noam Youngrak Son
  CLOT Magazine, The Gendered Cable Manifesto
  Future Based, Becoming a bat. Embodying COVID-19: SF ways of fighting helplessness confronting the pandemic.

Publications

Can be found on Cathair Press.

Selected Media Features

Clot Magazine, Damn Magazine, Designdigger, Domusweb, Dutch Design Daily, e-flux, Formfaktor, Het Ma:dang, Plokta TV, The Brooklyn Rail, Thesignspeaking, Trendland

Awards / Recognition

2019
  Korea+Sweden Young Design Award by IKEA
  Asia Design Prize, Finalist

2018
  K-Design Award, Grand Prize

2016
  iF Public Value Student Award
  The Talent Award of Korea (대한민국 인재상)