Building on theories of rationalization (Weber 1905), the excesses of efficiency as part of neoliberal design economies, and critical perspectives on acceleration and productivity (Rosa 2005, 2015; Han 2015), the project explores whether inefficiency itself can be understood as a form of efficiency—not in terms of increased productivity, but as an enabler of meaning, openness, freedom, and reflection. Socio-cultural theories (Bataille 1991; Illich 1973) provide counter-models to dominant logics of utility and exploitation, which are here examined as design-relevant frameworks. Inefficiency is thus reframed less as disruption and more as a resource beyond regimes of utility.

Based on this theoretical engagement with concepts of in-/efficiency and the critically reflected (post-)efficiency society, a series of design-research positions were developed. Their aim was not only to engage with theory discursively, but to test, concretize, and make it experientially tangible through critical-speculative and applied practice-based research. In this sense, design operates as a mediating instance between theory and practice.

Brick, Samuel Schön

One example is the project “(Not Just) Another Brick in the Wall” by Samuel Schön. It starts from the observation that the smartphone has shifted from a tool of connection to an artifact of social isolation. Through constant use, social media feeds, and notification-driven systems, it continuously captures our attention. Mechanisms borrowed from the gambling industry reinforce addictive patterns of engagement and contribute to a state of permanent sensory overload. Social media simulates closeness while often producing emotional distance and distraction. In reference to Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall,” this generates the image of an invisible wall in which every interaction—like, swipe, or notification—becomes another brick in a structure of social alienation. The project translates this critique into a design intervention that encourages more conscious engagement with digital devices.

In the project “HUG” by Roman Jakowlew, a hybrid object combines a cushion and sleep mask to enable both a physical and symbolic form of withdrawal. The object acts as a counter-design to the logic of permanent availability, creating a protected space for retreat, recovery, and productive non-productivity. It is based on the idea that rest is not achieved through efficiency gains, but through deliberately allowed inefficiency. A gentle, even pressure on the forehead and skull has a calming effect and supports mental and physical relaxation through acupressure-like stimulation. At the same time, it signals non-availability to the outside while creating an insulated inner space free from external stimuli. HUG. functions as a quiet companion in everyday life, enabling intentional interruptions—during travel, between meetings, or in moments where no personal retreat space is available.

HUG, Roman Jakowlew

Project Team: Devin Can, Jonas Giese, Roman Jakowlew, Emil Navid Kirchgessner, Anna Kurfiß, Lotte Landgraf, Jan Schneider, Samuel Schön, Aranza Velasco Sanchez.

Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling
Assistance: Susanne Wieland

Bataille, Georges (1991) Die Aufhebung der Ökonomie [orig. La part maudite]. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

Han, Byung-Chul (2015) Müdigkeitsgesellschaft. Berlin: Matthes & Seitz.

Illich, Ivan (1973) Tools for Conviviality. London: Calder & Boyars.

Illich, I. (2014) Selbstbegrenzung. Eine politische Kritik der Technik. München: C.H. Beck.

Kim, Sojeong (2026): Reflexives UX-Design im Zeitalter der Beschleunigung: Eine Untersuchung zu Slow Technology und Intentionaler Reibung. Diplomarbeit, HfG Offenbach. Supervision: Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling

Rosa, Hartmut (2005) Beschleunigung – Die Veränderung der Zeitstrukturen in der Moderne. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

Rosa, Hartmut (2016) Beschleunigung und Entfremdung: Entwurf einer kritischen Theorie spätmoderner Zeitlichkeit. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp.

Weber, Max (1905): Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.

This perspective informed the development of an interactive prototype by Sherman Wright, developed as part of the seminar “Gegenentwürfe – Politiken des Designs” (Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling) at HfG Offenbach during the Summer Semester 2026. The project draws inspiration from Noemi Biasetton’s book SUPERSTORM (Biasseton 2024), which examines the profound transformations shaping contemporary societies and questions how we might understand and navigate an increasingly turbulent future.

At the center of SUPERSTORM lies the argument that current global challenges should not be understood as isolated crises. Climate change, artificial intelligence, economic restructuring, demographic shifts, geopolitical instability and social transformation are not separate phenomena unfolding independently. Rather, Biasetton argues that they interact, overlap, and reinforce one another, creating complex feedback loops that accelerate change and amplify uncertainty. The “superstorm” described in the book is therefore not a single event but a condition: a convergence of multiple systemic disruptions occurring simultaneously.

Wright’s interactive prototype translates this core thesis into an exploratory digital experience. Instead of presenting a fixed narrative, the prototype encourages participants to investigate relationships, dependencies, and cascading effects, making the systemic nature of contemporary challenges more visible and accessible.

As a form of design research, the project explores how interaction design can contribute to understanding complexity. As a form of science communication, it demonstrates how abstract concepts and large-scale societal dynamics can be translated into experiences that are intuitive, engaging, and open to interpretation. The prototype does not aim to simplify complexity into clear-cut answers; rather, it seeks to create a space in which complexity itself becomes a subject of reflection.

The project will be showcased at three exhibitions throughout the year.

Biasetton, Noemi (2024): Superstorm: Design and Politics in the Age of Information. Eindhoven: Onomatopee.

Contemporary urban environments are increasingly characterized by ecological fragmentation, high levels of surface sealing, and a reduction of accessible green space. Simultaneously, many urban residents experience a growing disconnection from processes of cultivation, seasonal transformation, and ecological care. In this context, experimental forms of urban greening have emerged that seek not only to improve biodiversity but also to renegotiate the relationship between inhabitants and the urban environment. The Zwischenraumgärten contribute to these debates by focusing on spaces that are commonly overlooked within urban planning and everyday perception. Rather than addressing large-scale infrastructural transformation, the project investigates the latent ecological and social capacities of residual spaces through modest and reversible interventions.

The term “Zwischenraum” refers to intermediate or in-between spaces that often remain functionally undefined and ecologically inactive. Such spaces may exist alongside circulation routes, adjacent to urban furniture, or within transitional campus environments. Precisely because they escape formal categorization, these areas provide opportunities for experimental forms of occupation and reinterpretation. The Zwischenraumgärten intervene within these contexts through planted containers that create temporary vegetative islands integrated into the existing urban fabric. The selected vegetation is adapted to local environmental conditions and specifically designed to support insect populations, thereby contributing to urban biodiversity on a micro-ecological scale. As the plants grow and change throughout the summer semester, the installations become dynamic environments that continuously transform in response to climatic conditions, biological processes and human interaction.

The project is currently implemented at several locations on the Offenbach campus, including Schlossplatz near the Ludo-Mayer fountain and areas adjacent to seating and bicycle infrastructure, as well as at the Höchst campus courtyard near the entrance. These placements are significant insofar as they emphasize transitional and circulation-oriented environments rather than conventional recreational green spaces. Through their presence in everyday pathways and institutional surroundings, the installations interrupt habitual spatial routines and introduce ecological processes into areas typically associated with functional urban infrastructure.

A central aspect of the project concerns the relationship between ecological activation and public participation. The Zwischenraumgärten are not conceived as conventional community gardens requiring organized collective labor. Instead, they encourage low-threshold forms of engagement that include observation, attentiveness, and occasional acts of care. Visitors are invited to notice changes in the vegetation, observe insect activity, and reflect on how the installations alter the atmosphere and perception of the surrounding environment. Through QR-code-based feedback mechanisms, the project additionally gathers qualitative responses concerning visibility, spatial effect, and emotional reception. Participants are encouraged to consider whether the gardens appear inviting, disruptive, aesthetically pleasing, or irritating, thereby framing the intervention not only as an ecological installation but also as an inquiry into urban perception and public sensibility.

The emphasis on observation as a mode of participation is particularly significant within contemporary discussions on participatory design and urban ecology. Rather than equating participation exclusively with active co-production, the project acknowledges forms of perceptual engagement and situational awareness as meaningful contributions to ecological culture. This approach expands the understanding of urban stewardship by recognizing that ecological sensitivity may emerge through subtle and everyday encounters with living systems. Even simple acts such as watering plants during periods of heat and drought become forms of shared responsibility that temporarily connect individuals to broader ecological processes.

The material and infrastructural design of the installations further reflects the project’s experimental and pragmatic orientation. Integrated water reservoirs with overflow systems enable sustained hydration over extended periods while minimizing maintenance requirements. Visitors are encouraged to water the plants directly at the soil level and to avoid cutting, removing, or discarding plant material. Notably, faded flowers and decaying plant structures are intentionally preserved because of their ecological relevance for insects and microfauna. In this regard, the project challenges dominant aesthetic conventions of urban maintenance that often prioritize visual order and cleanliness over ecological complexity and multispecies coexistence.

From a design-theoretical perspective, the Zwischenraumgärten may be understood as a form of spatial prototyping that investigates how small-scale interventions can reshape social and ecological relationships within the city. The project does not seek to produce permanent solutions or idealized urban landscapes. Instead, its temporary and experimental character allows it to function as an open-ended research apparatus that generates questions concerning care, accessibility, visibility, and environmental perception. Its significance lies less in measurable ecological output than in its capacity to alter the symbolic and experiential dimensions of urban space. By rendering ecological processes visible within overlooked environments, the project destabilizes conventional distinctions between designed urban infrastructure and living ecological systems.

The Zwischenraumgärten therefore contribute to broader discourses surrounding urban sustainability, participatory spatial practice, and ecological design research. They demonstrate how even minimal interventions can foster new forms of environmental engagement and collective awareness within highly regulated urban contexts. In doing so, the project suggests that ecological transformation in cities need not depend exclusively on large-scale planning initiatives but may also emerge through small, adaptive, and participatory acts of spatial activation. Funded through the Green Office Fund 2025, the project ultimately proposes a model of urban greening that foregrounds experimentation, accessibility, and ecological attentiveness as essential components of contemporary urban culture.

This project was funded by the Green Office Fund 2025.
More information and updates will be available here soon.

Die Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Offenbach ist eine Kunsthochschule des Landes Hessen in der eine zeitgenössische und zukunftsorientierte Lehre praktiziert wird, die durch einen vielfältigen Austausch zwischen den freien, den angewandten und den theoretischen Fachgebieten gekennzeichnet ist. Die HfG Offenbach hat zwei Fachbereiche – Kunst und Design – mit ca. 800 Studierenden und ca. 170 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern und besitzt das Promotionsrecht.

Im Fachbereich Design ist ab 1.7.2026 bis zum Projektende am 31.12.2028 die Stelle Teamassistenz w/m/d (bis E8 TV-H, 24 Stunden/Woche) zu besetzen.

Der Stelleninhaber / die Stelleninhaberin wird Aufgaben im Managementprojekt der BMBF-geförderten Innovationscommunity »Transformation by Design: Die zukunftsfähige Stadt gestalten« an der Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach a.M. übernehmen. Die Innovationscommunity initiiert nachhaltige, inklusive Projekte, die das unternehmerische, soziale und kulturelle Potenzial Offenbachs für eine gemeinsame Zukunftsperspektive zusammenbringen. Ausgehend von der Hochschule für Gestaltung, der Stadt Offenbach, der IHK Offenbach a.M. und des Vereins VAIR e.V. entwickelt die Community Transfer- und Innovationsprozesse in den Bereichen »Nachhaltige Gestaltung der Stadt«, »Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt« und »Innovationsfähigkeit«.

Weitere Informationen: www.bmbf.de/datipilot und https://sl1nk.com/uuehcd5

Die Aufgaben

1. Kommunikation

Unterstützung beim Aufbau und bei der Umsetzung von Social-Media-Aktivitäten
Pflege und Aktualisierung der Webseite
Erstellung von Content für digitale Kanäle
Fotografieren und Filmen einfacher Inhalte
Erstellung einfacher Grafiken und Layouts
Einfache Bildbearbeitung und Bildaufbereitung
Unterstützung beim Einholen und Dokumentieren von Bildrechten

2. Mitarbeit an Publikationen

Unterstützung bei Recherchen
Zuarbeit bei der Zusammenstellung von Text-, Bild- und Informationsmaterial
Unterstützung beim Einholen und Nachhalten von Bildrechten
Unterstützung bei redaktionellen und organisatorischen Arbeitsschritten

3. Unterstützung bei Veranstaltungen

Mithilfe bei der Vorbereitung, Durchführung und Nachbereitung von Events
Unterstützung bei organisatorischen Abläufen vor Ort
Dokumentation von Veranstaltungen durch Fotos oder kurze Videos

4. Unterstützung bei administrativen Aufgaben

Allgemeine organisatorische und administrative Zuarbeit
Pflege von Listen, Ablagen und Übersichten
Termin- und Materialkoordination
Kommunikation mit internen und externen Beteiligten auf Arbeitsebene

Profil

Abgeschlossene Berufsausbildung oder vergleichbare Qualifikation, idealerweise in den Bereichen Verwaltung, Büromanagement, Medien/ Kommunikation und Veranstaltungen.
Erwünscht: Sicherer Umgang mit gängigen Textverarbeitungsprogrammen; Grundkenntnisse in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator und InDesign; Verständnis für Bildformate, Dateiaufbereitung und einfache Layoutanforderungen; Grundkenntnisse im Umgang mit CMS wünschenswert, Erfahrung in der Erstellung von Inhalten für Webseite und Social-Media (Instagram), strukturierte Arbeitsweise, Teamfähigkeit, Serviceorientierung, interkulturelle Kommunikationsfähigkeit.

Für diese Stelle bietet die Hochschule die Gelegenheit, sich mit neuesten Entwicklungen in den Bereichen Transfer- und Innovationprozesse, Stadtentwicklung sowie transdisziplinäre Forschung in einem interdisziplinären Team zu beschäftigen, das unentgeltliche Landes Ticket Hessen nach Maßgabe des derzeit gültigen Tarifvertrages TV-H, flexible familienfreundliche Arbeitszeiten im Rahmen der Vertrauensarbeitszeit, mobiles Arbeiten.

Die Eingruppierung erfolgt je nach vorliegender Qualifikation max. bis Entgeltgruppe 8 TV-H.
Die Position ist befristet bis 31.12.2028 (Projektende).

Die Hochschule wertschätzt Vielfalt und begrüßen daher alle Bewerbungen – unabhängig von Geschlecht, Nationalität, ethnischer und sozialer Herkunft, Religion/Weltanschauung, Behinderung, Alter sowie sexueller Orientierung und Identität. Menschen mit Behinderungen im Sinne des § 2 Abs. 2 SGB IX werden bei gleicher Qualifikation bevorzugt berücksichtigt.

Die HfG Offenbach strebt eine Erhöhung des Anteils der Frauen in Verwaltung, Forschung und Lehre an und bittet deshalb qualifizierte Frauen nachdrücklich, sich zu bewerben.

This raises important questions for researchers, practitioners, and institutions alike: How can practice-based and practice-led research be further developed? What opportunities and challenges do doctoral candidates encounter when working at the intersection of academic inquiry, design practice, and artistic production? And what kinds of institutional structures are needed to support these forms of research in the future?

To address these questions and foster exchange among emerging and established researchers, the Department of Design at the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences will host a dedicated day for prospective doctoral candidates and current PhD researchers in design and the arts on 11 June 2026.

The event aims to create a platform for dialogue, networking, and critical reflection on the current state of doctoral education in design and the arts. Participants are warmly invited to join the discussions, share experiences, and contribute to a broader conversation about the future of doctoral research in creative disciplines.

Whether you are considering a doctorate, currently pursuing one, or are simply interested in the evolving landscape of research in design and the arts, this event offers a valuable opportunity to engage with peers and experts from across the field.

The organizers — Kirsten Wagner, Edith Kollath, Sarah Fyrguth (HfG Offenbach), and Jana Sehnert — look forward to welcoming participants and fostering inspiring conversations about the future of doctoral research in design and art.

Registration is not required. All interested participants are welcome to attend.

The day will feature a diverse programme of presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities, including:

Keynote Lecture
“Knowledge Politics in the Arts” by Marie Hoop

University Presentations
Insights into different models of practice-based and practice-led doctoral research.

Networking Initiative: design:promoviert
An opportunity to connect with researchers, doctoral candidates, and institutions engaged in design research.

Panel Discussion
A conversation on the current state, challenges, and future perspectives of doctoral education in design and the arts.

Research Project Insights
Presentations by doctoral candidates showcasing ongoing research projects from the fields of design and art.

11 June 2026
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences – Department of Design
Venue: Room R401

Speakers (alphabetical order)
Anna Dill
Christine Rafflenbeul
Dr. Kathrin Gollwitzer-Oh
Dr. Marie Hoop
Dr. Martin Reinhart
Dr. Sara Hillnhütter
Dr. Simon Meienberg
Harriet von Froreich
Jana Sehnert
Philipp Cartier
Prof. Dr. Anant Patel
Sarah Fyrguth

Involved Institutions/Universities (alphabetical order)
Die Angewandte Wien
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
design:promoviert
HfG Offenbach
HfK Bremen
HFBK Hamburg
HSBI (Hochschule Bielefeld)
KISD (Köln International School of Design)
Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Universität Leiden

Born in 1963 in the Netherlands, Hella Jongerius studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven, an institution widely recognized for fostering experimental and conceptual approaches to design. After graduating, she established Jongeriuslab in Rotterdam in 1993, marking the beginning of a career characterized by interdisciplinary exploration across textiles, ceramics, furniture, lighting, and spatial design. From the outset, Jongerius questioned the conventional hierarchy between handmade and industrially produced objects. Rather than privileging one over the other, her work investigates how the expressive qualities of craft can coexist with the efficiencies of industrial manufacturing. This inquiry has remained central throughout her career and has informed collaborations with internationally recognized companies such as Maharam, KLM, Camper, and Vitra. These partnerships demonstrate how her experimental methods can be translated into large-scale production while preserving individuality and material authenticity.

Whispering Things represents the first major retrospective to present the full breadth of Jongerius’s oeuvre, ranging from early student experiments to recent projects developed in collaboration with industry partners. A significant portion of the exhibition draws on the archive of Jongeriuslab, which has been under the stewardship of the Vitra Design Museum since 2024. By presenting sketches, prototypes, material tests, and finished products alongside one another, the exhibition foregrounds design as an iterative process rather than a linear progression toward a final object. This curatorial approach encourages viewers to consider the experimental nature of design practice and highlights the importance of failure, revision, and sustained inquiry.

One of the central themes emerging from the exhibition is Jongerius’s engagement with materiality. Her work demonstrates a sustained interest in the tactile and visual properties of materials, particularly ceramics and textiles. Surfaces are often intentionally irregular, revealing traces of manual intervention even within industrial contexts. This deliberate incorporation of variation challenges the modernist ideal of uniformity that historically dominated industrial production. Instead, Jongerius proposes an alternative aesthetic that values imperfection as a marker of authenticity and human presence. Such an approach aligns with broader contemporary debates on sustainability and longevity, emphasizing the emotional durability of objects as a counterpoint to disposable consumer culture.

Color constitutes another defining element of Jongerius’s practice, and the exhibition dedicates significant attention to her research into chromatic systems. Rather than treating color as a decorative afterthought, Jongerius approaches it as a structural and communicative component of design. Her layered color palettes often result from extensive experimentation with dyes, pigments, and weaving techniques. Through subtle shifts in tone and texture, she explores how color influences perception, spatial experience, and emotional response. In this context, color becomes a medium through which objects acquire identity and narrative depth.

The title Whispering Things encapsulates the exhibition’s underlying premise: objects possess the capacity to communicate through their material presence, construction, and use. The exhibition runs until September 9.

Hella Jongerius: Whispering Things © Vitra Design Museum Graphic Design: Joost Grootens based on the work Falling Vases Paintings by Hella Jongerius.

Germany has long been one of the international hubs for far-right fashion. Today, this segment is characterized by a range of self-designations such as “German Nordic Brands,” “Northern European textile labels,” “Viking lifestyle,” or clothing for “conservatives and patriots.” While brands, products, and online stores based in small towns and rural areas continue to expand, far-right influencers on social media are simultaneously producing and circulating new stylistic codes and visual identities. The establishment of explicitly far-right fashion labels is a growing trend.

This development raises pressing questions: How do far-right fashion systems produce and circulate power, cultural violence, aggression, and hate? What kinds of political and economic networks emerge within this field? And how are aesthetics mobilized to normalize or amplify extremist ideologies? The lecture addresses these issues by presenting current research findings from the FWF-funded project “Fashion and the Far Right” at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Elke Gaugele is an empirical cultural scholar and professor of Fashion and Styles / Design in Context at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Her research and publications develop a postcolonial and intersectional feminist approach to fashion studies. This perspective examines the interconnections between aesthetics, ethics, global and social justice, and politics. She currently leads the research project “Fashion and the Far Right: The New Complexity in Style,” funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (2023–2026).

The guest lecture (in german) is par of the lecture series “fashion is …”.

Prof. Dr. Elke Gaugele: Fashion und Faschismus
Monday 8.Juni 2026, 16:30 Uhr
Isenburger Schloss, 1. OG (Lehrgebiet Mode)

Rituals like the Corpus Christi procession are not only expressions of belief; they are also frameworks of collective memory. Their strength lies in repetition. The fact that they recur in nearly identical forms year after year creates a sense of continuity that transcends individual lifetimes. In a world where change is often the dominant experience, such stability can feel grounding.

Fixed forms – whether in religious rituals, social customs or even everyday routines – serve as cognitive and emotional anchors. They reduce complexity by providing recognizable patterns of action. Participants do not need to reinterpret meaning from scratch each time; instead, meaning is embedded in the structure itself. But these forms are not static. Over centuries, even the most traditional processions have adapted to changing urban environments, social expectations and cultural sensitivities. What appears timeless is often the result of continuous subtle transformation.

The tension between continuity and change raises a broader question: how much structure does a society need in order to remain coherent? Too little form can lead to fragmentation and disorientation. Too much form, on the other hand, risks rigidity and exclusion.

This dilemma is not limited to religious practice. It extends to architecture, design, social institutions and even digital life. In many ways, we are constantly negotiating between fixed structures and flexible adaptation.

Ritual follws function? Function follows Ritual?

The famous design principle “Form follows Function” (Sullivan, 1896) often associated with modern architecture, expresses this negotiation in a condensed way. It suggests that the shape of things should emerge from their purpose. Yet in contemporary culture, the relationship between form and function has become more complex. Forms can develop their own meaning, independent of their original function, and sometimes even reshape that function in return.

In a fast-moving world shaped by constant connectivity and rapid innovation, structured forms may not be disappearing – they may simply be changing their appearance. Digital routines, from daily notifications to algorithmically curated feeds, are also forms of repetition. They structure attention and behavior, often more subtly than traditional rituals.

Seen in this light, the question is not whether we still need forms and routines, but which forms we allow to shape us. Rituals like Corpus Christi processions make this visible in a physical, shared space. They remind us that meaning is not only communicated through content, but also through structure, rhythm, and repetition.

Probably, the enduring relevance of fixed forms lies in their ability to hold together continuity and change. They stabilize experience without freezing it. They allow societies to remember, while still evolving. This ongoing balance between structure and openness (cf. Kreutzer, 2022) is also at the heart of current debates in design theory.

Against this background, today’s radio program on HR1 turns precisely to these questions. In a special broadcast, the station explores the relevance of form in contemporary culture. Among the guests is Tom Bieling, who joins moderator Klaus Hofmeister to discuss whether the principle “Form follows Function” still holds true in today’s complex cultural and technological landscape.

To continue this (short) conversation in different contexts and formats promises to extend the reflection beyond ritual and tradition into the broader field of design – asking, in essence, how much form we still need, and what kind of functions we expect it to serve.

https://www.ardsounds.de/episode/urn:ard:episode:8f96838cde037d73/

Kreutzer, Markus (2022): Visions of Openness – The Diverse Perspectives on Openness for Designing Open Systems. In: DESIGNABILITIES Design Research Journal, (09) 2022. https://tinyurl.com/29ywp5bv ISSN 2511-6274

Sullivan, L.H. (1896): The tall office building artistically considered. Lippincott’s Magazine, 57, pp. 403–409.

Interview Link (starts at min 23.): https://www.ardsounds.de/episode/urn:ard:episode:8f96838cde037d73/

Das politische Plakat entstand in einer Zeit, in der Massenmedien noch begrenzt waren und öffentliche Sichtbarkeit eine zentrale Voraussetzung politischer Teilhabe darstellte. Wahlplakate sollten informieren, überzeugen und Orientierung bieten. Häufig standen politische Programme, gesellschaftliche Ziele oder weltanschauliche Positionen im Mittelpunkt. Im Laufe des 20. Jahrhunderts veränderten sich jedoch die Kommunikationsformen der Politik grundlegend. Mit der Professionalisierung politischer Kampagnen, dem Aufstieg der Werbung und dem wachsenden Einfluss visueller Medien rückten zunehmend die Verdichtung von Botschaften und die Inszenierung von Personen in den Vordergrund.

An die Stelle ausführlicher politischer Argumentationen traten prägnante Slogans, die Aufmerksamkeit erzeugen und Wiedererkennung schaffen sollten. Zugleich wandelte sich die Darstellung politischer Akteur:innen: Wo einst die Partei und ihr Programm repräsentiert wurden, rückte immer stärker das einzelne, um Wähler:innenstimmen werbende Individuum ins Zentrum. Das Wahlplakat wurde damit nicht nur zum Informationsträger, sondern auch zur Bühne politischer Selbstdarstellung.

Janeckes Vortrag zeichnet diese Entwicklung anhand ausgewählter Beispiele nach und ordnet sie in größere kultur- und mediengeschichtliche Zusammenhänge ein. Dabei wird deutlich, dass sich am Wahlplakat weit mehr ablesen lässt als die Gestaltungstrends seiner Zeit. Es spiegelt Veränderungen politischer Kommunikation, gesellschaftlicher Erwartungen und demokratischer Öffentlichkeit wider. Die Frage, wie Politik sichtbar gemacht wird und welche Rolle Gestaltung dabei spielt, führt unmittelbar zu grundsätzlichen Überlegungen über das Politische selbst.

Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Christian Janecke im Rahmen der World Design Capital (WDC)
3. Juni 2026, 10:30 Uhr
Museum Angewandte Kunst
Frankfurt

Der Vortrag bewegt sich an der Schnittstelle von ökofeministischen, neu-materialistischen sowie post- und dekolonialen Medientheorien und verbindet diese theoretischen Perspektiven mit künstlerischen Praktiken, die sich dem Kompost als Denkfigur und Erfahrungsraum annähern. Dabei wird Kompost als eine Form des „Mit-Werdens“ verstanden, die technokratische und extraktivistische Ressourcenlogiken unterläuft und stattdessen Prozesse des Verflechtens, der Transformation und des gegenseitigen Hervorbringens in den Mittelpunkt rückt.

Anhand ausgewählter künstlerischer Positionen zeigt Kronberger, wie Kompostierung nicht nur als ökologische Praxis, sondern auch als ästhetische und epistemische Methode lesbar wird. Besonders im Fokus stehen dabei Formen tiefensensorischer Wahrnehmung: das Erleben von Materialität, Zerfall und Transformation als körperlich-ästhetische Erfahrung, die neue Formen des Denkens und Fühlens ermöglicht.

In dieser Perspektive wird Kompost zu einem Medium, durch das sich eine bio-egalitäre Ethik der Sorge abzeichnet – eine Ethik, die menschliches Leben und Sterben nicht isoliert betrachtet, sondern als unauflöslich in mehr-als-menschliche Kreisläufe der Erde eingebettet versteht. So wird das Verhältnis von Mensch, Umwelt und Materialität nicht als Trennung, sondern als kontinuierliche Verflechtung erfahrbar gemacht.

Der Gastvortrag findet am 01.06.2026 umd 14:00 Uhr im Rahmen des Seminars „Sympoietic Design – Koexistenz entwerfen“ (Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling & Susanne Wieland) an der HfG Offenbach statt.

Im Zentrum stehen Fragen nach Stimme, Atmosphäre und Teilhabe. Wie verändert gemeinsames Singen die Wahrnehmung eines Ortes? Welche Formen von Begegnung und Gemeinschaft können durch kollektives Hören und Klingen entstehen? Der Weidenpavillon wird dabei nicht nur zum Veranstaltungsort, sondern selbst zum aktiven Teil des Settings – als gewachsene, offene Struktur zwischen Architektur, Landschaft und sozialem Experiment.

Die Veranstaltung ist bewusst niedrigschwellig angelegt. Musikalische Vorkenntnisse oder performative Ansprüche spielen keine Rolle; vielmehr geht es um das gemeinsame Erleben von Klang, Körperlichkeit und öffentlichem Raum. Das offene Format versteht sich als Einladung zur Teilnahme und zum Mitgestalten.

Der Weidenpavillon entstand im Rahmen von WDC 2026 und wurde von Greta Maldener, Johann Rambow sowie dem Kollektiv „Hada – Werkstatt für Gemeinwohl“ realisiert. Die erst Ende April fertiggestellte Struktur bildet mit ihrer lebendigen Weidenarchitektur einen besonderen Resonanzraum für die Veranstaltung – zu einem Zeitpunkt, an dem bereits die ersten Knospen austreiben und Wachstum unmittelbar sichtbar wird.

Die Veranstaltung findet im Rahmen der Offenbacher Kunstansichten statt. Die Teilnahme ist kostenlos und offen für alle – unabhängig von Alter, Erfahrung oder musikalischem Hintergrund. Das Projekt “Singen als Soziale Praxis” wird als freies Vorhaben bei Prof. Peter Eckart und Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling an der HfG Offenbach bearbeitet.

The focus of the research lies on spontaneous urban ecosystems and ruderal vegetation developing in sidewalk cracks, wall crevices, and other interstitial urban spaces (Wieland 2026). Through long-term observation, empirical case studies, and design-based interventions, the project explores how ecological processes of appropriation and transformation emerge, and what implications these have for future design practices. Methodologically, the work combines approaches from design research, urban ecology, and anthropology, drawing in particular on discourses of more-than-human design and multispecies coexistence.

On the 3rd of June, Wieland conducts a Fieldtrip/Workshop and invites students (or others who are interested), to perceive the HfG campus as a living environment. Together, participate will dedicate themselves to observing the living beings that use and shape the campus alongside us. From plants and insects to spontaneous vegetation, as well as birds and mammals, the group will investigate who and what lives in, on, and around the site. Using magnifying glasses, microscopes, and binoculars, the fieldtrip will document and analyze traces, habitats, and relationships between different living beings and human-made infrastructure.

The focus will be on observation, exchange, and discussion: Which life forms share this space? How do they make use of the artificial environment? How can artistic and design practices respond to urban ecological actors? In doing so, reference will be made to discourses such as “more-than-human” and “multispecies thinking,” as shaped by thinkers such as Donna Haraway and Anna Tsing.

The workshop is understood as an open approach to questions of biodiversity, ecological entanglement, and their significance for artistic and design practice. The workshop is funded by the green.office.fonds.

“Fields of Coexistence”
Workshop and Fieldtrip

3rd June 2026, 2–5 pm
Main Building, Room 312
Registration via Susanne Wieland: wieland(at)hfg-offenbach.de

The Workshop is limited to 8 participants.

Wieland, Susanne (2026): Pavement Cracks as Gateways to More-than-Human Urban Communities. In Bieling, T., Jonas, W., Loschiavo Santos, M. C. (Eds.), Community (&) Design: Material, Spatial, And Social Encounters, S. 220–221. Mimesis International.

Agenda

Luís Miguel Santos Vaz
O Domínio Web como Artefacto de Design de Identidade: Uma Proposta Epistemológica

Otávio Henrique Gitirana Neves
Character Design and Depression in Videogames: Clinical Data and Fictionalization Processes

Joana André Martins Domingues
A Reconfiguração Ontológica do Designer: Agência Projetual, Consciência Crítica e Condições de Sustentação na Cocriação com IA Generativa

Susana Maria Ribeiro Lopes Farinha
O Design de Comunicação como Mediador entre Território e Comunidade: A Construção da Marca Beira Baixa e o seu Papel na Valorização e Sustentabilidade Regionais

The OPEN DAY is open to students, researchers, and all those interested in contemporary design research and interdisciplinary approaches within the field.

Location: Sala 2.08 FAL/UBI + Zoom
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/93761676050?pwd=Vk2slICFygbJq7zjqfOlCRNkOpGqLb.1

At the center of the event are Play the System. Approaches in Graphic Design, edited by Heike Grebin and published by Slanted Publisher, and Karl Gerstner: Der Traum vom Absoluten by Jonas Deuter, published by Verlag Kettler.

Digital tools, algorithms, and systems increasingly influence not only the visual outcome of design, but the creative process itself. In many contemporary practices, designers are no longer defining every single detail directly; instead, they create the frameworks, rules, and parameters through which design can emerge.

© 2026 Troppo Design (Plakat) & Vornholt, Bähner, Trogisch (Fotos)

Both books approach this shift from different perspectives. Play the System (which also includes Tom Bieling) examines selected examples from design history and education to show how changing individual parameters can lead to a wide range of outcomes, opening space for variation, experimentation, and unexpected results. Karl Gerstner: Der Traum vom Absoluten looks at Gerstner’s design methodologies and their ongoing relevance for contemporary artistic and design practices, focusing on his ambition to rationalize and systematize the design process.

The discussion will be moderated by Tom Bieling (HfG Offenbach), bringing the perspectives of Heike Grebin and Jonas Deuter into dialogue.

The event starts at 6:30 pm. Admission is free, and drinks will be available at the book bar from 6 pm onwards.

www.play-the-system.xyz
www.klingspor-museum.de

With the novel “Musils Mulis” (König 2021), the edited volume “Design & Democracy” (BIRD / Birkhäuser 2021), and the collection of essays “Im Schatten von Design” (Bauwelt Fundamente / Birkhäuser 2021), three books were published in the year, Erlhoff passed away (2021). His absence is still deeply felt, yet reading his work can offer partial consolation. His writings deal not only with the joyful aspects of design, but also with its deviant, daring, and dark sides.

In the Shadow of Design

Design is by no means always good, and it certainly does not always do good. Like, presumably, all of us, it also has its dark sides. In his book “Im Schatten von Design – Zur dunklen Seite der Gestaltung” (Birkhäuser 2021), published shortly before his death, Erlhoff draws attention to weapons, execution devices, National Socialism, and the designers associated with them. The book is structured into six main themes, each consisting of short, concise essay collections.

In the opening lines of the chapter “Perfect Design”, Erlhoff outlines the basic criteria for “good” and “successful” design, immediately followed by an example that is striking in its implications: in a 1999 American television documentary, Fred A. Leuchter proudly presented a technical object he had designed, evaluated according to the criteria Erlhoff describes. The object in question is the electric chair. It operates quickly and precisely and, most importantly, ensures a “comfortable” execution for its users. Leuchter, seemingly a master in his field, had already been involved years earlier in the redesign of gas chambers. He later gained notoriety as a Holocaust denier.

In the chapter “Aestheticization and Normalization of Everyday Life”, Erlhoff explains how many Bauhaus members, including Herbert Bayer, Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, and many other designers, actively worked for the National Socialist regime. After the Second World War, none of them faced consequences. Things were ignored and forgotten, and even when legal action was taken, as in the case of Fritz Ertl—who was involved in the construction and expansion of concentration camps—the charges were simply dropped. This was likely due not least to the success of the “Bauhaus” brand.

Erlhoff demonstrates that design does not only have beautiful sides, as seen in branding, fashion, graphic design, and architecture. It also harbors dark dimensions in its shadow: war, terrorism, fascism, and much more. The book is essential reading for teachers, students, designers, and anyone interested in understanding the broad spectrum in which designers operate – even if not always in the service of “the good.”

Use instead of own

When Erlhoff published his programmatic book “Nutzen statt Besitzen” (“Use Instead of Owning”) in 1995, it was a plea for a different, more rational form of economy and coexistence – economically, ecologically, and socially. The idea was simple yet far-reaching: things do not need to belong to us in order to serve us; shared use can make us richer than private ownership. Thirty years later, much of what once sounded visionary has become lived reality: car sharing, bike rental systems, co-working spaces, streaming services. Yet at the same time, it has become clear that the ideal of sharing has itself long since turned into a business model – with all its contradictions and darker sides.

Thirty years after the original publication and in the twentieth year of its existence, BIRD (Board of International Research in Design), of which Erlhoff was a co-founder, has republished the text – now expanded with contemporary perspectives on the topic. Twenty new essays by authors from design, theory, art, philosophy, mobility research, and cultural studies critically, thoughtfully, and forward-looking continue the central idea. This is not a nostalgic retrospective, but a vibrant, experimental space for thinking about how we want to deal with objects, resources, and knowledge in a globalized, digital world.

Wolfgang Jonas, who introduces the new edition, describes the development precisely: the idea of “use instead of owning” is more relevant than ever today, but at the same time infinitely more complex. Sharing is no longer a pure counter-model to ownership; rather, it is often itself an expression of consumerist logic – one that can be ecologically and socially problematic and highly product-intensive. Jonas proposes updating Erlhoff’s approach: making it critical of economic systems of exploitation, situating it within technological and societal transformations, and bold enough to imagine new forms of the common good, the commons, and immaterial forms of ownership.

The polyphony of contributions is no coincidence but reflects BIRD’s self-understanding as an “undisciplined” research context. Practice, theory, and speculation meet on equal footing. The essays argue, narrate, experiment, and contradict one another – and precisely through this emerges a rich, tension-filled discourse showing that the question “use or own?” today extends far beyond economic or ecological categories. It touches on our understanding of ourselves as social, technical, and political beings.

Contributors include Tom Bieling, Uta Brandes, Katharina Bredies, Rosan Chow, Michelle Christensen, Florian Conradi, Peter Eckart, Meret Ernst, Köbi Gantenbein, Simon Grand, Angela Grosso Ciponte, Harald Gründl, Saskia Hebert, Wolfgang Jonas, Simon Küffer, Eileen Mandir, Ralf Michel, Hans-Ulrich Reck, Stephan Rammler, Evelyne Roth, Erik Spiekermann, Peter Stephan, Kai Vöckler, Thomas Wagner, and Tina Weisser.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

Michael Erlhoff leaves behind a legacy that is less about objects and more about how we understand design itself — its reach, its responsibility and its blind spots. One of his most influential contributions (together with Uta Brandes) was the idea of non-intentional design: the recognition that not only deliberately designed products shape our world, but also systems, behaviors, infrastructures, and social arrangements that were never consciously “designed” as such—yet still profoundly affect how we live. This perspective helped shift design discourse toward accountability for the unintended and the implicit.

As a long-time educator and co-founder of the Köln International School of Design (KISD), he also helped shape generations of designers who were encouraged to think critically, interdisciplinarily and socially. In this sense, Erlhoff’s legacy is a widening of responsibility. It is a reminder that design does not begin with intention and does not end with use. It continues in interpretation, in unintended effects, and in the structures that quietly shape behavior. What remains is a way of thinking: attentive, critical, and open to the uncomfortable insight that even what is not “designed” still demands design awareness.

The Festschrift “DaDa Erlhoff: About The Man Who Knew Too Much”, edited by Maziar Rezai and Simon Meienberg in memory of Prof. Dr. Michael Erlhoff was published in 2022. The booklet, which contains contributions by Wolfgang Jonas, Tom Bieling, Dustin Jessen, Simon Meienberg, Claudia Saar, Birgit Mager, Maziar Rezai, Veselina Koleva, Angelia Knyazeva, Michelle Christensen, Florian Conradi, Stefan Schmidt, Jan Zurwellen and DESIGNABILITIES, is also available as a preview PDF.

The part on Erlhoffs "Im Schatten von Design" is basically a translated version of Ilgün, Burca (2022): Zur dunklen Seite der Gestaltung | Buchbesprechung. In: DESIGNABILITIES Design Research Journal, (05) 2022. https://tinyurl.com/2a622kfj ISSN 2511-6274

Within this context, the field of international urbanism has gained growing importance. It seeks to understand cities as interconnected systems shaped by cultural exchange, power relations, and collaborative practices across borders. Rather than transferring planning models from one region to another, contemporary international urbanism emphasises mutual learning and context-sensitive solutions. The edited volume Contact Zones – Reflecting on International Urbanism engages with these questions by exploring how cities function as spaces of encounter, negotiation, and transformation in an increasingly globalised world.

The book, edited by Astrid Ley and Josefine Fokdal, offers a reflective and practice-oriented exploration of contemporary international urbanism, and brings together academic reflections, project experiences, and institutional histories to examine how cities are shaped through global interconnections, social diversity and collaborative planning processes.

At the core of the book lies the concept of “urban contact zones”, which frames cities as spaces where diverse cultures, interests and power structures meet, interact and negotiate shared urban futures. The editors align with the now widely accepted assumption that urban development cannot be understood solely as the design of physical space, but must instead be seen as an ongoing social and political process involving multiple actors, including residents, planners, governments, and informal networks. The notion of contact zones highlights the importance of acknowledging conflict, inequality, and negotiation as inherent elements of urban life rather than exceptions.

One of the strengths of the book is its critical reflection on the evolution of international urbanism as a discipline. Earlier approaches, particularly in the mid-20th century, often treated cities in the Global South as sites for exporting Western planning knowledge. This volume challenges that legacy and promotes a more reciprocal understanding of knowledge exchange. Cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are presented not only as places facing rapid urbanisation and infrastructural challenges but also as laboratories of innovation, where flexible and community-driven solutions emerge under resource constraints. The authors suggest that these contexts offer valuable lessons for cities worldwide, including those in Europe.

The first section looks back at the historical development of international urbanism, particularly at the University of Stuttgart, tracing its transformation from early development-oriented planning to a more critical and globally connected discipline. The second section forms the core of the book and presents thematic explorations of current urban challenges, including housing and informal settlements, migration and translocality, community resilience, global policy frameworks, co-production in urban planning, and the role of social infrastructure in shaping quality of life. These chapters are grounded in real-world case studies from diverse locations such as Cairo, Beijing, Windhoek, Lusaka, and Stuttgart, offering a comparative perspective that connects global and local realities. The final section looks forward, presenting dialogues on the future of international urbanism and reflecting on emerging priorities such as sustainability, inclusivity, and participatory governance.

The book positions international urbanism as an inherently interdisciplinary field that connects spatial design with governance, social processes and global policy frameworks. It argues that cities today cannot be planned through rigid masterplans alone; instead, they require flexible, collaborative, and context-sensitive approaches. The emphasis on co-production—where planners and residents work together—emerges as a key theme throughout the volume.

Astrid Ley & Josefine Fokdal (Eds.) (2025):
Urban contact zones – Reflecting on international urbanism.
Bielefeld: transcript Verlag. 212 pages, 45 EUR
ISBN: 978-3-8376-7632-7

Im Rahmen der gemeinsamen Projektkollaboration ist das Lehrgebiet Designtheorie (HfG Offenbach) mit dem Projekt SPEAK UP vertreten, welches den Rundgang begleiten wird. Ausgangspunkt von SPEAK UP ist Rainald Manthes These, dass der Demokratie zunehmend Orte abhandenkommen, an denen gesellschaftlicher Dialog stattfinden kann. Gerade in Zeiten zunehmender gesellschaftlicher Spannungen braucht es Räume, die Dialog und Meinungsvielfalt sichtbar machen. SPEAK UP bringt das Prinzip der offenen Rede dorthin, wo Dialog oft fehlt. Als mobile Speakers’ Corner, schafft das Projekt eine niedrigschwellige Möglichkeit, öffentlich Position zu beziehen und zuzuhören. Es ist einfach handhabbar, lässt sich im Handumdrehen auf- und abbauen und ist dennoch stabil.

SPEAK UP entstand im Rahmen des Seminars “Pro und Contra – Design als Debatte” im Sommersemster 2025 an der HfG Offenbach mit David Martin Maurer-Laube, Zachary Mentzos, Devin Can, Hannah Heruday, Simon Schmidt-Meinzer, Paul Berger, Mia Schreiber, Clara Maldener, Susanne Wieland (Assistenz) und Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling (Projektleitung).

Links: turbo type, rechts: SPEAK UP (Maurer-Laube/Mentzos/Bieling 2026).

Das WDC Projekt »Places of Democracy« möchte Orten der Demokratie in Offenbach durch Kunstwerke und Gestaltungsobjekte Sichtbarkeit verleihen. Die Orte wurden durch einen Open Call an die Bürger:innen Offenbachs im Jahr 2025 ermittelt. Im zweiten Schritt bewarben sich Kunst- und Designschaffende mit einem Projektvorschlag zum Thema Demokratie. Orte und Ideen wurden kuratiert, auf Umsetzbarkeit geprüft und nun ist es soweit. Die Kunstwerke wurden installiert oder entstanden partizipativ mit Bürgerinnen und Bürgern. Ab dem 28. Mai sind sie im öffentlichen Raum sichtbar. Stadtwalks, Workshops und vertiefende Veranstaltungen rahmen das Projekt.

Die Kooperation des Lehrgebiets Designtheorie mit dem Klingspor Museum und dem Haus für Stadtgeschichte Offenbach erfolgt im Zuge der Seminare “Demokratie als Raum”, “Gegenentwürfe – Politken des Designs” und “Sympoietic Design – Koexistenz entwerfen” (Bieling / SoSe 2026)..

Places of Democracy / Orte der Demokratie
Eröffnungsrundgang
Donnerstag, 28. Mai, 18 Uhr
Eintritt frei
Treffpunkt: Haus der Stadtgeschichte

Gefördert durch: World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain, Sparkassen Kulturstiftung Offenbach, Demokratie Leben, Agentur Mitte Offenbach.

Kooperationspartner: Rudolf-Koch Schule, Stadtteilbüro Mathildenviertel, Freiwilligenzentrum Offenbach, Bürgerbüro Offenbach, HFG Offenbach (Lehrgebiet Designtheorie), IHK, Frauenbüro Offenbach, Lernwerkstatt Offenbach.

Maurer-Laube, David Martin, Zachary Mentzos, Tom Bieling (2026): SPEAK UP – Exploring Open Dialogue Spaces as Tools for Democratic Community Empowerment. in Bieling, Tom, Jonas, Wolfgang & Loschiavo dos Santos, Maria Cecilia (Eds.) (2026):  Community (&) Design: – Material, Spatial, and Social Encounters. Design Meanings. Milano: Mimesis International, pp. 232–233.

Agenda

Ema Mariana Pereira de Paula
Touch-feeling: Perceção Sensorial e Transformações da Materialidade na Prática do Design

Júlia Nardin
Touch-feeling: Texturas Líquidas e Design: Aceitação da Ausência da Harmonia no Material e na Perceção e Experiência do Utilizador

Gabriel Canavarro dos Santos
Teaching Without Taking Control: Onboarding Techniques in Mobile Free-to-Play Games

João Pedro Ferreira Santos
Jogar para Aprender: O Potencial Aplicado da Gamificação na Educação para a Literacia Digital

Mariana dos Santos Barbas
A Ilustração no Âmbito do Design Editorial: Um Instrumento de Ativismo e de Intervenção Social no Contexto da Imprensa Portuguesa Após o 25 de Abril (1974–2025)

Sérgio Manuel da Silva Pinto
Design e Espiritualidade: A influência do Designer na Cultura Material

The OPEN DAY is open to students, researchers, and all those interested in contemporary design research and interdisciplinary approaches within the field.

Location: Sala 2.08 FAL/UBI + Zoom
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/93761676050?pwd=Vk2slICFygbJq7zjqfOlCRNkOpGqLb.1

Im Zentrum der Arbeit steht die Frage, welche Rolle natürliche Prozesse innerhalb gestalterischer Entscheidungen spielen können und sollten. Dabei wird davon ausgegangen, dass Gestaltung nicht ausschließlich auf menschliche Bedürfnisse ausgerichtet sein muss. Stattdessen wird sie als Teil eines Geflechts verstanden, in dem auch ökologische und materielle Prozesse wirksam sind. Diese Perspektive eröffnet die Möglichkeit, Natur nicht nur als Ressource oder Hintergrund, sondern als aktiven Faktor innerhalb gestalterischer Prozesse zu begreifen.

Vor diesem Hintergrund werden mehrere Leitfragen entwickelt: Wie kann Design heute ein verantwortungsbewusstes Verhältnis zur Natur aufbauen? Welche neuen Möglichkeiten entstehen, wenn Natur in Gestaltungsprozessen als mitwirkende Instanz betrachtet wird? Und welche Bedeutung haben dabei unterschiedliche Formen des Handelns – von aktivem Eingreifen über fürsorgliche Begleitung bis hin zum bewussten Unterlassen?

Die Arbeit setzt sich dabei auch mit historischen und aktuellen Vorstellungen vom Verhältnis des Menschen zur Natur auseinander. Es werden unter anderem Ideen der Naturbeherrschung, kulturelle Deutungen von Natur sowie gesellschaftliche Vorstellungen von Ordnung und Kontrolle untersucht.
Ergänzend wird das Projekt „Zwischenraumgarten“als praktischer Teil der Untersuchung herangezogen. Dieses von der HfG geförderte Vorhaben bietet eine niedrigschwellige Möglichkeit, sich gestalterisch mit ökologischen Fragen auseinanderzusetzen. Die entstehenden Zwischenraumgärten dienen dabei als experimentelle Orte, an denen unterschiedliche Formen des Zusammenspiels von Gestaltung und ökologischen Prozessen erprobt und beobachtet werden können.

Am 18.5. laden Simon Hanke und Tom Bieling zum Vortrags-Spaziergang mit Projektbegehung im Schlosshof der HfG Offenbach. Treffpunkt 14 Uhr, Raum 312. Eine Veranstaltung im Rahmen des Seminars “Sympoietic Design – Koexistenz entwerfen”, SoSe 2026 (Designtheorie, Bieling).

Die Masterarbeit wird betreut von Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling. Das Projekt “Zwischenraumgarten”, betreut von Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling und Susanne Wieland erfolgt als “freies Projekt” an der HfG Offenbach (2026). Es geht geht zurück auf ein, im Zuge des Projektes “Nutzen statt Besitzen” (Bieling, WiSe 24/25) entwickeltes Konzept und wird gefördert vom green.office.fondes der HfG.