WORKSPACE IN PROGRESS
How work affects life

6.th to 31th October 2021
MAKK – Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln

Between self-image, fulfillment of existence and livelihood: With the exhibition project "WORKSPACE IN PROGRESS" and under the direction of designer and professor Stefan Diez and the team of the department Industrial Design1 of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, students of ID1 question the meanings and challenges of work from the perspective of a generation. Over a period of two semesters, projects were created that question our understanding of work. In addition to examining technological, economic and social changes, the students also dealt with the implications of possible modes of production in a future-oriented circular economy. Initiated by Stefan Diez and curated by Matylda Krzykowski, the works will be presented for the first time at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln from October 6 - 31, 2021, in parallel with a digital program, and will be discussed on site in Cologne and via live stream during a talk event on October 5.

A depot of furniture, lights, clothing, video, devices, and systems forms the center of the discussion: for example, "Moodbooster" by Armin Muhamedagic is an immersive work in the form of a closed silicone ring that conveys a feeling of isolation through smell, sound, vibration, and darkness when the face is pressed into it. Steven Dahlinger developed "Nesting," a modular piece of furniture that folds up into a sofa and unfolds into a personal retreat. With this work, he developed a space within a space that questions today's work environments - a culture of constant availability and dwindling boundaries between work and non-work - and rethinks it as a product. Laura Dominici also ties in with this: Workplaces are changing, and physical presence in a defined place is becoming less important. Work takes place wherever one logs into a laptop - and gives rise to entirely new definitions of spatiality. Her project "Magic Tapestry" is a soft, hand-woven carpet that has an integrated wooden panel that, when placed on the lap, becomes a tabletop.

The "magic" combination of rug and table creates a defined space for work and allows for tactile experiences in an increasingly digital work environment. "Talktile" by Madeleine K. Wieser addresses the relationship between proximity and distance from the perspective of remote work: people working separately from each other in home offices and in globally distributed teams, without a shared, physical office. Isolation and lack of communication can be the consequences. "Talktile" is an organically shaped product with a tactile surface, integrated microphone as well as loudspeaker that conveys the feeling of togetherness despite distance. The interactive object enables spontaneous conversations with colleagues - a shared, tangible moment of interaction that makes communication beyond the digital possible.

With works by students of the Industrial Design1 department of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Mona Abusamra, Alexander Allroggen, Ludwig Bachmann, Steven Dahlinger, Anton Defant, Laura Dominici, Jasmit Hof, Alice Klarwein, Karin Markowski, Armin Muhamedagic, Jakob Niemann, Kerstin Pfleger, Philipp Pranzl, Camilla Ruh, Anatol Stelzhammer and Madeleine K. Wieser. 

An exhibition with performance character: From October in Cologne and in virtual spheres

"WORKSPACE IN PROGRESS" will be on view at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Cologne from 06 - 31 October 2021. Curated by Matylda Krzykowski, the students' individual projects will be activated "in the sense of props on a stage through performances." "Through the actions, expected and perceived challenges such as remote working, lack of movement, the limitation of space or lack of privacy become evident," says Matylda Krzykowski. The exhibition will be digitally broadcast from the museum to social media, making it possible to experience it "remotely." The resulting video material will subsequently be compiled into a film that will document the results in the long term.

Initiated by Stefan Diez and curated by Matylda Krzykowski, "WORKSPACE IN PROGRESS" is planned by Lina Fischer (DIEZOFFICE) and graphically realized by Bureau Borsche. The work was created with the support and coordination of the entire team of ID1. (Elisabeth Wildling, Katrin Sailer, Christian Steiner, Christian Ruschitzka, Jakob Ilera, Christoph van Berg, Marcus Bruckmann, Peter Mahlknecht, Doris Grossi, Ursula Klein and Sofia Podreka). The video production is created in collaboration with Daniel van Hauten, IGTV and Instagram Live broadcasts by the @angewandte_id team. The project could be realized in collaboration with and valuable support from WAGNER-LIVING, Augsburg - including the use of the D2 furniture system in the exhibition design. "WORKSPACE IN PROGRESS" is realized in cooperation with MAKK - Museum of Applied Arts Cologne.

Opening & Talk

October 5, 2021, 7 pm.

Part of the opening is a roundtable discussion on the thematic focus of the exhibition: in addition to an examination of technological, economic and social changes in our working worlds, the exhibition addresses the implications of possible modes of production in a future-oriented circular economy.

The panelists are: Stefan Diez (designer, professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and initiator of the exhibition), Matylda Krzykowski (curator of the exhibition), Madeleine K. Wieser (designer and exhibitor), Claudia Allonas (founder and CEO of upstream). It will be moderated by René Spitz (professor at the Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln, design critic and author).

The analog talk in the Overstolzensaal is already fully booked. Due to the pandemic, the number of participants is limited to 99. 

Stream the talk on Instagram: @angewandte_id.

MAKK - Museum of Applied Arts Colognen
www.makk.de