Teaching

READING & SITE VISITS & EXPLORATION

Subject of the course is the interdependence of design with locality, materiality and social relations. We will focus on Trier as an example to examine the interdependence of the history and future of design which takes place IRL.
Why ceramics, why art deco, which is the next bottle for Riesling, where do we see Ungers, who rebuilt the famous castles, what is so special about Gothic type in Germany?
One typical way to understand locality and difference in design is to look into history and culture. We will take as well into consideration: built environment, natural and human geography, natural and human resources, industry and mobility.
We will study and learn by a combination of class-room meetings and field trips.
The course is taught in English. Everyone, also students from Trier, is welcome who wants to gain an intercultural and international perspective on the wider region.
Meetings will be held Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays according to topics and locations.

POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITS FOR DESIGN IN A SOCIAL CONTEXT

Sustainability is not a new challenge for design tasks. For example, 50 years ago, the German beverage industry agreed on a standard bottle to make the handling of returnable packaging more economical. The pearl bottle selected by Kupetz at that time is now a trademark of German industrial design and stands for a successful model of a sustainable industry solution. Nevertheless, the fountain unit bottle is now being replaced by PET and branded bottles. Who or what is more sustainable is difficult to judge. What is certain is that the consumption of water from bottles has increased enormously, even though this drink also comes directly from the tap into the kitchen.

In interdisciplinary teaching, I would like to encourage reflection and discussion on how the claim of sustainability can be confronted in the different contexts and working methods of our department. What criteria, what standards and what visions do we have? A historical and sociological introduction to the topic provides the basis and orientation for an analysis of design tasks in the future. In practical projects, we can practice the implementation on current tasks of the economy or from the public sector.

STANDARDS AND PRACTICE IN THE MUSEUM

All disciplines of the Design Department have a link to the field of exhibition, cultural heritage and museum, whether in spatial or virtual scenography, in museum and event communication or in conservation, restoration and new construction. As preparation for team solutions and for the independent processing of subtasks, it is helpful to become fundamentally familiar with the institution of the museum. Different demands and conventions compete with each other, mostly culturally and nationally influenced, often unspoken. Sometimes, discussions about museums ignite a wider social debate, as is currently the case with the Humboldt Forum in Berlin: How can we decolonise our cultural houses?
I myself have learnt as a speaker in cultural-historical exhibitions and as an assistant curator from A = loan to N = nuit blanche to Z = zinc bite. As a historian, I deal with the ethical, scientific and practical challenges of object handling, digitalisation and staging.