2051 (Everything Turned Out Rather Well)
Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
27 – 28 January 2026
Imagine it’s 2051, and everything has turned out rather well. Ecological collapse, social fragmentation, political polarisation – the defining crises of the early 21st century are now distant memories. We inhabit a world we once only dared to imagine. But how did we get here?
© Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Exhibition Opening: Tues., 27.01.2026; 18:00
Accompanying Programme: Wednesday, 28.01.2026, from 12:00
Task
Through the method of backcasting, students from the Interdisciplinary Design Project at Berlin International look backward from a utopian 2051 to uncover the seeds planted in 2026 that made these futures possible. From the Landwehrkanal to the A100 highway, from Warschauer Brücke to Westhafen and the Alte Försterei Stadium – departing from five specific sites in Berlin – the scenarios are deeply rooted in local communities, real actions and interdisciplinary collaboration.
At a time when imagining the future is often overshadowed by forecasting catastrophe, this exhibition reflects on the political and cultural agency of hope – and on dreaming as an act of rebellion.
The semester-long studio explores these ideas through a multidisciplinary approach, combining graphic design, architecture and interior architecture. 2051 (Everything Turned Out Rather Well) – curated by the students and developed during a workshop week at Aedes – presents the students’ final projects. The installation was conceived to integrate the concluding Lab Talk in the Aedes programme Democratic Design – Space for Cooperation, Collaboration and Compromise on Democratic Education.
Programme
Tuesday, 27 January 2026
18:00: Doors open
18:30: Welcome words by Dunya Bouchi, Prof. Yüksel Pöğün‐Zander, Prof. Lukas Staudinger, Barbora Demovič, Jeannette Riedel and the students’ curatorial team.
19:00 Informal guided tours by the interdisciplinary design teams
Opening Party with drinks + DJ Set
Wednesday, 28 January 2026
12:00–17:30: Exhibition open to the public, guided tours, performances
18:30: Lab Talk Democratic Design – #4 Democratic Education
Updates on the program will be published via Instagram @2051_etorw
The project team of 2051 (Everything Turned Out Rather Well) is looking forward to welcoming you!
Aïda Chraibi, Amira Djemli, Andrius Prilepskij, Asya Halise Yilmaz, Chiara Clarissa Bausch, David Moldovan, Dominika Jaszowska, Dominykas Kriauza, Ekaterina Kim, Elena Kilchitskaya, Elizabete Celombitko, Era Merovci, Erika Kitabayashi, Faraz Khalid Syed Mohammed, Ferzan Dokumacı, Gunnhildur Karen Bridde, Hanul Yim, Ieva Sitkauskaite, Jada Cazabon-Dyer, Kalina Todorova, Katherine Feldmann, Klea Celmanaj, Laman Gasimova, Laura Smektalska, Luna Newman, Maya Kappler, Oriana Winiarski, Paula Gispert Pijuan, Rūdolfs Kirhners, Sena Naib Yassin, Sophia Mcnamara, Sveinn Eyfjörð Svanþórsson
About Berlin International
Founded in 2014, Berlin International is the youngest and only school of architecture and design in Berlin to operate entirely in English. The programmes emphasise critical reflection, close supervision and practical learning. Each autumn term, fifth-semester students from the Bachelor programmes in Architecture, Graphic Design and Visual Communication, as well as Interior Architecture/Interior Design, collaborate in mixed teams on interdisciplinary design projects. Since 2023, these courses have culminated in an exhibition at the Aedes, curated by the students and prepared during a workshop week at Aedes.
2025 (Everything turned out rather well) is a collaboration between Berlin International University of Applied Sciences and Aedes.This interdisciplinary project by students from the Faculty of Architecture and Design was conceived and supervised by Prof. Lukas Staudinger (Architecture), Jeannette Riedel (Interior Architecture), and Barbora Demovič (Graphic Design and Visual Communication).
