A SEAT AT THE TABLE!
Designing Spaces of Assembly and Participation
Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
28 – 29 January 2025
How can rural and urban spaces – both physical and virtual – be envisioned to cultivate democratic communities? How can we embody democracy spatially? Interdisciplinary students from Berlin International explore the principles of democratic design, asking who designs, for whom, and how we can ensure that spaces and places are accessible, inclusive and representative of diverse voices.
© Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Exhibition Opening: Tuesday, 28.01.2025; 18:30
Accompanying Programme: Wednesday, 29.01.2025, 12:00–21:00
Task
The semester-long studio engages with this subject through a multidisciplinary approach – combining graphic design, architecture, and interior architecture – and collaborates with Berlin-based organisations and local initiatives that represent marginalised groups, including both human and non-human communities.
These initiatives share their knowledge and real-world insights, serving as mentors throughout the semester. Building on their experiences and the students’ own field research, they will create spaces for assembly and dialogue, as well as communication campaigns that help shape the future of living together in more democratic ways.
The exhibition A Seat at the Table! – curated by the students and prepared during a workshop week at Aedes – showcases the students’ final projects, including design proposals, artifacts, research outcomes and graphic materials, and is accompanied by a programme of lectures, workshops and guided tours.
Programme
EXHIBITION OPENING, 28.01.25, 18:30
Welcome
Dr. h.c. Kristin Feireiss, Director, Aedes, Berlin
Dunya Bouchi, Managing Director, Aedes Metropolitan Laboratory, Berlin
Prof. Yüksel Pöğün‐Zander, PhD, President of Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Introduction
Project supervisors: Prof. Lukas Staudinger, Jeannette Riedel, Barbora Demovič, Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Curatorial team: Anastasia Shalagaeva, Anna Zolenko, Monica Bronowicz, Shany Dang, Svea Miola, Vasilii Kachanov, Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Guided tours by the design teams
Inclusion in Rural Areas: Alina Vorozhtsova, Carsten Spielmann, Gloria Miljkovic, Leen Al Shemaly, Svetlana Koroleva, Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Sex Workers in Dialogue: Lily Hardy, Anna Orsolya Domokos, Emmanuela Akaba, Celina Cruz Huayhua, Mariia Kotik, Andrada Balutoiu, Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Migration, Diaspora and a Right to Stay: Veronica Melissari, Bassey Aycik, Diana Gabriela Stancu, Fabian-Marian Pantelimon, Zehra Nur Ergüven, Ilgin Ünsal, Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Shaping Your Own City: Heiða María Ásgeirsdóttir, Lára Björt Jóhannesdóttir, Micaeel Saleem Khan, Lynn Kler, Julia Cortezze Nagahama, Maria Melo, Hanna Lili Kovari, Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
Non-Human Perspectives and Cohabitation: Ekaterina Vorobeva, Kateryna Tovstyha, Oana Petrescu, Leonie Marieke Todd, Andrei-Teodor Popa, Berlin International University of Applied Sciences
followed by an art auction, DJ set and drinks
ACCOMPANYING CURATORIAL PROGRAMME, 29.01.25, 12:00–21:00
For the second and final day of the exhibition, the students have curated an accompaying programme featuring various 30-minute sessions, including lectures and workshops. These sessions will explore themes of inclusivity, empowerment, sustainability and coexistence.
Stay updated on the programme on Instagram: @aseatatthetable.exhibition
What if..
”We could design spaces that foster and sustain democratic values and inclusive communities?
Studio Coordinators
Prof. Lukas Staudinger, Jeannette Riedel, Barbora Demovič
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 Metropolitan Laboratory, curated by the students and prepared during a workshop week at Aedes.
A Seat at the Table! is a collaboration between Berlin International University of Applied Sciences, Aedes Metropolitan Labaoratory and Democracy Next. Students from graphic design, architecture, and interior design have partnered with social initiatives based in Berlin and Brandenburg to design inclusive spaces for assembly and participation, addressing the real-world needs of these organisations. This interdisciplinary project was conceived and supervised by Prof. Lukas Staudinger, Jeannette Riedel and Barbora Demovič.
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Photos © Orhan Kolukisa
