Kompaktkurs Designmethoden, 2 ECTS, 2 SWS, 5 places
Prof. Dr. Gesche Joost, Prof. Dr. Hagit Keysar, Prof. Dr. Shaul Setter, Prof. Dr. Gal Hertz

Locations, Dates & Time: Essen, Sep 16th–18th — visiting Manifesta 16

IMPORTANT: this course takes place both in Berlin and Manifesta 16 biennale in Ruhrgebiet, Germany. Students need to organize their own transportation to and accommodation in (or around) Essen, Germany

Registration: please send an email to 

Critical reflective journey focusing on democracy, local communities and our contribution as designers and artists.

Manifesta 16 centers on the transformation of abandoned, post-war churches in the Ruhr area into spaces for art, dialogue, and community use, using the question “This is not a church: what can it become?” to explore how spaces built for shared beliefs can be reimagined as inclusive environments for connection and renewal when communities decline or fragment. The compact course builds on this hope by bringing together Palestinian, Jewish-Israeli, and German art and design students and faculty from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design and Berlin University of the Arts to discuss pedagogy and critique during these difficult times.

We will examine the concept of community, emphasizing that while it creates belonging, it can also enforce exclusion, silence dissent, and reinforce power structures. The course focuses on the question of sanctuary, exploring who receives shelter and protection, and what occurs when civic institutions collapse or turn hostile. This investigation happens at a time when liberal democratic frameworks face sustained assaults through authoritarian rhetoric, police violence against protesters, and shrinking public spaces that narrow the opportunities for critique.

The course encourages students to explore and develop methods for practicing critical discourse and sustaining capacity for dissent, complexity, and the protection of suppressed voices and bodies while maintaining hope. What are the institutions and counter-institutions, forms of democratic interventions, and creative practices available in times where democracy is under pressure?