Workspace in Progress: Exhibition at MAKK

The Museum of Applied Arts Cologne presents Workspace in Progress, an exhibition by Stefan Diez, Matylda Krzykowski, students of the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Wagner Living, which negotiates our future working world - from the perspective of a new generation.

by Kathrin Spohr, 10/13/2021

The question of how and where the office will take place in the future has been a debate perennial since Corona - but mostly among professionals. But how do those who are just starting out in their careers see the working world of tomorrow? Workspace in Progress looks into this. A project initiated by Stefan Diez with students from the Industrial Design1 department at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and curated by Matylda Krzykowski. The works will be on display at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Cologne until the end of October.

How will we work tomorrow?
Over the course of two semesters and in the midst of the Corona Lockdown, students explored current and future forms of work. While one semester focused on the current influences on the world of work in terms of technological, economic and social changes, the next semester dealt with the production methods of the resulting projects in terms of a future-oriented circular economy. This aspect is also extremely important to Stefan Diez in his own professional practice.

Concrete Possibility Spaces
Those who now expect completely utopian visions are mistaken. The show brings together 17 projects, mostly furniture, but also lighting and communication concepts - and most of them are surprisingly concrete, directly usable product solutions. Stets by Alexander Allroggen is a good example: a stackable chair that is not only particularly mobile due to its lightness, but also offers a second sitting or leaning position when folded. This makes it possible to hold a meeting comfortably at modern high tables, for example.

Transformable office furniture
With Folded sheet of paper Karin Markowski has created an adaptive table solution, ideal for small offices: two opposing work tables connected by partitions. When the two table surfaces are pulled apart, the partitions unfold to form an additional table surface and Folded sheet of paper becomes a conference table. With the Nesting sofa, Steven Dahlinger questions a work culture of constant availability and fading boundaries between work and non-work: the back and side rests can be folded upwards, turning them into partitions and creating a personal retreat.

Magic Tapestry by Laura Dominici is a portable personal "room" that unfolds cross-legged into a workspace with a home-like atmosphere.

Good mood at the workplace
Armin Muhamedagic has created another kind of private zone: his Moodbuster is a sound-insulated, tube-like "device" on the wall that you can yell into from time to time to effectively transform moods, i.e. to reduce aggression at work. Laura Dominici's project could provide a fantastic mood for cross-legged fans. Magic Tapestry is inspired by the flying carpet that can land anywhere: A wooden tray with a hand-woven rug attached to it becomes a portable work/seat combo, giving you a homey feel no matter where you roll it out.

Denkraum by Anatol Stelzhammer is a tubular room partition system made of translucent fabric that creates a separated space, yet connected to the room.

Suitable for small spaces
Many of the projects on display are about action: folding, folding, pulling, pushing, rolling, moving, shouting. If you put all these concepts together in one office - you would have something to do all the time! According to Matylda Krzykowski, "Through the actions, expected and perceived challenges such as remote working, lack of movement, the limitation of space, or lack of privacy become apparent." In this way, many of the concepts presented have a dual benefit. They are transformable to be used in small or hybrid spaces.

Allergic Reactions
The exhibition presents only a selection of the projects created. Some could not be shown because they lacked the appropriate format to communicate them in a museum. "It wasn't necessarily about an industrial product or its feasibility," Diez says. "Many students even developed a kind of allergic reaction to the topic, preferring not to do anything concrete at all. I find that exciting, too! And that's what I'd like to work on in the future: How can you make such thoughts, projects visible?"

Professional support
The student works exhibited at MAKK already look extremely professional. The furniture manufacturer Wagner Living accompanied the project and supported the students in the development of their prototypes. In addition, the exhibition architecture - large, lined-up boxes made of black cardboard that can be reused - is based on the new D2 furniture system that Stefan Diez is currently developing with Wagner Living. An elegant solution that gives space to each individual concept in its own box. And so the entire exhibition in the MAKK's large hall develops into a workspace in progress. For in another area, the Munich designer and Wagner Living present the concept for the D2 furniture system planned in aluminum - and explain how it fits into a sustainable circular economy.

The exhibition will be digitally transmitted from the museum to social media and can thus also be experienced "remotely". The resulting video footage will be compiled into a film afterwards, documenting the results in the long term.

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