Designing for Berlin. Design from the Academy of Art Berlin-Weißensee
From 16 April 2026 to 22 February 2027, the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge will be hosting the exhibition “Designing for Berlin. Design from the Berlin-Weißensee Academy of Art”. The exhibition brings together works from the fields of product design and graphic design.
Curated by Silke Ihden-Rothkirch and Florentine Nadolni, the exhibition focuses on the question of what it means to study design nowadays, how design education has developed, and what role it plays today.
Design Education in Transition
Founded in 1946, the university is closely linked to Berlin’s history following the Second World War. As an institution for applied arts, it addressed the challenges of everyday life from an early stage. Disciplines such as painting, graphic design, fashion, ceramics and industrial design were conceived in relation to architecture and the built environment. Modernist designers such as Herbert Hirche, Mart Stam and Selman Selmanagić left a lasting mark; their teaching approaches—interdisciplinary, practical and collaborative—continue to influence the field to this day.
From the Classroom to the City
The exhibition demonstrates the profound impact the work of students, lecturers and graduates has on everyday life in Berlin: from posters and wayfinding systems to issues of mobility and architecture. It is conceived as an exploration of eight decades of design practice whilst also focusing on current challenges. Against a backdrop of social and environmental change, it highlights the importance of design, culture and education for a sustainable city.
