Image above: view from Milan’s Fondazione Prada onto the urban development area of Porta Romana and the European Alps, 2024, Jan Eckert.
Re-Negotiating Space is a series of panel discussions and exhibitions that will launch in May 2025 as part of the Hazard Festival in Lugano. Other stations include the Swissnex Space in Osaka, Japan, a planned collaboration with the Kornhaus in Bern in 2025, and a series of events as part of the World Design Capital 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Re-Negotiating Space proposes a new understanding of space as a shared resource between humans and nature in the context of the Anthropocene. The aim is to develop sustainable design strategies that take into account the planetary perspective and translate into concrete actions within planetary and social boundaries. To this end, design and democracy will be combined to shape processes of redesigning urban or conceptual spaces as an inclusive democratic dialogue that also takes into account non-human actors.
The following approaches will be followed:
- Planetary advocacy: in each discussion, an expert will take on the role of ‘planetary advocate’ to represent the interests of nature and ecosystems;
- Technology integration/data visualisation: sensors and IoT devices can be used to visualise data in real time and make the ‘voice’ of the planet visible.
- Artistic interventions: artists are invited to represent the non-human perspective.
- Socio-cultural dimension: Acceptance and participation in the transformation of public spaces is highly dependent on socio-cultural factors, which will be actively included in our dialogue.
- Spatial dimension (landscape/urban): In Switzerland in particular, the use of space is strictly regulated. Conversions and redesigns therefore require an active dialogue with authorities and experts.
Re-Negotiating Space involves collaborations with the Japanese collective For-Cities, the Swiss-based association Xocolat, the Bachelor of Spatial Design at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and the German photographer Lukas Einsele and his initiative Kultur einer Digitalstadt.