STYLEPARK WAGNER LIVING
New Work with a System

"The focus of attention of 'Workspace in Progress' is the relationship of a young generation to the subject of work. The designs address the current conditions of the working environment, such as creativity, adaptability and flexibility, and the associated technological, economic and social challenges," says curator Matylda Krzykowski. Together with Wagner, Prof. Stefan Diez, the students of the Industrial Design class at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Lina Fischer (Diez Office), filmmaker Daniel van Hauten and Mirko Borsche from Bureau Borsche, she has put together a hybrid show that can be read as both a status quo and a look into the future of New Work. Stefan Diez's students have developed a variety of furniture, systems, fashion, lighting and equipment as part of the project: Laura Dominici, for example, creates "Magic Tapestry", a flexible workstation that combines desk and carpet and serves in parallel as a wall object. With "Nesting", Steven Dahlinger shows a sofa whose headboard can be formed into a protective structure, and Alice Klarwein has designed a modular structure with "Performing Stages" that functions as a flexible workplace as well as a shelf.

Wagner provides the basis for the exhibits with the flexible "D2" exhibition system by Stefan Diez: thanks to a construction kit of honeycomb panels made of cardboard or aluminium, as well as profiles and connectors, a modular complete set-up in lightweight construction can be plugged together, which can be individually adapted to the structure of the respective rooms with the help of a configurator. For "Workspace in Progress", the "D2" system from Wagner forms as much a depot for presentations as two zoom boxes as a studio for video calls. In addition to an excerpt of the many possible applications of the flexible furniture system, Wagner will be showing "D2" by Stefan Diez, a prime example of how production decisions and material selection in design can lead to a sustainable solution. In addition to the students' work, visitors therefore have the opportunity to examine the "D2" system in detail, from the assembled shelf to the individual parts, from the separate honeycomb panels to the granulate.

The opening of the exhibition "Workspace in Progress" will be accompanied by a live talk on 5 October from 7 pm, which will be broadcast in parallel on the Instagram channel of the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Moderated by Dr. René Spitz, the discussions will include curator Matylda Krzykowski, designer Stefan Diez and graduate Madeleine K. Wieser, who dedicated her master's thesis to the topic "Circular Design Guide for the Use of Plastic in Furniture". (am)

Workspace in Progress
6 - 31 October 2021

MAKK - Museum of Applied Arts Cologne
An der Rechtsschule 7
50667 Cologne