dESIGN12+ #5: Design research at the faculty

Every semester, our professors report on their past research and practical semester in our dESIGN12+ lecture series.

On November 8, we start with Prof. Dr. Ralf Bohn (Media Studies), Prof. Oliver Langbein (Scenography) and Prof. Martin Middelhauve (Object and Spatial Design).

Ralf Bohn will talk about "The carousel as a scenic medium of an economy of fraud and deception. A research contribution to the question of the psycho-physical stabilization of sensory performance and sense genesis."

Abstract: The aim is to present the surpassing of human sensory performance through media and machine effects on the affects of inferiority (pathologies) caused by exchange, deception, fraud and swindling (part 1 of the investigation), to derive from this a circulating economy of labile stabilization (adaptation and orientation between certainty and interpretation; metaphor of the carousel) - from the relationship between man and the world in relation to the self. The motto of the historical and discursive investigations is: "Thinking is a makeshift when the ability to perceive fails." (Henry Bergson)

Oliver Langbein reports on the current status of his research and practical project, which began in the winter semester of 2022, in his article "It will always go on Music as a carrier of ideas*": Investigations and projects on the topic of "Electronic music as a media vessel for the publication of scenographic projects". The project combines his work in teaching and research in the field of scenography with his passion for electronic music, which began in 1987 as a singer in the EBM duo "Tribantura" and took a new direction as a solo artist in 2015 with mostly instrumental compositions. While the analytical comparison of the distribution channels of the late 1980s with the current situation is still delaying the release of the new double album "Architecture // Scenography" by his music project "OSA - Orchestra for Sustainable Atmosphere", the return to teaching has already taken place several times. In addition to two music video workshops as part of the excursions to the Art Biennale (2022) and the Architecture Biennale (2023) in Venice, an IDP on music videos took place in the summer semester of 2023. In the current winter semester, a seminar on the same topic will take place in the Master of Scenography and Communication. Feedback and discussion on the lecture is expressly requested! (* Kraftwerk: song text excerpt from "Techno Pop")

With "The Exhibition Explorer",Martin Middelhauve will provide initial insights into his research project for the summer semester 2023: a sorted hunt and collection of current exhibition design between Oberhausen and Venice with the aim of creating a keyworded database in which students and lecturers can research the photographic documentation of exhibitions. Typography, light, color, immersion, context, series, hanging, mediation, labeling ... the list of keywords grows into a jungle that describes a jungle. A journey with an open end and a branching route. The project is specifically designed as an applied tool for teaching, it is aimed directly at the students and is intended to create an overview and insight that can hardly be achieved through your own visits to exhibitions and internet research. Both initial examples of use and a selection of meaningful finds are shown. In this project in progress, input and feedback are a desired result of the lecture and exchange.

Every semester, our professors report from their past research and practical semesters in our lecture series dESIGN12+.

On November 8th, we start with Prof. Dr. Ralf Bohn (Media Studies), Prof. Oliver Langbein, and Prof. Martin Middelhauve (Object and Space Design).

Ralf Bohn will discuss "The Carousel as a Scenic Medium of an Economy of Dizziness and Deception. A Research Contribution to the Question of the Psycho-physical Stabilization of sense performance and sense genesis."

Abstract: The aim is to examine the overbidding of human sense performance caused by exchange, deception, dizziness, and vertigo through media and machine effects on the affects of inferiority (pathologies) to be presented (part 1 of the investigation), to derive from this a circulating economy of unstable stabilization (adaptation and orientation between certainty and interpretation; metaphor of the merry-go-round) - from the relation of man and world in the ego-relation. The motto of the historical and discursive investigations is: 'Thinking is a makeshift when the perceptive faculty fails. (Henry Bergson)

Oliver Langbein reports in his talk, "It will always go on. Music as a Carrier of Ideas*" about the current status of his research and practice project, which began in the winter semester of 2022: Investigations and Projects on 'Electronic Music as a Media Vessel for the Publication of Scenographic Projects'. The project combines his teaching and research activities in scenography with his passion for electronic music, which started in 1987 as a singer of the EBM duo 'Tribantura' and took a new direction as a solo artist in 2015 with primarily instrumental compositions. While the analytical comparison of the distribution channels of the late 80s with the current situation still somewhat delays the release of the new double album 'Architecture // Scenography' of his music project 'OSA - Orchestra for Sustainable Atmosphere,' the reflux into teaching already took place several times. In addition to two music video workshops as part of the excursions to the Art Biennale (2022) and the Architecture Biennale (2023) in Venice, an IDP course on music videos has already taken place in the summer semester of 2023. In the current winter semester, a seminar in the Master Scenography and Communication will take place on the same topic. Feedback and discussion on the lecture are highly requested! (* Kraftwerk: song lyrics excerpt from "Techno Pop")

Martin Middelhauve will show first glimpses of his research project of the past summer semester 2023 with"The Exhibition Explorer," a sorted hunting and collecting of current exhibition design between Oberhausen and Venice to create a keyworded database where students and teachers can explore the photographic documentation of exhibitions. Typography, light, color, immersion, context, series, hanging, mediation, labeling ... the list of keywords grows into a jungle describing a jungle-a journey with an open end and a branching route. The project is specifically designed as an applied tool for teaching; it is aimed directly at the students and is intended to create an overview and insight that can hardly be produced by their visits to exhibitions and internet research. Initial examples of use, as well as a selection of meaningful finds, will be shown. In this project in progress, input and response are the desired outcomes of lecture and exchange.