Working on Democracy

Ausstellung der AR-Arbeiten

How can democracy be made visible in public space—at places where it has been strengthened or threatened in the past, and where it will continue to be negotiated in the future? And who owns the digital public realm at a time when our shared digital spaces are increasingly shaped by commercial interests?

These are the questions at the heart of Working on Democracy, a project that brings together democratic education, artistic practice and digital technologies. Through a series of workshops, local residents, students and artists explore issues such as disinformation, technology, extremism, inequality, economic power structures and climate change.

Based on this collaborative process, students develop site-specific augmented reality (AR) interventions and digital sculptures. These works are accessible through a parallel web-based AR platform, designed to be easy to use without requiring a dedicated app. Each intervention is linked to a specific location with historical, contemporary or future relevance to democracy. In doing so, familiar places gain new layers of meaning, revealing stories, perspectives and knowledge that often remain invisible.

Digital space has become an integral part of public life. Yet while companies increasingly use digital extensions of the city for commercial purposes, citizens are rarely involved in shaping this emerging public realm.

Working on Democracy therefore asks: Who owns the digital public space? By opening up digital urban environments for civic participation, the project creates a form of digital urban whispering—a non-commercial layer of communication embedded in the city that encourages exchange, encounter and discussion, free from advertising and commercial influence.

In the long term, a series of AR walks will connect existing and future installations into a route that offers an alternative vision for the digital public realm beyond commercialisation.

The AR works presented as part of the HfG Rundgang offer a glimpse into the project's current stage of development. Working on Democracy will continue beyond the exhibition, with the interventions remaining accessible at their respective locations across the city.

Participating students: Rosa Victoria Ahlers, Jakob Dettinger, Madleen Gomeringer, Guymin Lee and Zhichang Wang.

Opening hours 10 – 12 July 2026

• Fri: 17:00 – 22:00
• Sat: 14:00 – midnight
• Sun: 14:00 – 22:00