Vienna Design Week

GUEST WDC 2026

WDC 2026 is GUEST at the Vienna Design Week 2025!

 "Frankfurt RheinMain has been named World Design Capital 2026 – an internationally visible recognition of how design can contribute to a future worth living, far beyond questions of aesthetics. Around 2,000 events in 2026 will show, both across the Frankfurt RheinMain region and internationally, how diverse and democratic design can be in all areas of life – from participatory urban projects to expert conferences and inspiring formats for public debate, as well as vibrant street festivals and other highlights all centred on design." — Barbara Lersch, Programme Director, World Design Capital 2026

Our programme:

The WDC stand, designed by studio formagora – one of our WDC projects – is located right in the heart of the festival hub.
Here you’ll find talks, workshops, a reading corner and other WDC projects from the Frankfurt RheinMain region. They showcase how design can strengthen our communities and democracy – with interactive activities to try out and think further!

We’re also bringing a piece of the region: the Offenbach Archive by studio pari-pari with their project STADTSTEMPEL. Come by, join in and discuss with us at our Drinks for Democracy format.

The construction fence – booth concept by studio formagora

Looking forward – das Morgen gemeinsam gestalten! But who gets to make decisions in design processes today?

In our society, decision-making power is closely linked to ownership: those who own a lot get to decide a lot. Those who own little get to decide little.

We chose the construction fence as the guiding theme for our exhibition. A fence encloses – and excludes. It stands for exclusion from use as well as from participation.

But in a world of scarce resources, we must learn to share: spaces, infrastructure, materials. For us, design therefore means involving as many people as possible.

Ready-made

We continue the tradition of the ready-made: the appropriation and transformation of what already exists.

Today's designers no longer find an untouched world, but one that has already been exhausted. The task is not to start with a blank sheet, but to design from what already exists – to nurture, preserve and transform.

From limitation to encounter

Fences mark boundaries. We use them to create encounters.

In workshops, we transform used construction fences into seating furniture. This creates a space that brings people together.

Daily programme

Friday 26.09.

16:00 – 17:00 Uhr
Impuls & talk with studio formagora & Barbara Lersch

17:00 – 20:00 Uhr
Drinks for Democracy

Saturday 27.09.

13:00 – 15:00 &
16:00 – 19:00
Workshop with studio formagora

15:00 – 16:00
Impuls & talk with Kai Linke & Barbara Lersch

Ab 17:00
Drinks for Democracy

Sunday 28.09.

13:00 – 18:00
Workshop with studio formagora

18:00 – 20:00
Drinks for Democracy

Friday 03.10.

17:00 – 18:00
Project STADTSTEMPEL & World Design Capital 2026
Speaker: Lena Schrieb (studio pari–pari), Marina Kampka (studio pari–pari), Moderation: Kai Rosenstein (WDC 2026)

18:00 – 20:00
Drinks for Democracy

Saturday 04.10.

17:00 – 18:00
Impuls & talk „Design Tools for Democracy“
Speaker: Harald Gründl (Institute of Design Research Vienna), Amelie Klein (Curator and design critic) & Kai Rosenstein (WDC 2026)

18:00 – 20:00
Drinks for Democracy