Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt

Adler, Orden, Wahlurne. Redesigning Democratic Representation

A ballot box, a heraldic animal, an order of merit: three objects that play a surprisingly significant role in the everyday life of our democracy—yet are rarely given much thought. This is precisely where the exhibition *Adler, Orden, Wahlurne. Redesigning Democratic Representation* (Eagle, Order, Ballot Box) comes in. It invites visitors to take a fresh look at familiar symbols of our democratic polity and to ask whether they still align with our contemporary understanding of democracy.

Design and architecture have always helped make societal concepts visible and open to debate. However, rather than relying on grand, monumental gestures—as was often the case historically—or conversely exhausting themselves in niche projects, the research and design project *Re-De-Re* pursues a third, more understated approach: a design-led exploration of specific, tangible objects of democratic representation.

Three of these objects take center stage in the exhibition. The ballot box—in many municipalities, still nothing more than a simple trash can repurposed for the task; practical, certainly, but hardly befitting the solemnity of the act of voting. The Federal Eagle, whose symbolic significance as a bird of prey dates back to an era long before democracy. And the Federal Cross of Merit, used by the state to honor civic engagement, yet bearing a design heavily influenced by Christian symbolism and, above all, military tradition. Drawing on these three examples, designers have developed new concepts that are more contemporary and inclusive in their thinking.

*Re-De-Re* is also a research project: for three years, the team has accompanied politicians in their day-to-day parliamentary work to understand how representation functions on a granular level. The design perspective focuses on the sensory and material aspects of this work, while the political science perspective examines power dynamics and procedures that are less tangible. Observation and design constantly inform one another—a process that transforms the resulting objects into a bridge connecting members of parliament, researchers, and visitors.

The exhibition showcases works and perspectives by international designers, including Rozbeh Asmani, Maciej Chmara & Anna Rosinke, Esra Gülmen, Juan Guse, Jianping He, Nadine Kolodziey, and Ingo Offermanns. It aims to demonstrate that democracy is not merely administered but also shaped, and invites everyone to engage with this shaping process together.

Re-De-Re (Redesigning Democratic Representation) is a collaborative project between the University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HFBK) and the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.

Curator: Friedrich von Borries

Exhibition Design: Friedrich von Borries and Philipp Cartier

Exhibition Graphics: Gihong “Kiki” Park

Academic Team: Sven T. Siefken, Friedrich von Borries, Juliane Baruck, Philipp Cartier

Participating Artists and Designers:

Rozbeh Asmani, Uri Barnea, Moritz Bendl, Nehora Chajes, Maciej Chmara, Kadijatou Dahaba, Neta Magda Dror, Petra Esveld, Caine Förster, Agata Germain, Gestaltungszentrale Politik, Santiago Gomez, Esra Gülmen, Juan Guse, Jianping He, Jarek Kozakiewicz, Nadine Kolodziey, Pauli Muszi, Itay Noy, Ingo Offermanns, Krzysztof Oleksiak, Stanislaw Orlowski, Daniel Afriyie Owusu, Oxa, Haim Parzon, Peter Post, Emma Rahe, Anja Rosinke, Kaj Schlicht