Form Follows Friendship
German Design Council, diplomatisches Netzwerk des Königreichs der Niederlande
Form Follows Friendship is a binational design programme within the framework of WDC 2026. The project pairs 6 German-Dutch design newcomers into fixed duos, who collaborate over several months on projects addressing social, economic, and cultural challenges.
The programme emphasizes cross-border collaboration as a creative practice. The duos develop projects that use design as a tool for change and explore new ways of working across disciplines, contexts, and cultures. Both the outcomes and the processes, strategies, and mindsets that emerge are central to the program.
Teams receive curatorial guidance, a project budget, and dedicated time and space to develop their work. The results, along with insights into the creative process, will be showcased in 2026 in a public exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in Frankfurt.
Initiated by the German Design Council in partnership with the diplomatic network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Creative Industries Fund NL, and WDC 2026, Form Follows Friendship fosters sustainable international design networks.
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