Im Modus der Serie. Differenz, Variation und Wiederholung in Architektur und Design

Series open up a play of nuances and differences, redundancies and repetitions. Objects that are conceived, produced, received or consumed in serial mode always refer to related objects from the same series. But what significance does seriality have for the design of our everyday worlds in the here and now?

The exhibition will refer to the local context of the city of Frankfurt, in particular to the serial production of prefabricated parts in the New Building movement of the 1920s; in New Frankfurt. In current terms, it is part of the extensive programme of events for World Design Capital Frankfurt Rhine-Main 2026.

The exhibition is divided into three sections, each of which aims to make central aspects of seriality accessible and tangible: Section 1 – In the Engine Room of Seriality – deals with the history of serial production. In section 2 – When Buildings Go into Series Production – outstanding examples of serial construction are made accessible in 30 case studies using photographs, plans and models. In section 3 – Lively Debates in the Serial Parliament – against the backdrop of seriality once again emerging as a political promise for solving the housing problem, questions such as ‘What exactly is meant by the new appeal for seriality?’ or ‘What does seriality mean in terms of ethical and aesthetic issues?’ are discussed. Together with the Urban Future Forum e.V., architects, producers, politicians, designers and citizens are invited to present their thoughts and positions on serial planning and production and to discuss them with each other and the audience.

The exhibition is curated by Prof. Axel Sowa, supported by Florian Eschner and the team from the Department of Architectural Theory and students at RWTH Aachen University, and is being developed in cooperation with students from HfG Offenbach under the direction of Prof. Matthias Wagner K. A catalogue will accompany the exhibition.