Object Oriented Democracy

The project addresses the central question of what role objects and non-human actors play in democratic processes—with a particular focus on family, care, and social cohesion.

Under this title, the programme places those “controversial objects” at the center of attention – material and immaterial elements that provoke political gatherings, shape identities, and open up spaces for action. Three thematic exhibitions illuminate these dynamics from different perspectives:

1. Objects of Resistance (curated by Maziar Rezai): Objects of political protest that tell stories of resistance connecting generations.
2. Handle with Care (curated by Irina Denkmann, Lilit Matevosyan, Gulshat Gubaidulina, Vania Mishin, Lesha Pavlov, Vladimir Seleznev and Katya Selezneva): identity-forming objects from Soviet family archives in the diaspora – things that preserve family memories and cultural belonging across time and space.
3. Looking for – listening to – working with – Medusa (curated by Linda Weiß, Nina Queissner, and Ellen Wagner): non-human structures that are threatened by human action and raise questions about our responsibility to future generations.

The exhibition programme explores the relationship between humans, objects, and the environment by combining design, art, and political theories—always with an eye to their significance for family life.

In its exhibition programme, the Offenbach art association Mañana Bold e. V. links regional and international networks and trends in contemporary art, focusing in particular on the interconnections between fine art and applied art approaches.