Museum Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt

Positions on Freedom. Gestaltung und ihre Grenzen – the thing Fellowship 2026

What is freedom? One of the central questions of our time—politically, ecologically, economically, and aesthetically. Especially in the context of design and democracy, freedom appears not only as an individual form of expression, but as a collective practice.

Here, freedom becomes visible through access and limitation: Who has access to materials, time, knowledge, spaces, and tools? Which modes of production are made possible—and which are prevented? Which forms are considered legitimate, and which are seen as deviations? Even terms such as “free art” point to the fact that freedom is not merely an ideal, but is shaped by power structures. Design thus becomes a medium for negotiating concepts of freedom—between norm and deviation, control and imagination, power and participation. Creative freedom emerges where design makes conditions visible, proposes alternatives, and expands spaces for action.

The project consists of three components:

• In cooperation with USM, three commissioned designers develop works on the theme of freedom, reinterpreting an industrial modular system as a point of departure.
• An open call invites designers and writers to submit objects and texts that reflect on design and freedom from a transdisciplinary perspective.
• A collection module contextualizes museum objects, making different facets of freedom perceptible as a historical, cultural, and institutional concept.

the thing Fellowship 2026 is an interdisciplinary exhibition and publication project within the framework of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, realized in partnership with the design furniture manufacturer USM and the Fondation USM.

The project was initiated by designer, curator and journalist Anton Rahlwes and is linked to the platform he founded, the thing Magazine. The project builds a bridge between production, design practice and social impact. The aim is to develop new perspectives on the topic. Within this framework, USM acts as a sponsor of free discussion of the content. As a long-established company that stands for both longevity and flexibility, USM sees its involvement as a contribution to the design discourse in the field of tension between production and culture – without imposing any restrictions on content.