September 2023
Distance, in its many forms and interpretations, serves as both a divider and a connector. It is the unseen thread that weaves through perception, shaping an understanding of space, time, and relationships. The Atlas of Distances exhibition considers the diverse dimensions of distance not only as a physical measurement but also as an intricacy within emotional, cultural, and industrial landscapes. By exploring these qualitative and quantitative aspects of ‘distance’ through the disciplines of design and architecture, contemporary discourses related to extraction, weather, and industrial cycles are contemplated from the perspective of interconnectedness and separation.
The exhibition stems from an educational collaboration that brought together students from three architecture and design departments across three distinct institutions: the Faculty of Architecture at Politehnica University of Timișoara (RO), Studio Technogeographies from Design Academy Eindhoven (NL), and Borders and Territories from TU Delft (NL). During a workshop held in May in Timișoara, students engaged in a series of collaborative exercises inspired by the concept of an atlas. These exercises centred on common conditions associated with various interpretations of ‘distance’—technologies, infrastructures, climates, communities, and knowledge. Various methods of design observation, mapping, and interaction with real data in Timișoara were employed to broaden singular perspectives and address more ‘common’ and ‘interconnected’ relationships with living environments.
The nine student projects showcased in the Atlas of Distances exhibition were selected through an open call. Additionally, all student projects developed during the course of the collaboration are presented in the exhibition through a poster. The design of the poster installation demonstrates how ‘the atlas’ functioned as a pedagogical tool in the workshop.
Turn Signals Exhibition
Curator
Martina Muzi
General coordination team
Oana Simionescu (FABER)
Loredana Gaiță (UPT)
Exhibition team
Nicușor Duma
Mihai Moldovan
Bianca Schick
Lorena Brează
Exhibition participants
Laurin Böhm
Anamaria Degău
Louella Exton
Vanessa Heider
Josh Jerome
Richard Temple Kingston
Edward-Stefan Kiss and Denisa-Anamaria Landler
Petar Kukec
Anastasia Stolearenco
Design poster series
Peak15 Design Studio
Editors
Nadine Botha (EN)
Cristina Potra-Mureșan (RO)
Graphic design and platform coding
Kirsten Spruit