Focussing on the design of public spaces is an exhibition from design students of KISD. »From Vandalism to Fandalism« wants to give answers on the question if the destruction of public objects (like street benches or phone boots) is blind demolition or rather a constructive critique on those objects imposed on public spaces. 8 different projects were set up to explore the subject at a space on the Vulkan estate in Cologne Ehrenfeld.

Guerilla Gardening
»Guerilla Gardening« for example took up the position that so called »nature« often has a destructive impact on urban architecture and design. »Roots and plants are cracking tiles and walls, ivy is running riot on buildings and can only be removed with high efforts«, says Andreas Gruyters, who is one of the designers responsible for Guerilla Gardening.

The group then transformed the idea of a hostile nature into the idea of using plants as kind of a tool for protest. »Guerilla Gardening is non-violent protest against the neglect of the urban habitat. Armed with spades, plants and visions we have the idea to plant always and everywhere and by this design our immediate environment.« For example they created little »mud bombs« that contain a seedling and can be thrown onto public soil to generate new greens. The group planned a public intervention on the Neumarkt that had to be rescheduled to Saturday, June 30th at 12:00 as the heavy rain prevented the event to take place. What a guerilla that only works when the weather is fine!

Obviously the group did a proper research on how nature causes »vandalism« in the city with statistical figures about e.g. destroyed houses or even people killed in recent storms that are caused by climate change. However the differentiation was not too clear as climate effects and usual natural phenomenons like roots breaking through strees or else are probably different things. Coming back to the title »From Vandalism to Fandalism« in the end it got clear that the students sorted out the natural effects of vandalism they rated as »good« to employ them for their guerilla protest in the public space.

Cleaning Surfboard
Another group had a look at the damage that is caused by skateboards: scratches, abrasion and destruction on urban streets and squares. The group came to the point that a special cleaning device could be the solution: a skateboard felt-taped wheels and cloths that are glued on the bottom side.

Public Pillow

Also remarkable is the »Public Pillow«: more or less a peace of branded rubberfoam that can be utilized to sit or relax in those public spaces that do not offer public furniture like park benches and else. It is a way of recapture spaces that are intended not to function as a place of abidance.

Alltogether it is left to say that even if in parts the exhibition looks a bit unfinished it is remarkable what the students set up in the limited time they had. For sure the many different projects offer a good opportunity to observe the complexity of public design and of vandalism from different points of view and get an imagination how important public design is. Maybe the urban planners of Cologne should have a look here…