SBYD.SPACE explores new climate-neutral and resource-light ways of living and production. It transfers knowledge from sustainability research into society and the economy through design. The capability of design in making theories and abstract concepts tangible – and transferring them into everyday life – is used to explore, discuss, and test these theories and ideas in practice.
SBYD.SPACE engages with diverse audiences and collaborators through a range of formats, including workshops, international symposia, exhibitions, an artist / designer in residence program and support for entrepreneurial endeavours. It is located at Folkwang University of the Arts’ North Campus at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein, a former coal mine in Germany’s Ruhr region – a location that could not be more symbolic for the transformation of industries, ways of life, and entire regions.
Invitation to the exhibition:
Reframing Textiles
About Fabrics and Chairs
The exhibition features work by students who give new value to unused textiles through design. An exhibition by Folkwang University of the Arts in collaboration with Kronenkreuz,
NEUE ARBEIT of Diakonie Essen.
A seminar led by:
Anke Bernotat, Corinne Riepert, Lilli Seiler und Judith Schanz
With works by:
Michel Bauer, Karolina Blonska, Zeynep Deliomeroglu, Yagmur Güneri, Maren Lena Kleczewski, Senem Kula, Marzieh Mokhtari Baghkomeh, Karolin Pahlke, Adriana Gabriela Reinoso Jaramillo, Jan Marek Rzepka, Yifei Shi, Zhao Wei und Wildrins Esther Wieland
Opening:
11 June 2026, 5 pm – 7 pm
Exhibition:
12 June – 5 July 2026
Mon – Fri: 9.30 am – 6 pm
Sat: 9.30 am – 4 pm
and at any time in the shop window. Free admission.
Diakonieladen
Rottstraße 24
45127 Essen
SBYD @ denk mal Zukunft – Nachhaltigkeitstage auf Zollverein
08 July 2026 | 09:00–13:00
In the intergalactic repair workshop “The Unbreakables”, taking place as part of the “denk mal Zukunft – Nachhaltigkeitstage auf Zollverein”, schoolchildren become repair heroes: they patch spacesuits, solder damaged spacecraft, sew on buttons and repair wooden signal whistles. Through playful hands-on activities, they learn practical everyday repair skills and discover how repairing helps conserve resources while strengthening their sense of self-efficacy.
More info coming soon
You are studying or have studied at Folkwang University of the Arts and would like to exhibit your project at Dutch Design Week in October 2026? We are looking for interesting student projects that deal with the topic of »sustainability« in a variety of ways. From all submissions, a small selection of projects will be picked for participation in the exhibition.
You would like to be part of our exhibition?
We will be accepting applications until July 24th 2026 23:59 via sbyd@folkwang-uni.de!
Find out more through this link.
1m² Garden Exhibition
We invite Folkwang students to submit project proposals for inclusion in the 1m² Garden Exhibition, part of the Sustainability by Design (SBYD) programme at Folkwang University of the Arts. The exhibition will be developed in collaboration with the International Garden Exhibition (IGA 2027 Ruhr).
This open call explores how design can respond to ecological futures at a small, tangible scale, reimagining relationships between humans, non-human species, materials, and environments within the confined yet generative space of a garden bed.
Theme
Projects should critically and creatively explore sustainability through design, addressing questions such as:
– How can design foster more-than-human relationships?
– How can materials, organisms, and systems coexist within small ecological frameworks?
– What futures of growing, cultivating, or cohabiting can be imagined at a 1m² scale?
Format & Constraints
Submitted works must be designed to be exhibited in, on, or around a wooden raised bed with the following dimensions:
120 × 80 × 75 cm (length × depth × height)
Submission Deadline
30th September, 13:00
Projects selected for the exhibition will be financially supported to develop an exhibition-ready prototype in the winter semester 2026/2027.
We are looking for
Experimental, practical, critical, speculative, or research-based design proposals from students that rethink what a »garden«, »exhibition«, or »designed ecosystem« can be within this format.
Submit your project proposal via sbyd@folkwang-uni.de.