During her residency at SBYD.SPACE, Yuri Nakai explored how repair can function as an architectural and social principle in a post-industrial region such as the Ruhr area.
Together with artist Konstantin Pütz, she developed the performance »ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS WE RECONCILE«, which brings together the insights from her research. The video features excerpts from the performance, which took place on 21 June on the Rungenberghalde in Gelsenkirchen.
The work was presented at the Gutes Klima Festival 2025 in cooperation with Bonnekamp-Stiftung and the Museum Folkwang at Zeche Carl. This residency was part of SBYD.SPACE, through which Folkwang University awards grants to international artists and designers invited to Essen to realise their own projects on site. In 2025, the programme’s second round was announced in Japan. In collaboration with Museum Folkwang and the Goethe-Institut Kyoto Villa Kamogawa, the thematic focus was developed and the grant recipients selected.
Under the title »ESSEN ESSEN«, Masatoshi Noguchi spent three months in Essen/Gelsenkirchen developing a site-specific project that explored the relationship between consumption, water balance, and environmental awareness.
Photos: Dominik Antoni Krolikowski, Masatoshi Noguchi, SBYD.SPACE
Playing on the double meaning of »Essen« – both city and food – he reflected artistically on human bodily cycles, ecological loops, and resource use. In Japan, it’s widely known that watermelon has diuretic/detoxifying properties.
Recipe: »You sweat, I sorbet« (Watermelon Rose Sorbet)
Yields: Approx. 1 litre Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: – Seedless watermelon juice: 1 litre – Brown sugar: 11 teaspoons – Lime juice: 4 teaspoons – Rose water(Chtoura): 11 drops (Rose water has a strong scent, so use it sparingly.) – Salt: 1/5 – 1/4 teaspoon
Equipment: – Blender – Strainer – Ice cube molds
Instructions: 1 – Blend watermelon cubes until smooth, then strain to remove any seeds. Measure 1 liter of juice. 2 – Add brown sugar, lime juice, rose water, and salt to the watermelon juice. Blend again until the sugar is fully dissolved. 3 – Pour the mixture into ice cube molds and freeze until solid. 4 – Once frozen, remove cubes from molds. Blend or pulse in a food processor until it reaches a slushy, sorbet-like consistency. Serve immediately. 5 – Optional: Garnish with fresh mint, a sprinkle of cardamom powder, or a touch more salt or rose water.
The work was presented at the Gutes Klima Festival 2025 in cooperation with Bonnekamp-Stiftung and the Museum Folkwang at Zeche Carl. This residency was part of SBYD.SPACE, through which Folkwang University awards grants to international artists and designers invited to Essen to realise their own projects on site. In 2025, the programme’s second round was announced in Japan. In collaboration with Museum Folkwang and the Goethe-Institut Kyoto Villa Kamogawa, the thematic focus was developed and the grant recipients selected.
The KIOSK was a central element of the SBYD.SPACE exhibition at Dutch Design Week 2024. Designed by SPACE FOR NARRATIVES, it brought together key themes of the exhibition and engaged visitors with interactive features.
SPACE FOR NARRATIVES
Photos: SBYD
Like the rest of the exhibition furniture, its design consisted of prefabricated scaffold components combined with panels made from recycled plastic – sourced from old fridges and CD cases, provided by Polygood.
The KIOSK distributed zines by SBYD.SPACE, textile repair patches, and other giveaways. It also invited visitors to share their visions of a desirable future and leave them in a designated post box. On Saturday evenings, it served as a stage for talks and panels, while also offering ice cream made from insects and algae.
It is currently situated in the foyer of Folkwang University at the Zollverein World Heritage Site. There, it is used by different SPACES of the project in rotation, offering insights into sustainable design projects from diverse perspectives.
