»23:gardens« on Campus and in Weimar – the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s summaery2023 Annual Exhibition
At the height of the summer, when nature is blooming, the campus of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is also metaphorically in »full bloom». Everyone is busy designing, displaying, clearing, building – and entirely focused on the end of the lecture period and the »summaery2023«. This year, the annual show will take place from 13 to 16 July 2023 according to the motto of »23:gardens« and present smart ideas, practical solutions for everyday life, projects that look far into the future, performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. Almost 200 individual projects and study outcomes can be viewed and experienced on the university campus and throughout Weimar over a four-day period.
The Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism is in charge this year. It considers the garden motif above all as a metaphor for further development and the associated pressing questions of our time: How do we want to live in the future, how do we want to shape our environment and surroundings, our »planetary garden« in light of the necessary changes, to maintain it and keep it liveable? Thoughts on and answers to these questions can be found in various places (including some new locations) during the summaery2023.
The grand opening attended by the Presidium and the deans traditionally takes place at 4 pm on Thursday at the Main Building. The opening party with DJs and live music then begins at 6 pm and continues late into the night. The opening evening is also the prelude to countless solo exhibitions; visitors are warmly invited to attend these exhibitions. Each of the four faculties will offer its own programme highlights – we provide an overview here. The full programme for the opening day, along with information on all of the projects is available online:
The study outcomes and design approaches developed from an architectural and urban planning perspective during more than 50 design and planning projects of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Studies. The projects exhibited in the Main Building and adjacent buildings once again cover a wide range of approaches this year – from construction and urban planning designs to planning projects. The students also considered a variety of places in their work over the course of the academic year: from Weimar through other towns in Thuringia and Germany to European metropolises and locations in South America and Africa. Numerous cooperation projects can be explored and discussed; one exhibition examines campus architecture and experimental buildings at German universities, for example.
Members of the Faculty of Civil Engineering have developed concepts for a green, liveable future: »Renew rather than demolish« is the motto of the aspiring engineers. Hence the focus is on natural building materials that can be produced and recycled locally. One tip: On Friday, 14 July, visitors can learn how renewable materials are revolutionising the construction industry. Whether straw, bamboo, wood or (waste) water, during the »Science Mile Q3« from 1 pm to 6 pm, there will be the opportunity to explore selected laboratories on Coudraystraße that are not normally open to the public. Visitors both young and old are invited to take a look behind the scenes and to speak with researchers during guided tours, experiments and lectures. Those interested in learning more about the degree programmes offered by the Faculty of Civil Engineering can do so while enjoying some music, drinks, ice cream and perhaps even a game of table football.
The Department of Computer Science for Digital Media will also open the doors to its lab from 5 pm on the summaery Friday. This year, the Open Lab Night will take an interdisciplinary format – in true Bauhaus style: in parallel to the virtual realities to experience, student-programmed computer games and data security projects, scientists and artists will showcase their research on »monstrous machines« in the »bauhaus.media.stage« laboratory and invite visitors to explore the »forest and its media«. In the project »Homo conomicus meets the metaverse«, visitors to the departments of media management and computer science can use virtual reality to find out for themselves how their and other humans’ decision-making behaviour changes the metaverse in general. There will also be an interactive project by students from the professorship for human-computer interaction. They spent a semester working on air-filled 3D models known as »inflatables« and have developed prototypes that can be tried out on Friday evening. There will of course also be good music, drinks and delicious barbecue food to enjoy during the Open Lab Night at Schwanseestraße 143.
In the Faculty of Art and Design, visitors should not miss the exhibition of product design final projects. The work by Bachelor’s and Master’s students will be displayed in the Van de Velde Building under the title of »Move on«. The Lyonel Art Prize for outstanding artistic and creative final projects will be awarded at 6 pm on Friday, 14 July at Berkaer Straße 11. Felix Deiters, Coretta Klaue and Suna Mathilde Yoo have been nominated for their work. Lovers of short films are in for a treat when night falls on the following evening. The students’ film work will be shown outside on Theaterplatz, a first during the »Summer Reel«. All Weimar residents are invited to attend. Work by students from the fine art and visual communication programmes will be displayed in the rooms at Marienstraße 14. Unusual locations off the campus and away from the town centre will also serve as venues in this year: the »TRUST YOUR ISSUES« fine art exhibition will take place in the KET-Halle former industrial building (Straße des 17. Juni). Meanwhile, media art and design students considered the former EOW electricity plant in Oberweimar and its renaturation in their work.
The summaery2023 is best explored under your own steam – put together your own personal programme! For the full programme, see online (www.uni-weimar.de/summaery) or the map available in many locations throughout Weimar. For those who would prefer a guided tour, there are three different suggestions on the website and map.
Visual communication student Beatrice Girth is responsible for design of the summaery2023. She shared her thoughts and approaches, challenges and solutions in an interview: www.uni-weimar.de/de/universitaet/aktuell/bauhausjournal-online/titel/fuenf-fragen-summaery2023-edition
summaery2023 – annual show of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Thursday, 13 July to Sunday, 16 July 2023
Opening times:
Thursday, 4–8 pm
Friday and Saturday, 12–8 pm
Sunday, 12–6 pm
SHUTTLE buses:
Round trip approx. every 30 minutes
Friday, 4–10:30 pm
Saturday, 12–8 pm
Sunday, 12–6 pm
Stops:
University campus (corner of Bauhausstraße/Geschwister-Scholl-Straße)
Coudraystraße (Friday)
Schwanseestraße – Gaswerk Weimar
Schwanseestraße – s143 (Friday and Saturday)
Straße des 17. Juni – KET-Halle
www.uni-weimar.de/summaery