Transform.NRW

Touch/ing Transformation | Media Installation | September 16, 2026 – January 7, 2027 at the Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn

transform.NRW – Nachhaltigkeit gestalten

The Wuppertal Institute and the School of Art and Design of the University of Wuppertal are combining their expertise on this platform for collaborations with 18 partners from the fields of art, culture, design, the sciences, local government, and business to spotlight transformative potentials that give rise to social change. Jointly, they bring together knowledge, methods, and Good Practices for innovative socio-ecological sustainability transformation and ensure that the underlying connections and networks are transparent and accessible for everyone.

At the heart of the platform is a collection of Good Practices, which exemplarily illustrates how sustainable transformations are already being embraced and put into practice – from products and services to artistic installations, performances, and interventions in public spaces. Whether and how a particular project contributes to sustainability is visualized with “Map/ing Sustainability,” a specially developed tool based on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Building upon the transform.NRW network project, funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the platform is intended to gradually shift its focus onto WEtransFORM – an open, collaborative, and internationally networked initiative that understands transformation as a shared societal task.

More about Transform.NRW

Good Practice Collection

Good Practices illustrate how art, culture, and design can foster sustainable transformation. These examples aim to inspire people to take action, learn from one another, and initiate new collaborations – laying the groundwork to collectively shape social change.

View the Good Practices
freiRaum

freiRaum

Geschmacksarchiv

Geschmacksarchiv

Unfreeze Your Brain

Unfreeze Your Brain

I can be your translator

I can be your translator

Living Lab NRW

Living Lab NRW

Pfandring®

Pfandring®

Swift Messengers

Swift Messengers

Fungi Orchestra

Fungi Orchestra

entry points

In addition to the gallery view, the platform offers various entry points to the best-practice collection: through an interactive map and via the SDG model.

Map

On the interactive map, you can good practices, project partners, and Sites of Transformation, as well as the connections between them. This brings transformative networks in North Rhine-Westphalia and beyond to light.

SDG Model

With the SDG model , the good practices with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . With the help of Map/ing Sustainability, we highlight their potential social and environmental impacts.

Map/ing Sustainability

Designing transformation calls for new methods – to generate ideas, develop accompanying projects, or analyze their impacts. Our method toolkit cultivates a shared sustainable design literacy.

View Method

partners

Cooperation partners from the fields of art, culture, and design as well as the sciences, business, and local governments form a vibrant network. Together, they aim to promote transdisciplinary exchange and embed sustainable practices in business and civil society.

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What expertise do we need to communicate sustainable transformation in a way that is easy to understand? How can art, culture, and design, in cooperation with the sustainability sciences, address the intrinsic challenges posed by this transformation? Get to know the project partners in personal conversations.

View all partners
Architectural rendering of the planned Pina Bausch Center in Wuppertal. An elongated new building, partially supported by columns, connects to existing structures. In the foreground is a landscaped area with wildflowers; numerous people are moving about or spending time in the plaza. The open design, featuring green spaces and publicly accessible areas, highlights the center as a place for art, social interaction, and sustainable urban development.

Pina Bausch Center

Beethoven Foundation for Art and Culture

Beethoven Foundation for Art and Culture

Giebichenstein University of Art and Design, Halle

Giebichenstein University of Art and Design, Halle

University of Wuppertal

University of Wuppertal