{"id":4620,"date":"2026-04-07T09:05:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T09:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/symposium\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T10:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:47:13","slug":"symposium","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/symposium\/","title":{"rendered":"Symposium"},"content":{"rendered":"<nav class=\"symposium-menu\" aria-label=\"Symposium Navigation\">\n\t<ul id=\"menu-symposiums-menue\" class=\"symposium-menu__list\"><li id=\"menu-item-4152\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-4152\"><a href=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/symposium\/\">Symposium<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4151\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-4151\"><a href=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/symposium-tag-1_13-11-25\/\">Symposium &#8211; November 13, 25<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4150\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-4150\"><a href=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/symposium-tag-2_14-11-25\/\">Symposium &#8211; November 14, 25<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/nav>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-x-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">On November 13 and 14, 2025, the transform.NRW Symposium brought together around 400 stakeholders from the arts, culture, design, academia, business, politics, and civil society at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. The goal was to exchange perspectives on socio-ecological transformation, foster new alliances, and strengthen a shared understanding of sustainable design. Various approaches and aspects of sustainable design were explored through panels, salons, labs, guided tours, and performances.    <br\/><br\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vimeo-embed-placeholder\" data-vimeo-id=\"1211406210\">\n                    <div class=\"vimeo-embed-placeholder-content\">\n                        <p>To play this video, you must agree to the use of Vimeo cookies.<\/p>\n                        <button class=\"cookies-consent-settings-button cookies-consent-button\" aria-label=\"Manage cookie settings for the Vimeo video 1211406210\">Manage Settings<\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Program<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"5513\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Element-1-5.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5513\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_776ac30602ea59be95b682b209ae7d93\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(33% 5%, 88% 13%, 100% 41%, 82% 64%, 22% 100%, 5% 88%, 0% 14%, 0% 21%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-588-scaled.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel \" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel <\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following opening remarks by Eva Kraus, Director of the Bundeskunsthalle, Carolin Baedeker and Martina Fineder, speaking on behalf of the project management team, introduced the program\u2019s focus: how art and design, together with the sustainability sciences, can make processes of social transformation visible, tangible, and shapeable.  <br\/>A key focus of the opening was the pre-launch of the transformative platform, which, starting in the fall of 2026, will serve as an open digital infrastructure to make best practices, methods, and tools for sustainable design publicly available.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Christa Liedtke opened the Agora on the first day of the symposium\u2014as a shared space for dialogue\u2014with a presentation on prosperity in times of transition: Following thematic keynote presentations, three breakout sessions examined social, ecological, and economic conditions, ultimately leading to a discussion of vision statements and transformation strategies centered on the guiding question, \u201cWhat must we dare to do?\u201d The respective findings were then brought together in the Agora through a discussion among all participants, moderated by Bernd Draser and Janine Steeger (ecosign).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_8153af3a2fd6ad16126b3df921518310\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(77% 4%, 99% 29%, 100% 66%, 82% 99%, 61% 100%, 12% 91%, 0% 66%, 9% 31%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"642\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-961-1024x731.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-961-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-961-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-961-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-961-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-961-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_47d2cb4dfc81e0540ea4be1249e687e5\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(28% 0%, 94% 9%, 100% 89%, 87% 86%, 76% 100%, 8% 61%, 0% 32%, 6% 39%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-2163-scaled.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second day of the symposium was opened by Manfred Fischedick with a presentation on key challenges in global sustainability policy, serving as a transition to the following program items: Erica von Moeller presented initial insights into the audiovisual cataloging of the Good Practice Collection and then discussed narrative forms of social transformation during the panel discussion \u201cHow Do We Tell Stories of Change?\u201d Workshops, panels, and guided tours took place in parallel, including <em>\u201cHow to Transform \u2026 the Economy<\/em> and <em>Networks,\u201d \u201cComrades and Other Allies,<\/em> \u201d as well as panels on transformation labs and Sites of Transformation. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program of discussions was complemented by a lecture-performance by Metahaven, dance performances by Reckless Sleepers and Kenji Shinohe, and a networking event with musical accompaniment by G\u00een Bali (YAYA).<br\/><br\/>In cooperation with creative.nrw, a total of nine projects aimed at a more socially just and environmentally responsible future were presented over the two days, two of which won awards funded by NRW.Bank. The audience voted for <em>\u201cColors of Love<\/em> \u201d and <em>\u201cDas Rezyklat<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_fad00a1a281e2fd62f8671e4852dc104\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(83% 6%, 82% 31%, 100% 20%, 96% 70%, 67% 100%, 0% 74%, 0% 33%, 7% 9%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"642\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-2283-1024x731.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-2283-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-2283-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-2283-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-2283-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-2283-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What have we learned?<\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_91871f04b6f211ded8057604f781afe5\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(91% 1%, 100% 31%, 100% 21%, 100% 60%, 60% 100%, 14% 79%, 0% 46%, 12% 19%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-14-scaled.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel \" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel <\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sustainable transformation begins with the question of how we want to live in the future. It is not technology that defines society\u2019s future, but rather society\u2019s ideas about what constitutes well-being. Political decisions, economic priorities, and technological developments follow from this\u2014not the other way around.  <br\/><br\/>Sustainable futures emerge where different forms of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences come together. Art, culture, and design create scenarios, images, objects, and spaces through which social realities are reflected upon, certainties are challenged, and possible futures are brought to life. They are part of the social processes that make change conceivable, negotiable, and shapeable in the first place.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The symposium made it clear just how important open spaces for democratic negotiation are for future societal processes. Different perspectives and interests were not pitted against one another, but were productively brought into dialogue with one another. Differences, in particular, proved to be a prerequisite for change: diversity fosters the capacity to learn, resonance, and resilience\u2014whereas monocultures of thought, on the other hand, run the risk of suffocating under their own closed-mindedness.  <br\/><br\/>Perhaps one thing in particular became clear over the course of those two days: futures emerge where people are willing to think, tell stories, and act differently together. In the unique atmosphere of the Bundeskunsthalle, a shared space for experience emerged amid panels, salons, labs, exhibitions, and performances\u2014a space where change was not merely discussed but was already being put into practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_d51e6ab5427c477ee5574637651a79c6\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(86% 10%, 88% 2%, 100% 74%, 82% 85%, 18% 100%, 4% 87%, 0% 24%, 19% 4%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"731\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-342-731x1024.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel \" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-342-731x1024.jpg 731w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-342-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-342-768x1075.jpg 768w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-342-1097x1536.jpg 1097w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-342-1463x2048.jpg 1463w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW-Czampiel-342-scaled.jpg 1829w\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel <\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_ef9799d9b3a0aa507deab3e7e1fdbb60\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(25% 10%, 91% 5%, 100% 51%, 83% 71%, 82% 100%, 2% 91%, 0% 63%, 3% 40%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-1531-scaled.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf:\u00a0Philipp Czampiel\u00a0<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event concluded on a fitting note: Kenji Shinohe\u2019s solo performance <em>*Tree Tree*<\/em>, set against the backdrop of the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan, tells the story of a single pine tree\u2019s resilience as a poetic expression of both ecological vulnerability and unyielding resilience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<figure\n\tid=\"clippath-bild-block_32962a46e80568bb065b6abb70a4ccc9\"\n\tclass=\"polygon-image block-clippath-bild\"\n\tstyle=\"--clip-path-polygon: polygon(83% 2%, 92% 29%, 100% 23%, 88% 67%, 72% 100%, 15% 99%, 0% 35%, 9% 25%);\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"polygon-image__frame\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"642\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-1810-1024x731.jpg\" class=\"polygon-image__img\" alt=\"\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel \" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 782px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 80vw, 1024px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-1810-1024x731.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-1810-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-1810-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-1810-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/202511-TransformNRW2-Czampiel-1810-2048x1463.jpg 2048w\" \/>\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"polygon-image__caption\">\u00a9 Wuppertal Institut 2025 \/ Fotograf: Philipp Czampiel <\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On November 13 and 14, 2025, the transform.NRW Symposium brought together around 400 stakeholders from the arts, culture, design, academia, business, politics, and civil society at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. The goal was to exchange perspectives on socio-ecological transformation, foster new alliances, and strengthen a shared understanding of sustainable design. Various approaches and aspects of [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5246,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4620","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}