The "≠ Design and Gender" prize of Fachhochschule Dortmund was awarded for the second time in 2022 for outstanding gender-related work by students of the Faculty of Design.
Once again, 20 students from five study programs competed for this recognition for special creative engagement with gender perspectives with a total of eleven submissions. The winners were honored on June 14, 2022 at the opening of the "≠ Design and Gender" award exhibition in the Faculty of Design's gallery on Max-Ophüls-Platz. The prize is endowed with 200 euros each.
The jury was made up of Prof. Dr. Ruth Kaesemann, Equal Opportunities Officer of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Martin Middelhauve, lecturer at the Faculty of Design, Prof. Nora Fuchs, Equal Opportunities Officer of the Faculty of Design, and Pia Orfanidis, research assistant at the Faculty of Design. Each year, three prizes are awarded retrospectively for work from the previous year. An unequal sign made of concrete, designed by Jan Kirchhoff, is awarded as a fitting "trophy".
The 2022 award winners
- Anica Jacobsen, Friederike Emming, Ouwina Bräuniger and Christoph Schmitz with "Diversity" (exhibition design)
- Leonie-Ronja Kremp with "red club" (social design and store concept)
- Lucas Ulmer with "FLUID Magazine" (photo and editorial work)
Exhibition design: "Diversity"
Under the exhibition title "Diversity", Anica Jacobsen, Friederike Emming, Ouwina Bräuniger and Christoph Schmitz are developing a temporary installation for this year's DASA Scenography Colloquium. They have succeeded in transforming their didactic intention into an exciting, interactive experience for visitors. Those affected have their say in interview videos instead of just being talked about. Many unfamiliar technical terms are explained on 46 handy collector's cards, always juxtaposed with matching works of art by other UAS students. At discussion stations, students can express their own opinions on controversial issues via stickers.
The jury particularly appreciates the hard work, the direct, thoughtful and sensitive involvement of a wide range of people and the clever methods used to convey theoretical content in an interesting way. The "Diversity" exhibition hits the nerve of the times and is just as necessary as it is applicable elsewhere in the future.
Social design and store concept: "Red Club"
Leonie-Ronja Kremp is developing a safe space as a comprehensive store concept for menstrual products in her object and spatial design bachelor project "Red Club". "Red Club" contributes to increasing the acceptance and visibility of menstruation in society and breaking down barriers of shame.
The overarching aim is to bring about a lasting change in values relating to gender roles and discrimination. The store and brand concept is action-oriented and therefore suitable for challenging and questioning the patterns anchored in society.
In particular, this practical approach, which goes beyond simply pointing out problematic conditions, as well as the detailed elaboration of the design in combination with in-depth research convinced the jury of Leonie Kremp's work.
Photo and editorial work: "FLUID Magazine"
In his bachelor's project, photographer Lucas Ulmer develops new perspectives on gender boundaries in fashion and beauty. The high quality of his numerous fashion shots convinced the jury of his project, as did the attention-grabbing choice of motifs, which allows the viewer a sometimes distanced, sometimes intimate view of the people depicted. In accompanying interviews, individuals who do not conform to gender norms talk about their experiences, their hopes and how their looks are put together.
"FLUID" is a multimedia magazine that celebrates the positive sides of queerness and diversity as a coherent overall package - the colorful and boundlessly exciting world of fashion, in which it is no longer necessary to adhere to predetermined roles."