Museum Exhibition 2025

Dare to design – Spaces of Care

September 04 – October 12

The annual exhibition Dare to Design – Spaces of Care by the German Design Council Foundation showcases the most innovative work by design graduates from German universities. Despite their diversity, the projects are united by a collective consciousness and a determination to bring about change in response to urgent questions and ongoing crises. They all understand design as a collective practice and an act of care. As part of the German Design Graduates initiative, curators select projects and concepts from several hundred submissions that reflect the breadth of innovation among design talents. The exhibition features 45 works from the fields of product and industrial design, communication and digital design, as well as textile and fashion design.

The exhibition design, conceived and realised by Cologne-based Studio für Gestaltung, relies on locally borrowed materials from the construction industry in order to minimise the use of materials and CO₂ emissions. Supporter: Druckerei Kettler, Berberich Papier, Fassbender Tenten Baustoffhandel.

German Design Graduates @ MAKK Köln

MAKK

MAKK – Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln
An der Rechtschule 7
50667 Köln

Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm
1st Thursday of the month: 10 am – 10 pm except on public holidays
Closed on Mondays except public holidays

Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln

SPotlights

With their wide-ranging expertise, this year’s GDG mentors will select projects from the ranks of exhibitors that are characterised by excellence – in the originality of the idea, in their transformative character, in their formal and functional execution of design and construction, through specific achievements in the areas of society, sustainability and circularity as well as research and knowledge transfer.

• Meike Harde, Director, Studio Meike Harde
• Johannes Voelchert, Innovation Design Lead, On AG
• Lukas Cotrell, CEO Managing Partner, Peter Schmidt Group
• Ingolf Heinsch, latest Volkswagen Innovation Centre
• Isa Glink, Creative Director, Kvadrat
• Marte Henschel Professor, BSP Business & Law School
• Juni Sun Neyenhuis, Founder Mujo Lab
• Barbara Lersch, Chief Programme Officer, WDC FRM 2026
• Viktoria Lea Heinrich, latest MK&G Hamburg

Programme

GDG Talks
Thursday, September 18

Todays crisis and conflicts call for forward-looking approaches – and the willingness to dare to transform. As part of the annual exhibition “Dare to Design. German Design Graduates 2025” of the German Design Council Foundation, the double feature “Dare to Design” will take place on September 18, 2025. Experts from industry, research and culture will talk to young talents about the impact of design on areas such as climate change, political extremism and inclusion. Which innovations and product cultures have the ability to enable a transformation? This is what needs to be discussed.

Workshops for adults (in german)
In cooperation with the Museum Service at the MAKK

Time in each case: 12:00 – 15:00
Price each: € 21.00 | Material: € 4.00
Speakers: Gradutes tba

Sunday, September 7
Registration until September 01

Sunday, September 14
Registration until September 08

Sunday, September 21
Registration until September 15

Sunday, September 28
Registration until September 22

Guided tours for adults (in german)
In co-operation with the Museum Service at the MAKK

Sunday, 7 September 
11:00 – 11:30
Guide: Graduierte tba

Tuesday, 16 September 
16:30 – 17:30
Guide: Museum Service

Tuesday, 30 September 
16:30 – 17:30 
Guide: Museum Service