Atlas of Distances

The Atlas of Distances exhibition explores the qualitative and quantitative nature of ‘distance’ through the disciplines of design and architecture. By interpreting diverse facets of distance in both material and immaterial systems through maps, drawings, artefacts, texts, personal narratives, and bodies, it brings contemporary discourses of extraction, weather, and industrial cycles closer. The atlas functions as a pedagogical tool for expanding, organising, and connecting multimedia information concerning the relationship between ‘distance’ and living environments. 

The exhibition is the culmination of an educational collaboration that brought together students from three architecture and design departments at three different institutions: the Faculty of Architecture at Politehnica University of Timișoara (Romania), Studio Technogeographies from Design Academy Eindhoven (Netherlands), and Borders and Territories from TU Delft (Netherlands). A workshop held in May in Timișoara facilitated an exchange of pedagogical methods. Students initiated projects through a series of shared exercises inspired by the concept of the atlas, focusing on common subjects that explored the various meanings of distance: technologies, infrastructures, climates, communities, and knowledge.

Following a subsequent open call, nine projects were selected for further development and exhibition. Additionally, an extensive collection of student projects will be presented in poster format, allowing visitors to explore the full breadth of this collaboration.

Curated by Martina Muzi, Atlas of Distances is the culminating exhibition of the pedagogical framework of Bright Cityscapes, part of the Timișoara—European Capital of Culture 2023 programme. Bright Cityscapes has commissioned original research and supported multidisciplinary teams to develop projects that use design for investigation, aiming to engage Timișoara’s manufacturing and academic ecosystems to transition from incidental design. The research and design projects commissioned are on display in the Turn Signals—Design is not a Dashboard exhibition, running from September 7 to November 11 at FABER, which includes The City, Technology and Design Conference on September 8 and 9. The programme will conclude with the launch of Bright Cityscape publication and a final conference on November 11.

The Bright Cityscapes pedagogical framework recognises the essential need to connect future generations of designers and architects with contemporary urgencies and with each other. This was achieved by facilitating collaboration and exchange between three different schools, their educators, and students: the Faculty of Architecture of Politehnica University of Timișoara led by Blidariu Cristian Tiberiu, with tutors Ana-Maria Branea, Marius Găman, Daniela Negrișanu; Design Academy Eindhoven with the studio Technogeographies led by Martina Muzi, with tutors Roberto Perez Gayo and Christoph Miler; TU Delft with the Border and Territories collective, directed by Marc Schoonderbeek, with tutors Negar Sanaan Bensi and Stefan Gzyl. 

The nine projects are the work of the following students: Anamaria Bogoșel, Laurin Böhm, Louella Exton, Vanessa Heider, Josh Jerome, Richard Temple Kingston, Edward-Ștefan Kiss and Denisa-Anamaria Landler, Petar Kukec, Anastasia Stolearenco.

The Bright Cityscapes programme is funded by Timișoara City through the Center for Projects, The Romanian Order of Architects, and The Flex and Alber foundations, and is supported by Azur, Banca Transilvania, Continental, Flex România, Hamilton, Honeywell, Nokia, Vivalia and Autonom.

The Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, UPT (host) has been a leading institution in the field of Romanian architectural education, throughout its half-century of operation. Its progressive approach to novel pedagogical methods and discourses, combined with its conscientious regard for the preservation of the region’s built spatial heritage, has cemented its reputation as a preeminent institution.

Studio Technogeographies at Design Academy Eindhoven brings complex systems of design, extraction, transportation, manufacturing, commerce, consumption, and geopolitical forces, both human and non-human, from sites across the world to the centre of bachelor design education.

Borders & Territories at the Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology is an architectural design and research collective engaged in the critical relationship between architectural theory, spatial analysis and architectural design. The B&T network consists of an international group of architects, scholars, authors and curators, and is based in Amsterdam (Border Conditions Foundation).