INSPIRATION SALON: Space, City, Coexistence

Tickets: 15 Euro
(free for ANSC members)

RESERVATION

About this salon:

The city of the future is not merely a question of infrastructure, but of relationships, participation, and social architecture. At a time when societies are increasingly polarized, these tensions become visible in the very spaces we inhabit—across neighborhoods, digital platforms, and arenas of public discourse. Yet at the same time, new approaches are emerging that understand the city as a space of possibility: a place where social cohesion, meaningful exchange, and collective well-being can be actively cultivated.

This salon explores how urban design, curatorial practice, and community-driven models can intersect to create new forms of coexistence. How can spaces be designed not only to function efficiently, but to foster dialogue, belonging, and shared purpose? What role do cultural and artistic practices play in shaping the public sphere?

Bringing together perspectives from curating, journalism, and urban thinking, the conversation examines the city as a social operating system shaped by space, use, and human relationships. Public spaces become places of encounter, exchange, and shared learning—constantly evolving through how we use them.

At its core, the salon asks: How is the idea of the public sphere changing? Why do debates so often become polarized? How can cities help build trust, connection, and meaning in everyday life? And how might we begin to understand and measure social impact and well-being in urban contexts, without losing sight of their complexity?

By weaving together analytical, artistic, and practical perspectives, the salon invites participants to rethink the city as an environment for shared learning. It opens a space to imagine how future cities might become platforms for collective intelligence, dialogue, and new forms of community.

Francesca Ferguson, a curator and expert in urban and spatial practices whose work explores the role of public space as a site of social negotiation and cultural production. She curated the German Pavilion at the Architecture Biennial in Venice, 2004, and directed the Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel.

Korbinian Frenzel, a journalist with Deutschlandfunk Kultur and debate analyst known for his work on media dynamics and the fragmentation of public discourse.

The evening will be musically accompanied by Alfred Mehnert (Metropol Music Berlin), percussion, featuring Janko Lauenberger, guitar.