Project website
designincrisis.com
Date
Summer term 2020
Project Overtourism
4. Semester / 2020
Overtourism is a problem of our globalized world
Overcrowding, massive Cruiseships, carelessly left rubbish and the enormous stress on locals are just some of the many problems associated with overtourism. However, tourists are not aware of the damage they do to the environment and the locals.
Design in Crisis
Exploring the Value, Possibilities and Capabilities of Design in Times of Crisis
The current situation confronts us once again with the fragility of the daily order. We are forced to develop new strategies on how to act and how to live, which will also become obsolete soon or be implemented in our future routines. These shifting processes happen either suddenly – like in the Corona-Crisis – or almost unnoticed and gradual until they culminate – e.g. the climate crisis. Counting the inflationary use of the word crisis, it seems the mode of crisis is the new normal. Somwhere there always is a crisis.
Design is multilayered. While some aspects of design will have to reinvent themselves others can help to overcome crises or shaping a whole new order for societies and their respective natural and cultural environment. How does design behave in crises, how does it behave towards crises, which design measures exacerbate, deteriorate, ameliorate or even generate crises.
As part of a project in the summer term of 2020 at the HAWK, we analyzed and discussed the term crises in it’s broad meaning. From climate crisis, financial crisis, mid life crisis to Corona crisis; from historical crisis of the Roman Empire up to possible future crisis scenarios. We did dig deep and have reflected in a critical, brave and visionary way. The results of this Corona-term are not finished products, but visualized thoughts, designs and concepts that might offer solutions to specific scenarios or help to get a deeper understanding and insight of certain aspects of crises.
Source: Prof. Ries. Matthias. http://designincrisis.com/
About the Project
„Queues“ critically and ironically confronts the public with the issue of overtourism in a graphic display.
It is a project, that visualises patterns of queues that can be seen in front of famous sights. The public space is caught in the form of souvenirs, that can be bought by informed and self-ironic tourists to bring back home.
Overtourism shows the many problematic aspects of modern globalized life and makes clear that urgent action needs to be taken. In which world should our children grow up and will it even be possible to travel as we know it in 50 years‘ time? If we do not take care of the problems immediately, contaminated water, microplastics and excessive Co2 pollution will make this impossible. Overtourism as such is a symptom of globalization and can only be mitigated, if everyone who has the privilege of travelling for leisure starts to think about the effects of their actions. But how can people be mobilised and confronted with the issues, even if they do not feel like it?
The implementation of an aesthetically interesting and critical object manifesting in a form known to tourists: Souvenirs. This approach is a suitable way to start an informal confrontation. Expressed through t-shirts, pens, mugs and bags – tourists can bring a piece of the problem they created back home.
Henriette Grell Design 