My name is Alessandro, and I am a visual designer specializing in social design methodologies. I embarked on my EYE project with Philip Horst, co-founder of ZK/U (Center for Art and Urbanistics) in Berlin because I wanted to gain hands-on experience in artistic and organizational work within urban and social contexts.
ZK/U develops a wide range of projects and formats that engage diverse audiences, including local neighbourhoods, citizens-activation, and art/architecture audiences across Berlin and Germany. Being part of such an interdisciplinary environment allowed me to experience how artistic practice can actively contribute to social change.
My main work during the EYE project revolved around the design and facilitation of Convivial Commons Assemblies, a project in which humans and non-human actors co-design and co–create together an alternative governance model ( AI agents represented five non-human entities: a fox, a maple tree, fungi, rain, and a worker bee).
This project involved a broad range of responsibilities. I designed the social interactions and participatory methods of the assemblies, co-developed their content and objectives, and produced the physical elements needed to make the events happen. This included graphic design, carpentry, exhibition and installation setup, as well as video and photo documentation. I also digitized the outcomes of each assembly using Miro boards and contributed to the continuous iteration and improvement of the workshop format based on participants’ feedback and the insights generated.
This experience has been truly transformative for me. Working on such an ambitious project, both artistically and socially, gave me the opportunity to be involved in every stage of the process, from the initial set up and concept of the assemblies, to its implementation and evaluation of the iterations. For me, being directly engaged throughout the entire project on the front line has been, I believe, the most valuable aspect of this experience.
I have the feeling I have developed greater confidence in leading complex, long-term projects and strengthened my ability to “zoom” between details and overall view/strategic thinking. I have also gained more experience in coordinating different types of work, collaborating across disciplines, and adapting design processes in response to emerging challenges (production, carpentry, film, workshop design and coordination, and design research).
Most importantly, this experience gave me a unique understanding of how an arts organization can generate meaningful social change. Rather than simply observing these processes, I was an active team player, which allowed me to gain insights that will continue to inform my future work.