Special exhibition Social changes

Globalization, climate catastrophe, financial crisis, knowledge society­­­­, population explosion­­­­­­, social inequality...
As a spontaneous selection of the catchwords found in the language of the media - and the complex processes these terms attempt to convey - makes clear, the world, and its societies and individuals, are in the midst of sweeping change. Transformation has become an omnipresent and constant feature of the landscape. Preparedness for change, flexibility and mobility on the part of the individual are a requirement and an ideal of our performance-oriented society­­­­. And apparently this change is accelerating, demanding even more adaptive talent: our societies in Europe are rapidly aging, while those in other parts of the world are growing, and growing younger, just as quickly.

Global knowledge has doubled over the course of the past 15-20 years, as has international air traffic. All those who wish to share in transforming the world are constantly linked with one another in real-time. We have come to realize that knowledge is just as important to the continued development of societies as water and bread are. What is the state of our systems for imparting knowledge - education, which forms the basis for the knowledge­­­­ management of tomorrow? We have also come to realize that the Earth is not an inexhaustible commodity for more and more people.

The transformative change in which we lead our lives, our future, has many facets and presents many challenges­­­­­ - in the "Societal Changes" zone, innovations of interior offers select examples that show how architects, interior designers and designers are coming to terms with these challenges­­­­­ - from the "Silver Generation" to "Globalization," from "Mobility" to "Sustainability," from the "Female Shift" to "New Work."

Prof. Ulrich Nether

Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe - www.hs-owl.de - www.netherblu.com
ulrich.nether@hs-owl.de - Tel.: +49.5231.769.637