Where in the past, performing magical spells has been negatively associated with witches, today witchcraft and it’s visual and social characteristics get reinvented by feminist activism. Western society historically tends to label the seemingly unexplainable with the term magic and we still see this when talking about the latest technological progress and artificial intelligence.

We invite you to delve into the intersections of design and magic. Join the festival, organized by design students of the MA Design of the HKB.

11:00 – Workshop
Susana Francisco
The Monster Needs Friends
The project evokes the memory of experiences in their village, reflecting her inclination towards work that departs from common sense and seeks a critical and innovative approach.
In her workshop, she invites the participants to become allies in the search for a queer and feminist graphic design and to participate in constructing the Monstrous Patchwork [Manta Monstro].
Please register for the workshop via madfestival@hkb.bfh.ch until 17.10.

14:00 – Introduction
Vera Sacchetti
Interweaving Design and Magic
What does design have to do with magic? The field of design has expanded its disciplinary boundaries throughout recent history, weaving relationships with different and unexpected worlds and dimensions. With the help of the critical and sharp eye of curator, critic and design lecturer Vera Sacchetti, the theme of the festival will be introduced and framed.

14:40 – Lecture
Joost van Wijmen / Encounter Foundation
Superhero or Designzero?
Social Design and Care: A Reality Check
More and more social designers are being deployed in healthcare in the Netherlands. But what does this exchange actually require from all those who are involved, and are they able to deliver it? ENCOUNTER#9 critically questions the role and actions of designers in healthcare. Joost van Wijmen of The ENCOUNTER Foundation designs interventions to explore social interactions. To do so, he deploys the changing body and its impact on one’s own identity and mutual relationships. These designs are transferred into social design projects within the context of health and care.

15:20 – Lecture
Yann Martins
The Future is Magical Programming Paradigm
Exploring the many ways in which magic and dominant forms of AI entangle with one another. From the Fisiognomic Horoscope, a device that could assess someone’s horoscope sign based on face-landmarks detection to machine learning as a predictive tool to look into the future, based on past data.

16:10 – Lecture
Paloma Ayala and Melody (Melo) Chua
River Oracle – Water Bodies as Guiding Beings
The River Oracle is an art project meant to be a tool to situate ourselves as humans in our relationship with water bodies. As a methodology of thought, the River Oracle is a way to develop artistic work in a situated practice that emphasizes our connections to the more-than-human. Created by visual artists Paloma Ayala, Anne-Laure Franchette, and Riikka Tauriainen and sound artists Melody Chua and Kay Zhang, this project situates on river shores, hydroelectric plants, and various ports along the Rhine River.

16:50 – Q&A / Panel discussion

17:45 – Lecture and Tasting
Chris Santiago
Spirits of Resilience
Through his films, Chris raises awareness and promotes activism, exemplified by his focus on the struggles of the Wixrarika people protecting their sacred lands from mining. He personally journeys into Wixrarika tribe’s shamanic traditions and an ancestral path, while exploring how multicultural design practices shape his creativity.

The festival will be held in English and will be free of charge.