News, DOMiDLabs
Participatory museum design: what we have learned from the DOMiDLabs
Over the next few years, the Museum Selma will be built in the heart of Cologne's Kalk district. People from the urban community should be involved in the development process of the migration museum at an early stage. To this end, DOMiD and the German Federal Cultural Foundation launched the project DOMiDLabs: Labs for Participatory Museum Design in 2021. The aim of the project was to develop design concepts together with different people in four labs based on various topics.
Each lab ran for around eleven months and ended with an exhibition at various locations in Cologne. In the exhibitions, the ideas and results of the labs were presented to the public and tested and commented on by visitors.
The lab teams dealt with a variety of questions: How can people meet in a museum? How can a museum respond to current debates? How can topics and stories be exhibited respectfully?
The answers gained will help DOMiD to create an appealing and diverse museum. And: DOMiD has collected the lessons learnt from the project team's collaboration with various participants, curators, scenographers and spaces. The online brochure summarises how we prepared, launched and implemented a project using participation as a compass, resulting in a joint, participatory exhibition.
DOMiDLabs was funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation from 2021 to 2024.
