Bright Cityscapes publication launch and conference

Bright Cityscapes culminates its multifaceted exploration of Timișoara, manufacturing and design on November 11. The finals days of the Turn Signals—Design is not a Dashboard exhibition include a conference and publication launch on November 8.

Curated by Martina Muzi, Bright Cityscapes is a multifaceted programme that over the course of 2023 has commissioned original research and supported multidisciplinary teams to develop projects that use design for investigation, aiming to engage Timișoara’s manufacturing and academic ecosystems to transition from incidental design. It is the result of a novel collaboration between the Politehnica University of Timișoara and FABER, facilitated by the Timișoara Creative Capital of Europe programme.

The Bright Cityscape publication serves as a window into the various processes that underpinned the programme, which has thrived on continuous dialogue. Throughout the programme organisers, researchers, designers and the city itself have engaged in a vibrant exchange of ideas through exhibitions, workshops, research, collaborations, residencies, events, and more. Based on this exchange, the publication offers insights into how design can intersect with different aspects of a city’s life, revealing the interconnectedness of urban environments. 

The publication features contributions and interviews, as well as extensive documentation of the exhibitions and projects. It includes Vlad Alexe, Versavia Ancușa, Vlad Bejinaru, Negar Sanaan Bensi, Théophile Blandet, Cristian Blidariu, Laurin Bohm, Cinzia Bongino, Ioan Both, Cristina Cochior, Anamaria Degău, Louella Exton, Loredana Gaiță, Jing He, Vanessa Heider, Raul Ionel, Joshua Jerome, Kajet, Richard Temple Kingston, Petar Kukec, Denisa Landler and Edward Kiss, Flora Lechner, Guilemette Legrand, Alina Lupu, Martina Muzi, Simone C Niquille, Parasite 2.0, Norbert Petrovici, Santiago Reyes Villaveces, Bianca Schick, Oana Simionescu, Cristina-Sorina Stângaciu, Anastasia Stolearenco and Mihaela Tilincă.

Presented not only as an archive of these conversations, the publication is an invitation to extend the dialogue further. As such, it is designed as a print-digital hybrid. The content is available open source through the brightcityscapes.eu platform. A limited-edition print run presents the content in a physical edition that can circulate throughout Timișoara and beyond to spark further conversations. 

The publication will be launched through a conference on November 8. Speakers include Joseph Grima, Saskia van Stein, Norbert Petrovici, and Bright Cityscapes curator Martina Muzi. 

On November 11, the flagship Bright Cityscapes exhibition will close. Turn Signals—Design is not a Dashboard presented projects that explored the collaborative capacities of design to transcend manufacturing conventions and to ignite a transformative trajectory for Timișoara’s creative ecosystem. The projects are the results of collaborations between design practitioners and local academics, institutions, factories, and communities. 

The Bright Cityscapes programme is funded by Timișoara City through the Center for Projects, The Romanian Order of Architects, and The Flex and Alber foundations, and is supported by Azur, Banca Transilvania, Continental, Flex România, Hamilton, Honeywell, Nokia, Vivalia and Autonom.