What does it feel like to spend months in a protest camp? What motivates people to occupy trees to oppose large-scale construction projects? And how can complex social negotiation processes be made visible without assigning blame? These are the questions addressed by the immersive exhibition "Occupying Trees – Living in Barricades in Pondtown," a semester project by Leon Heitmann, Lea Noa Wäcken, and Ricardo Huch from the HAWK Design Faculty in Hildesheim, created under the supervision of Prof. Christian Mahler.
From the protest camp to the exhibition
For their innovative exhibition concept, the designers have now received an award at the prestigious "neuland" competition for emerging talent, organized by the aed Association for the Promotion of Architecture, Engineering and Design in Stuttgart. In January 2024, the police began clearing the "Tümpeltown" climate occupation in the Leinemasch area – a protest against the expansion of the southern expressway in Hanover. For months, the students accompanied the activist group in their daily lives amidst mud, treetops, action, and endurance. They drew on various media forms of expression: an impressive photo series, a reportage, and an interactive 360-degree tour offer diverse perspectives on the protest.
The highlight of the exhibition is a meticulously furnished treehouse, in whose intimate setting the animated film "Occupying Trees," based on 3D scans of the site, can be viewed projected onto the ceiling. This interplay of media provides an immersive experience that is emotionally engaging without being moralizing.
Jury statement recognises precise design
The jury of the aed neuland competition emphasized in its statement: “What at first glance appears improvised turns out to be a precisely chosen form for a complex topic. The result is a documentary work that is deeply moving without being judgmental. The exhibition makes accessible a perspective that media reports cannot convey: unvarnished, impressive, and relevant.”
Social discourse through design
The project exemplifies the goals of the aed young talent competition: design at the highest level that creates social value and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. Through its immersive narrative, "Occupying Trees – Barricade Living in Pondtown" contributes to greater empathy and understanding in society's handling of conflicts surrounding climate protection and urban development.
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