The Other Is My Narrative - Frankfurter Akademie für Kommunikation und Design

The Other Is My Narrative

The Other Is My Narrative unfolds at the intersection of design and socio-political questions, co-tutored by designer Anna-Paula Wichert and sociologist Johann Erdmann. Developed during the summer semester of 2025, the project invited students to craft experimental spaces of encounter or settings designed to reflect one’s own experience through the lens of the Other.

In an environment of democratic disconnection and increasing social fragmentation, the project seeks to explore how our shared spaces can activate collective consciousness and cultivate empathy. Students collaboratively developed methods of visual and performative translation to convey personal and collective narratives across boundaries of language, identity, and ability.

At its core, the project asks questions such as how do belonging and community emerge in a world shaped by visible and invisible borders? Or how can vibration serve as a universal language — one that fosters connection between people with and without disabilities?

These questions challenge us to confront the often-unseen structures of privilege and exclusion, encouraging a deeper reflection on social processes many take for granted. Each student-led project acts as an inquiry into purposeful togetherness, reimagining the role of the individual within contemporary society.

The Other Is My Narrative is conceived as a sketch for a future public event in the city of Frankfurt, where citizen participation will play a vital role in generating dialogue and opening new pathways toward shared understanding.

The project is part of the Democracy Academy initiative.

Project Sketch