Public Matter(s): Design and Democracy

Everything is designed

We rarely stop to think about it, but everything around us, including our democracy, has been designed. It goes far beyond the red pencil in the voting booth or the architecture of parliament buildings. The invisible rules that shape political systems have also been imagined, designed and built.

Design is what keeps democracy running, or sometimes causes it to falter.

From ballot papers to a voice for nature

Discover how design turns political ideas into reality. The exhibition looks beyond familiar democratic systems and explores alternatives.

What if citizens were selected by lottery? How might we design an ecocracy in which nature also has constitutional rights?

The cracks in the design

Good design should be inclusive, yet reality often tells a different story. The exhibition asks a pressing question: who was our democracy actually designed for?

It highlights how many people continue to be excluded because of gender, background or nationality, and explores what happens when people no longer feel represented. From the creative energy of protest and activism to the darker sides of extremism and public disillusionment.

Train your democratic muscles

Democracy is not a fixed system. It is something we practise every day. Public Matter(s): Design and Democracy invites you to look beyond today's challenges and discover how you can actively shape the future of democracy. And thanks to The Democracy Workout, you get to take action yourself and train your democratic muscles, such as active listening, curiosity, and empathy.