"What should the surface of a city look like?"

Our cities are still defined by urban structures established many centuries ago, sometimes dating back to Roman times, more often shaped in the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution. However, our world is changing rapidly. Surfaces are always the result of the underlying principles. Are the solutions of the past still viable today, especially in face of technological advances of post-modern societies such as the internet? I’m interested in how urban environments, architectural and transportation concepts can be made more responsive to the needs of its current inhabitants. How cities can become more useful, sustainable and flexible. But: Growth and prosperity are limited more than ever. Cities will have to adjust to this. How will this affect the city’s surfaces in the future? Start to imagine!

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Mario
Lombardo

Mario Lombardo (*1972, Rosario, Argentinia) is one of Germanys most relevant graphic designers. His characteristic talent for melding emotional intensity with an intelligent design approach makes his work simultaneously some of the most significant being produced today and timeless. Lombardos multifaceted repertoire includes works for clients such as Berlin Biennale, Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, KaDeWe, Sony Music, Mercedes-Benz and Art Direction for publications such as SPEX, Lieblingand Dummy. In 2010 Gestalten published the monograph: The Tender Spot The Graphic Design of Mario Lombardo. Mario Lombardo lives and works in Berlin.

Nathan
Vincent

Nathan Vincent is an artist living and working in New York, USA. Vincent works across disciplines but has been focusing mainly in fiber arts, drawing, and street art. He has shown in museums and galleries internationally. Vincent has work in several major collections and has been highlighted in magazines and books as well as several television shows.

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I have been interested in the way cities are built in layers for years. Ancient civilizations built one on top of another and modern cities sometimes do the same, burying the old to make room for the new. After moving to New York I was surprised to learn that there is an entire underworld below us, beyond just the subway system. Basements that are connected, buildings that have “sunk”, and of course the buildings that are demolished to make room for new shiny buildings.

manhole covers seem like a portal to the underworld

I love the idea of walking and driving around on the streets of New York, with an entire world beneath us. Manhole covers always seem like a portal to the underworld of New York- something hidden, something mysterious, the connection between the past and the present.