Creativity and challenging outdated ways of thinking are crucial to a city's economy and growth. Creative thinking and behavior lead to new ideas and innovations. This is also one of the reasons why the Munich Urban Colab is located in Munich's Creative Quarter - in an experimental and dynamic environment. The Faculty of Design at Munich‘s University of Applied Sciences, schwere reiter and Utopia are located nearby. The Jutierhalle and Tonnenhalle next door are also going to be renovated for cultural use.
In order to strengthen ties with the creative scene and promote the implementation of good ideas, the Munich Urban Colab, the City of Munich and the MakerSpace awarded ten scholarships to artists and creatives for the first time in 2023 - leading to impressive project results.
High-Tech Workshop MakerSpace: a paradise for creative minds
The 1,200 square meter high-tech workshop MakerSpace, which is part of UnternehmerTUM and located in the Munich Urban Colab, offers a true paradise for artists and creatives: in addition to modern 3D printers, laser cutters and various machines in the wood workshop and electronics laboratory, there is also a textile workshop and laboratories for IoT and robotics. "With our technical and infrastructural equipment, we are definitely unique in Europe," says Florian Küster from the MakerSpace team. These technical possibilities enable creative people to create new forms and ever more complex works of art. This means that art and technology are not contradictory, but have a close and productive relationship.
There is great interest in Munich's creative scene, as shown by the response received to the call for applications for the scholarships. The entire diversity of the industry was represented, from installation artists and product designers to graffiti artists – more than 50 applications for the scholarships were submitted. A jury - including representatives from the Department of Arts and Culture and the Department of Labor and Economic Development - selected the winners. Take a look at three of the projects.
Craft meets high-tech: Interior design objects by Paula Garcia de Salazar Irurita
Paula Garcia de Salazar Irurita combines traditional craft techniques with modern technology to create what she calls contemporary handicraft. For her design studio RAIIZ, she searches for beauty in everyday life and creates objects that transform spaces into welcoming places. She makes lamps, mirrors and wall art. As part of her scholarship, she designed a new collection for her brand within six months.
"First, I draw a hand sketch of the idea and how I want to implement it. I design the parts in software and then make them on the laser cutter in the MakerSpace. The materials I use are wood and acrylic glass," she says. Each object is unique, but can be customized and made to measure by choosing the size and color. She finds inspiration in architecture and books, but also in Munich itself. "Some of the colors I use, for example, come from the facades of houses in Munich."
After her scholarship, the Spanish-born designer also collaborated with Spanish furniture manufacturer esPattio, who designed some areas in the Munich Urban Colab and developed new work concepts - a perfect match for both sides.
Experience stories and visions of the future: Project Mapping by André Eckert
"I want to bring stories and visions of the future to life". This is how André Eckert describes his project, in which he explores the fascinating field of Project Mapping. A technique in which a projector can be used to illuminate any structured surface and bring it to life - in his case, a small figure. As a first step, he designed the figure on paper and then used the laser cutter to create a first prototype in the MakerSpace. This prototype can be used to project dynamic content, and the combination of light, color, motion and sound creates an immersive experience.
The six-month scholarship was not enough to complete the ambitious project. In the end, however, André Eckert was able to present a first animation at the Munich Urban Colab that showed the potential of motion design and project mapping. "Many high-tech machines are not easy to find in Munich and beyond, but the infrastructure in the MakerSpace made the realization of this prototype possible." You can find out more about his work as art director and founder of Micropol on his website: www.micropol.de
Urban art: Joerg Solzbacher immortalizes Freddie Mercury in front of the Munich Urban Colab
Anyone walking through Munich will come across the art of Joerg Solzbacher. He created the portrait of Freddie Mercury on the old public toilet building at Munich's Holzplatz. He was also involved in the impressive facade design of Sugar Mountain where he and his team from graphism realized the design of London artist Lakwena Maciver. Together with Anna Sette and Karim Dabbèche, he also designed and realized the 220 square meter urban art painting on the facade of the Leonrodhaus, just a few meters away from the Munich Urban Colab. The focus of his work is the design of public spaces. During his scholarship, he focused on designing facades with stencils.
"Public space tends to be desolate, gray or covered with tags. In my project, I focused on developing camouflage-like patterns that make monotonous surfaces and buildings more exciting and beautiful." He used the MakerSpace's laser cutters and cutting plotters to create stencils for different patterns and fonts. He experimented with different materials for his spray stencils.
When he presented the results of his scholarship at the end of 2023, he came up with an idea: The Tonnenhalle, located right next to the Munich Urban Colab, will be renovated to create a venue with a multifunctional hall, dance studios, offices and a restaurant area, among other things. A construction fence separates the building site from the Munich Urban Colab. Why not redesign the fence with the stencils?
Said and done: Joerg Solzbacher and his team from graphism came up with a design that prominently features Freddie Mercury and his iconic song "Play the Game". But why Freddie? The legendary musician stands for creativity and freedom, but above all the design is a direct reference to the unique location of the Munich Urban Colab. Step by step it was primed, patterned and sprayed by hand. The result is a fantastic piece of art that makes Freddie-Mercury-Straße even more vibrant and colorful.
The flagship project was sponsored by the Department of Art and Culture of the City of Munich under the direction of Anton Biebl.
Next round of scholarships
This year, ten scholarships have again been awarded to talented artists who began working on their ideas and visions in August.
"Artists and creatives have a different way of looking at things, a different approach: 'out of the box', unbiased, crossing boundaries and at the same time creating something aesthetic. Thanks to these characteristics, the scholarships at Munich Urban Colab were and are a win-win situation for both sides: the artists and creatives use the technical possibilities of the MakerSpace to further develop their own projects. At the same time, these creatives inspire the community at the Munich Urban Colab," says Susanne Mitterer, Deputy Head of the Cultural and Creative Industries Competence Team of the City of Munich, explaining the continuation of the scholarships.
In addition, the exchange with the creative industry will continue to be intensified through regular pop-up exhibitions and events - such as the panel discussion on the topic of “Creative City” as part of Munich Creative Business Week.
