Interface Desk or against Thinking in Categories

The desk appears commonly appears so familiar and normal as part of our everyday culture and experience, that we use it over and over without sparing it a thought. Although—or perhaps because—it is indispensable, its function does not seem worthy of any commentary, and its cultural history remains unwritten.

The exhibition Schnittstelle Schreibtisch oder Wider ein Denken in Schubladen, as probably the first exhibition on the theme ever, focuses on the desk from the perspectives of cultural history as well as media studies, thereby discovering it as a playing field of creativity and a drill grounds of discipline just as much as a pioneer of new corporate cultures and stepping stone to digital revolutions. The desk will be presented in a variety of sections as a strong medium and explored beyond that will be the question what else might be thought of as a "desk," including that which goes beyond our categorical thinking. The most enigmatic facets from the world of the desk will be available to marvel at and study here: from real pieces of furniture through to epoch-making computers, from tin toys to board games, film clips to photo art.

A DVD accompanying the exhibition will be published in 2009 by Universi Verlag.