visual intelligence

Exhibition design for Standin Solidarity! – Black Resistance and Global Anti-Colonialism, 1919–1933

The visual concept of this exhibition ties into the visual language of the Dekoloniale exhibition "Trotz allem!" (2022) at the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Museum. Instead of an extensive network of multilayered rhizomes, a close-up of a single rhizome is now presented. In this "zoom in", the various branching paths, fractures, and movements of the pre-war years in Berlin become visible; additionally, a spatial interpretation of the time-focused narrative unfolds.
The creative approach to the imagery examines how close-ups of certain gestures or facial expressions can represent moments of resistance and solidarity. These snapshots are enlarged and combined with contrasting headlines. The font "Martin," digitalized from the protest posters of the "Memphis Sanitation Strike," serves as a central element.
As initiated in the first Dekoloniale exhibition "zurückgeschaut" at the Museum Treptow (2021), graphical elements are intended to disrupt the flow of reading at points where colonial racist and Eurocentric concepts are (re)produced. This visual strategy aims not to erase but to irritate, mark, and overwrite problematic terms and (re)traumatizing histories.

"A rhizome has neither beginning nor end, but always a middle from which it grows and overflows." (Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari, 1980)

Services/Expertise
— Scenography
— Key Visual
— Graphic Design
— Conception

Year
— 2023

Design Team
— Danielle Rosales
— Robin Coenen
— Alisa Verzhbitskaya
— Lara Liske
— Moritz Weber (Productdesign)

Exhibition design for Standin Solidarity! – Black Resistance and Global Anti-Colonialism, 1919–1933

"A rhizome has neither beginning nor end, but always a middle from which it grows and overflows." (Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari, 1980)

Services/Expertise
— Scenography
— Key Visual
— Graphic Design
— Conception

Year
— 2023

Design Team
— Danielle Rosales
— Robin Coenen
— Alisa Verzhbitskaya
— Lara Liske
— Moritz Weber (Productdesign)

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Rosales & Coenen
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10559 Berlin

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we use strategies scenography, exhibition and spatial design to convey complex information in an informative and playful manner

scenography and exhibition design
we design spatial storytelling forms to translate narratives effectively within public spaces.

curation & consultation
we bring diverse expertise in curating complex content across various spaces, adapting to unique contextual needs. our consulting services for clients like museums focus on understanding and sensitively translating representation, especially for complex topics.

visual representation & conception
we create adaptable visual languages that evolve with each project and fit diverse environments. our work emphasizes conceptual expertise, grounded in studies, field research, and content-driven visuals.

urban interventions & experimental design
we embrace an experimental approach to develop innovative representation strategies, valuing discovery through trial and error (iterative design process). this process allows us to uncover alternative approaches and innovative visual solutions.

The Spatial Departement is directed by Sociologist and Designer Danielle Rosales. Both, Spatial and Data Department, are complementing each other through an inter-disciplinary approach

we develop visual languages as living systems—combining thoughtful design with strategic insight to support cultural institutions, academic projects, and growing companies alike.

visual languages & ecosystems
we create visual languages that function as living systems—modular, scalable, and adaptable across disciplines. our work moves beyond traditional branding: instead of static identities, we develop dynamic visual grammars that can be applied to any medium or format.

this approach makes recognition and coherence possible without rigidity. it also ensures accessibility: our systems are designed not only for professional designers, but also for researchers, students, and civic actors who want to communicate through them.

collaborative process
our method is collaborative and iterative. we work closely with academic and cultural institutions as well as startups, aligning thoughtful design with strategic insight. every project becomes a shared process of exploring participation, visibility, and responsibility.

critical design perspective
we recognize that visual representation is never neutral. images shape perception, authority, and access to knowledge. this awareness informs our practice: design is not only form, but also content—an engagement with questions of inclusion and knowledge transfer.

documentation & continuity
we document both process and results so that visual languages remain useful, adaptable, and ready to evolve with new partners or future phases of a project.

future proof design
our approach transforms complexity into clarity. we help organizations communicate in ways that are both recognizable and accessible—internally with teams and externally with diverse audiences. in this way, we support growth, adaptability, and long-term recognition across every touchpoint.

Directed by Danielle Rosales ( sociologist & designer) and Robin Coenen (Informationdesigner and Data Engineer)

We use Information design to make complexity accessible and readable.

our expertise in information design is not tied to any one format or medium; we have expertise from crafting complex data-structures of an online archive to designing hand colored cartographies for print.

civic-tech & data driven design +

we leverage data-driven design to create civic-tech solutions that empower communities, drive transparency, and support social or academic innovation.

data visualization & visual languages +

we consciously move away from traditional branding, instead creating dynamic visual languages that work as flexible visual systems. this approach allows us to develop a unique visual "grammar" that can evolve across various modules—from logos to social media campaigns, posters to websites or data visualizations.

we bridge the gap between science and the public, between complexity and accessibility. our visualization strategies transform research into accessible, compelling narratives and experiences.

we conceptionize and design structured information systems that organize and preserve knowledge, making it easy to navigate and engaging to use through our expertise in visual design.

science communication & knowledge transfer +

archival- & information architecture +

The Data Departement is directed by Robin Coenen, Informationdesigner and Data Engineer with 10 years Experience in the Field.