Soft Iteration - designart.unibz.it

Degree Project

Your project title goes here

Sven Kammerer

Student

Sven Kammerer

Course

Master in Eco Social Design Laurea / Abschluss 25.1

Program

MA Eco-Social Design

Semester

2024/25 SS

Soft Iteration:
Designing Response-ability Formats
among Museums and its Communities

How can museums build deeper, more meaningful relationships with their communities while staying adaptable in a rapidly changing world? This project explores soft iteration—a dynamic, responsive framework for fostering accountability and shared responsibility between museums and their ecosystems.

Through a participatory action research approach, the project collaborates with Museion and Museion Art Club in Bolzano, Italy, experimenting with new governance structures and participatory practices. By blending design-based inquiry, collaborative workshops, and reflective journaling, the research uncovers ways museums can move beyond rigid, top-down accountability metrics toward more relational and trust-based approaches.

<p><span>Illustration: Abel Dijkstra</span></p> — Illustration: Abel Dijkstra

Key tools developed include Open Forums, an interactive archive, and a relational object—all designed to encourage dialogue, mutual learning, and co-creation between institutions and their communities. The findings highlight the power of relational accountability, emphasizing care, adaptability, and continuous engagement over static institutional frameworks.

<p>Fanzine Workshop <br><br>Photo: Vivien Büchele</p> — Fanzine Workshop

Photo: Vivien Büchele

This project contributes to the evolving conversation on museum transformation, proposing a compassionate and flexible model for institutional change. By embracing ambiguity and ongoing iteration, museums can cultivate relationships that are not only more meaningful but also truly responsive to societal shifts.