Am 16.8. eröffnete die Design Biennale „New Talents“ im Kölner Rheinauhafen. Im Zuge dessen wurde auch die Talking Towers Videoinstallation das erste Mal öffentlich gezeigt. Die Besucher interagierten begeistert mit der Installation.

Tom Bieling

Dipl.-Des. (FH) Tom Bieling studied Design in Cologne (KISD) and Curitiba (UFPR, Brasil).
In his work he focuses on cultural practices especially by means of (body-) language, signs, social dynamics, as well as perception of image and behaviour of reading. Furthermore he has been researching about the impact and relevance of demographic and socio-cultural categories on form and practice of design (process), as well as its effects on usage and practical use of design within these categories. He is currently working as a designer and design research scientist (Ph.D. candidate) at the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories in Berlin. He is also founding member of the DRNetwork (Design Research Network). In autumn 2008 his book gender puppets will be published.
Contact: tom.bieling(at)telekom.de

Ole Heydekamp

Contact: ole(at)zelmerheydekamp.de

Thomas Klotsche

Dipl.-Des. (FH) Thomas Klotsche studied design at the KISD in Cologne, after having graduated his apprenticeship as the best all over the nation and after having graduated a qualification at the academy for design. His work focuses upon the area of product and industrial design, but on the basis of his interdisciplinary study he reveals his skills in many other design subjects. Design doesn’t only mean to him to style products but particularly to consider multifaceted using circumstances. He started his business career as a freelancer while still a student. Today he works as a selfemployed designer, amongst others for clients as Gothaer insurance or Deutsche Telekom.
Contact: willkommen(at)klotschedesign.de

Dipl. Des. (FH) Tobias Zelmer studied Design at the Köln International School of Design and the Universidade Federal do Paraná in Curitiba in Brasil. After having graduated in 2007 he founded the design studio ZelmerHeydekamp together with Ole Heydekamp in Cologne. In 2008 both partners established the fashion label LeQoupClothing focussing on the t-shirt phenomenon and its function as a medium of communication and expression. Since 2008 he has been working for Deutsche Telekom in the area of graphic design for communication and information technologies as well as visual design.
Contact: tobias(at)zelmerheydekamp.de

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By means of interacting, the visitor is able to influence sequences of video projections. Thus, interplay of action and reaction between the real and virtual person takes place, as well as interplay between real and virtual individuals among each other.

Protagonists are transferred into foreign, familiar, distorted or bizarre worlds. Desire and veracity are just as impeded as things being graspable and (un-)conceivable. The human image as an allegory for representation of agility is in the focus of architectural scenery and exemplifies that what with structural engineering visions and superlatives, the human being still takes centre stage. His actions however, experience a projection back to virtuality. Human and technology, nature and artefact are in one dialogue. They have been coalesced for a long time.

The matter is pointed metaphorically and now up for discussion:
How „real“ are virtual things and how virtual is „reality“. Furthermore a convergence of the new Rheinauhafen to its urban environment takes place: the virtual presence on the window screens is signalizing:
The (human being at the) Rheinauhafen looks at Cologne and vice versa. A (re)start of an intimate friendship. The visitor becomes part of the premises (at least temporary and virtually), that would probably be a mystery to him otherwise. Human beings ought to be a part of the harbour, the harbour an open medium.