Andries de Lange (Germany)

BIO//

Andries De Lange is a social designer, and craftsman based in Berlin, who combines and activates collaborative design, practical learning, and social methods to bring awareness about consumption, waste, upcycling, and contemporary community subjects. He believes that designing and building is a way of connecting people, ecosystems, and social issues in a critical, and progressive way. For him, to design is to build a more emphatic future for humans, and non-humans, based on local materials and non-extractivist practices, that can regenerate different layers of society, through ecological, cultural, and joyful approaches.

PROJECT//

Andries De Lange seeked to immerse himself in the layered historical narratives of Narva, with a particular focus on the labour and manufacturing heritage of the Kreenholm Factory—a cornerstone that has shaped the city’s identity. Through discovery, active listening, and collaboration, he aimed to gather artefacts and storylines, weaving them into an exploration of the intricate connections between Narva’s past and present.

By envisioning both the historical and speculative futures, Andries aimed to spark imagination and inspire hopes for what lies ahead. The approach is playful and exploratory, using creativity as a means to reimagine possibilities. He intended to engage with the close surroundings, uncovering how diverse cultural backgrounds influence the city’s evolving identity. His plans included activating underutilized urban spaces and fostering interconnections, through participatory public interventions.

Drawing on the universal languages of food, shared meals, collaborative building, and collective exploration, Andries aspires to cultivate new relationships and strengthen communal bonds. These creative practices will serve as a catalyst for dialogue, bringing people together to shape or imagination.

*This project has been supported by Culture Moves Europe, an initiative of the Goethe-Institut funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.