CODE is an international programme bringing together designers, artists, non-artists, politicians, policy makers and researchers from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands to engage in dialogue, critical discussion and artistic intervention. We want to get people in the right mindset and create awareness for the important digital challenges of our time. 

The theme for this year’s DDW is: “Get Set.” As Creative Head of DDW22 Miriam van der Lubbe explains: “Get Set means we – as designers, as citizens – must get in the right mindset. It’s where we are now at this moment. But we have to brace ourselves for what is coming. We’re facing enormous challenges like the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, inequality, and many other social challenges. To make changes together, we must get set for the right mindset!”

When it comes to digital rights: how do we Get Set? What can we as concerned citizens, designers, artists and researchers do? How can we influence politics to fight for better legislation that will protect us as digital citizens and consumers? 

Over the last months we worked with 22 participants in a series of workshops, hackathons and other public events. Working in cross-disciplinary teams, the participants developed creative interventions and awareness campaigns to expose the power of tech companies and to activate politicians, policymakers and citizens to take action.

During the DDW week we present a selection of these interventions. From a game to experience the power of lobbyists, to an interactive installation about the way we are constantly being tracked online, all the interventions are intended to engage and activate the DDW audience in a creative and playful way.

Read more about the CODE projects:

• HeLi-AI, with: Anastasiia Belousova (DE), Pauline Vantilt (NL) and Shruthi Venkat (NL)
• Logging into Identity, with: Omar Adel (DE), Swaeny Nina Kersaan (NL) and Anya Shchetvina (DE)
• Atlas of ID, with Michaela Stubbers (BE), Bart Vandeput (BE) and Fanny Zaman (BE)
• DSMA UnLtd., with Funda Zeynep Ayguler (DE), Katia Sophia Ditzler (DE), Vo Ezn (NL), Elena Falomo (DE) and Guillaume Slizewicz (BE)
• Physio·gnomy, with Greeshma Chauhan (NL), Arina Kapitanova (DE), Deniz Kurt (NL), Michael Zerba (NL) and Xsenofemme (Ginevra Petrozzi, Ines Borovac) (NL)

CODE at the Dutch Design Week is the fourth in a series of public presentations in 2022 at, amongst others, Ars Electronica (7–11 September), Uitfeest Utrecht (11 September) and the Dutch Media Week (3–9 October).

Find out more here

CODE 2022 is a collaboration between IMPAKT [Centre for Media Culture] (Utrecht), School of Machines, Making & Make Believe (Berlin), Werktank (Leuven) and Privacy Salon (Brussels/Antwerp). With the support of the Creative Industries Fund NL, City of Utrecht, Democracy and Media Fund, Fonds Soziokultur, Cultural Participation Fund, the Dutch Embassy in Belgium (Brussels), the Dutch Embassy in Germany (Berlin) and the Goethe Institut.