In the preliminary course at the Bauhaus, students experimented freely with colour, form and material in order to become familiar with and grasp the basic principles of design. The Bauhaus-Archiv’s workshops adopt this approach. They combine discussion of specific objects and themes in the museum with practical work. How exactly does the linear structure of a tubular steel chair by Marcel Breuer work? This is easiest to understand not only by looking at the chair, but also by drawing it and attempting to make a copy of it – with the aid of wire and textile adhesive tape. Thus, old and young workshop visitors get into the spirit of the design process – and eventually develop their own, new ideas.
In this way, the workshops convey the basics of material properties, composition and colour theory. “Taking lines for a walk”, “The world of light and shadow” or “Balancing objects” are just a few of the workshop themes.
In the framework of the holiday programmes, visitors can learn about these themes in greater depth. Here over a number of days, the workshop participants form a small community and, at the end, present the fruits of their labour to their parents in an exhibition. Another venue for practical work is provided by the cooperation partner JugendKulturZentrum PUMPE, where children, for instance, make their own photograms based on the work of the Bauhaus master Lászlò Moholy-Nagy. The Bauhaus-Archiv’s team was so impressed with the results that the photograms are now on show in rotation in the corridor of the museum.
The workshops and holiday programmes are offered in cooperation with Jugend im Museum e.V. To find out about the specific themes and dates, visit www.bauhaus.de and www.jugend-im-museum.de.