Hello, my name is Mara Recklies. I am a philosopher with a particular interest in the political dimensions of design. Currently I’m a research associate at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle.
One of my main areas of research is political design epistemology. I am interested in how socio-cultural and political power relations affect design knowledge or -discourses and, from there, influence design practice. Power-critical approaches such as decolonial and intersectional-feminist theory play a central role in this context. If you are interested in this topic, you can find some articles I published here.
In my dissertation thesis I investigate the political philosophical critique of design that was articulated by Jewish thinkers such as Vilém Flusser, Hannah Arendt, Günther Anders and Theodor W. Adorno in the aftermath of the Holocaust. With a standpoint-epistemological reading I aim to examine their critique of modern design and the instrumental reason that it expresses. In doing so, I investigate the relationship between their analysis of the Holocaust and the later critique of consumerism and the capitalist instrumentalization of design. You can find a corresponding publication here.
For me, theoretical, scientific work is a political practice with which I can intervene in oppressive, discriminatory and unjust systems. Therefore, my academic practice is aimed at a more inclusive design philosophy and theory. It is a central concern of mine to question and challenge conventional modes of knowledge production and -mediation. But also, to find modes of research that counter the oppression and marginalization of people based on gender, race, age, class, etc.
Academic teaching that is aware of power and anti-discrimination is therefore an important part of my value-oriented academic practice. I am a passionate lecturer and in recent years I have been thrilled every semester anew by how much the students enrich my seminars with clever and well-considered questions and contributions. You can find an overview of some courses here.
I taught at several universities, including Burg Giebiechenstein Kunsthochschule in Halle, HfK Bremen, Kunsthochschule Kassel, HFBk Hamburg, Köln International School of Design, HTW Berlin. I was also a research associate in the cooperative research network "Translating and Framing Practices of medial transformations" at the University of Hamburg and the HFBK Hamburg, where I researched urban and artistic interventions using experimental methods.
I am also keen to get not only students but also the non-academic public excited about the political aspects of design. That is why knowledge transfer to the public in the form of interviews, podcasts and popular texts is an important part of my work. If you want to check out some podcasts and interviews, you can find them here: Requests for talks, interviews, and collaborations can be sent to mara (at) recklies.de. If you are looking for a paper or essay of mine, please do not hesitate to ask me.
„Designkritik nach Auschwitz. Zur kritischen Theorie des Designs“. In: Brümmer, Katrin/ Weltzien, Friedrich: Kritik als Haltung und Methode. Transcript, Bielefeld 2024 (i.V.)
„Doing knowledge in Design. Eine feministische Auseinandersetzung mit Geschichtsschreibung und -vermittlung“. In: Kronschläger, Thomas/ Christine Rickwärtz, Ninja/ Roth, Anna Theresa/ Schlechter, Pia: Doing Knowledge - Hervorbringung von Genderwissen mit Kontext Hochschule. Gemeinsam mit Baumgarten, Lisa/Neidhardt-Mokoena, Anja (i.V.). (peer reviewed)
„Engaging in epistemie disobedience. Towards the decolonization of the design discourses“. In: Mareis, Claudia/ Hardt, Meike: Critical by Design. Cultures, Epistemologies, Practices. Transcript, Bielefeld 2022, S. 94-109. (peer reviewed)
„Kriterien für gutes Design, die den Schaden maximieren. Zur Kriteriologie der Gestaltung“. In: Christoph Rodatz/ Pierre Smolarski (Hrsg.): Wie können wir den Schaden maximieren? Gestaltung trotz Komplexität. Transcript, Bielefeld 2021, S. 100-123.
„Können Designer politisch handeln? Eine handlungstheoretische Überlegung mit Hartmut Rosa und Chantal Mouffe“. In: Christoph Rodatz/ Pierre Smolarski (Hrsg.): Was ist Public Interest Design? Positionen zur Gestaltung öffentlicher Interessen. Transcript, Bielefeld 2018, S. 62- 75.
„Epistemisch ungehorsam sein. Über die Dekolonialisierung von Designdiskursen.“ In: Eva Knopf/ Sophie Lembcke/ Mara Recklies: Archive dekolonialisieren. Mediale und epistemische Transformationen in Kunst, Design, Film. Transcript, Bielefeld 2018, S. 207-221.
The design of this website gives visitors a first impression of who I am and what I deal with – often even before they have read a paper or essay of mine. As a scientist who studies the meaning and effect of design, I'm well aware that this is no small matter. That's why I'm touched and honored that this website was designed by two incredibly talented designers who are influenced by my design-philosophical work.
The webdesign was created by Katharina Brenner, who I met first in 2021, when she invited my friend and colleague Lisa Baumgarten and me to her inspiring block-seminar “Eine Krise bekommen - Design and Mental Health”. With the design of this website she aims to ...... Katharina works at the intersection of institutional critique, queer feminism, mental health and activism through collective teaching, critical design practice and experimental text production. Katharina studied Visual Communication at the Berlin University of the Arts, the Estonian Academy of Arts and recently graduated from the The Kunsthochschule Kassel with the final project “Practices of unruly learning spaces”. Further information can be found here.
The typeface design was created by Bianca Seidel, who I met first when she interviewed me for her insightful master's thesis “Design Melodrama” on the subject of design critique. Softie (started in April 2021, firstly supervised by Lucas de Groot in summer 2021 at FH;P) is a Softie. A fragile, strong, alpha wrestler. Undisciplined, unholy. Like a Negroni Sbagliato with Prosecco in it. Buy Softie Softie here. Bianca is specialised in visual narratives that intersectionally question structural rules. She works both independently and in collaboration with other designers and experts and follows feminist principles to develop contemporary, situation-specific, sustainable, discrimination-sensitive visual worlds. More information here.