With the travelling exhibition "Signs against the Right", the Faculty of Design at Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR), the support association Villa Merländer and the NS documentation centre of the city of Krefeld are presenting the results of a special cooperation at Villa Merländer. From 5 January 2026, the resulting poster and design concepts will be accessible to the public and free of charge at various locations at the HSNR and in the Krefeld city area.
The exhibition was created in the winter semester 2024/2025 as part of the Typography module at the Faculty of Design. Around 60 first-semester students in the area of specialisation Communication Design worked in small teams to tackle the task of designing a "sign against the right" in the truest sense of the word. The aim was to further develop the existing image of the Villa Merländer in the spirit of diversity, tolerance, democracy and a culture of remembrance. This resulted in creative and innovative designs and concepts for posters, social media posts, notebooks and advertising pillars.
The foundation course of the creative work was an intensive exchange with the practice: in December 2024, Sandra Franz, Head of the NS Documentation Centre and Managing Director of the supporting association, presented the history of Villa Merländer as well as the tasks and activities of the institution to the students at Campus West. With this knowledge, the students developed 19 different designs over the course of five weeks, accompanied by lecturers Jens Könen, Thomas Junold and Guido Schneider as well as student Sonja Reimann.
The collaboration combines the social relevance of remembrance culture and democratic education with the central role of communication design in conveying complex content in a visible, understandable and effective way. At the same time, the project takes up the so-called "third mission" of the HSNR, the close interlinking of teaching education, research and social commitment.
The travelling exhibition can be seen at the following locations:
5 Jan - 30 Jan 2026 Campus West (Frankenring 20), HSNR
9.2.-27.2.2026 Mediothek Krefeld (Theaterplatz 2)
2 March - 27 March 2026 Future Work Lab (Petersstraße 122), HSNR
30 March - 30 April 2026 Krefeld Town Hall (Von-der-Leyen-Platz 1)
Admission is free. The opening hours of the respective institutions and buildings apply.
