Science of the Secondary at Kolumba
Client
KISD
Location
Cologne, Germany
Year
2025
Info
As part of the “Science of the Secondary” seminar at KISD, we examined how we interact with everyday objects. Inspired by the magazine series of the same name by Atelier HOKO, with whom we had the opportunity to conduct an interview as part of the project. The basis of our work was the collection of forms and objects by Werner Schriefers, which was donated to the Kolumba Museum Cologne.
After visiting the archive and speaking with a conservator as well as the museum’s director Stefan Kraus, we divided into groups focusing on different categories of objects. The aim was to create a magazine that documents our engagement with this object. For our group, this object was the turntable.
In our magazine “Turning Point”, we present various turntables from the collection, highlight their special features, and explore the gestural and acoustic dimensions of interacting with them: from the movement of the needle, to the perception of sound within a room, to the role the turntable plays in our personal lives. This is complemented by cinematic references, visual experiments, and personal reflections.
The project was later exhibited at the Kolumba Museum. At the opening in June 2025, we had the pleasure of welcoming Stefan Kraus, aswell as Dr. Thomas Schriefers, the son of Werner Schriefers, with whom we conducted an exclusive interview during our work. His commitment to making his father’s collection accessible for student research has greatly enriched our project.
A special thanks goes to Dr. Thomas Schriefers, Stefan Kraus, the entire team of the Kolumba Museum, Alvin Ho and Clara Koh from Atelier HOKO, and our professor Goldschmidtböing for their inspiring guidance and support throughout the project.
Challenge
How can we capture and represent the subtle ways in which humans interact with an object as familiar as the turntable? The main challenge was to move beyond the technical or aesthetic aspects and instead uncover the emotional, gestural, and sensory layers that shape our relationship with this everyday device.
Concept
Inspired by Science of the Secondary by Atelier HOKO, our concept focused on observing the overlooked. We aimed to deconstruct the act of playing a record, from the touch of the needle to the movement of sound through space, and to translate these interactions into visual, textual, and experimental narratives within a magazine format.
Execution
Through archival research, interviews, and hands-on observation, we documented the form and behavior of various turntables from the Werner Schriefers collection. Our team combined photography, illustration, sound experiments, and personal reflection to create a cohesive editorial piece that merges analysis and emotion under the title “Turning Point.”
Result
The final magazine not only visualized our research process but also redefined how we perceive the turntable as a cultural and sensory object. The project culminated in an exhibition at the Kolumba Museum Cologne, where we presented our work to a public audience. The result was both an academic and emotional exploration of design, memory, and interaction.
