Urban Mobility

There is a growing awareness of the need to rethink traffic and transport in the face of climate change. Slowly but surely, that awareness is also leading to a change in our approach to mobility. This development is being precipitated by new technological possibilities as well as by societal changes such as the increased popularity of working from home as a consequence of the pandemic. A switch to cycling is often a feasible alternative, particularly in an urban environment. Sooner or later, electric bikes could replace cars as a status symbol. As a result, this growth market is also gaining appeal for manufacturers and designers, who are approaching the topic with a lot of dedication and innovation. On the one hand, they are responding to the current mood in which consumers are being spurred on to invest several thousands of euros in an electric bike. At the same time, they are amplifying this trend by developing bikes that are more and more sophisticated and attractive. This in turn prompts more people to consider an electric bike as a real alternative for city traffic.

The studio exhibition in the White Hall on the ground floor of the museum is entitled “Urban Mobility” and showcases the solutions these manufacturers and designers offer for a new urban mobility that focuses in particular on bicycles. The exhibition presents regular bicycles and electric bikes as well as cleverly conceived and well-designed accessories for urban commuters.

The bikes themselves are at the centre of the exhibition, both spatially and thematically. Electric bikes from Volt, VanMoof, Canyon and YMA are on show alongside bikes from Koga and Woom that are still propelled solely by muscle power but are especially well suited to the daily commute thanks to their manoeuvrability, smooth running and transportation options.

Whenever the topic of cycling comes up, the discussion invariably also shifts to the issue of safety. This is also reflected in the exhibition, which features innovative cycling helmets such as the FARO smart helmet with its integrated emergency call system or the RABA helmet with an innovative hive structure that means it can be unfolded within seconds and folded together to just a third of its volume. Consequently, it can be stowed away easily and meets all the same safety requirements as traditional helmets. The exhibition also includes novel safety-enhancing accessories such as the Apeman SEEKER series, an action camera set tailored specifically to the needs of cyclists. Thanks to its multifunctional housing attached at the front and back, it is both a virtual rear camera and a lighting system. In the dark, it projects two laser bike lanes by the side of the bicycle to remind other road users to keep their distance.

Of course, the topic of urban mobility also incorporates cycling clothing and equipment. Numerous products that make urban commuting safer and more comfortable are on show in the exhibition. These include outdoor jackets such as the Nature Shell jacket and the Kitzbuhel Infinity Stretch Jacket as well as sporty earbuds and headsets (e.g. the FlyBuds S1 Pro) or wearables like the fitness wristband WHOOP 4.0. Last but not least, the range of products exhibited also includes particularly lightweight notebooks such as the 2-in-1 tablet HP Chromebook X2 11, powerbanks, pocket-size flash drives such as the Lexar M25 USB Flash Drive and comfortable backpacks for carrying those items, like the ROG Archer Backpack 17 or the multifunctional bicycle bag Norco Cullham.

The studio exhibition in the White Hall runs for the entire duration of the exhibition “Design on Stage 2022–2023”, namely until the end of May 2023.