»Art and culture for a tolerant and open society«

Timon Gremmels
Hessen State Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts

Of the many projects that I have taken on as Hessen’s new State Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts, the HfG Offenbach University of Art and Design new build is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and impressive: After the State of Hessen purchased the harbor site in 2019 and the architecture competition resulted in an outstanding design, we can now enjoy looking forward to its implementation. We expect the students and teachers to bring the new building to life in 2030.

This is not just about new premises. The building is indeed a major opportunity for the university to reposition itself for the future. To this end, it has not only been intensively involved in the planning process, but also engaged in an open discussion on the future structure. The harbor, a diverse and sustainable neighborhood, offers fantastic prospects not only for HfG itself, but for the city of Offenbach as a whole. This inner and outer transformation of the HfG Offenbach is the subject of this book and makes it an important and transparent testimony to this project, for which I have the university to thank.

The texts show how art and design help to shape society and our environment in very concrete ways. And they make clear the extent to which we need art and culture for a tolerant, open society – all the more so now that democracy is increasingly under threat. I am therefore delighted to be taking over the baton from my predecessor Angela Dorn, including for this wonderful construction project. Universities in Hessen can be assured of my support – for example through the continued development of our university building program HEUREKA, with which we are funding the new building.

I hope you enjoy some stimulating reading and interesting insights into this fine example of the wonderful development of our university landscape.