Enquiry Week: Water as Ritual
22 - 28 August 2014

This enquiry week in collaboration with Axor / Hansgrohe focused on the relevance and value of water in connection with cultural, social, health and wellness-related and everyday rituals. Based on the function of water, the element’s role for structuring everyday life, planning and awareness at the interface of water, man and nature were analysed. The perception of water influenced by cultural backgrounds and disciplines is reflected in various formats of rituals. The power over and the use of water includes economic and cultural aspects on a global level, raising the questions: What are today's rituals for water in everyday life? What is the relationship between space - ritual - water? Are new typologies needed, such as new bath houses or shared bathrooms? Does water in rituals change our perception of space on all scales, from the private to the public? And can water act through rituals as a socio-cultural platform and innovation for urban lifestyles?

Part I - Workshop Proposals

KICK OFF SYMPOSIUM, 22 August 2014
The symposium presented an interdisciplinary dialogue on the significance of water as an element in everyday rituals in different cultures and their spatial contexts. Presentations by a range of speakers from varying disciplinary backgrounds introduced and explored the concept of water as ritual.

Welcome
Hans-Jürgen Commerell, Director, ANCB, Berlin - 00:00:00 - 00:03:48
Miriam Mlecek, Research Manager, ANCB, Berlin - 00:03:54 - 00:14:08

Workshop Proposals - 10x10 presentations by the workshop participants, presenting their individual perspective on water rituals based on their cultural backgrounds
Andres Roberto Ochoa Riegner - 00:14:12 - 00:17:39
Annette Fromm - 00:17:42 - 00:24:25
Ismail Elabd - 00:24:28 - 00:27:21
Marija Kesic - 00:27:23 - 00:28:39
Catalina Polini - 00:28:42 - 00:29:57
Kate Shelegon - 00:30:00 - 00:31:21
Omar Akl - 00:31:22 - 00:32:40
Oluwaseun Ojo - 00:32:44 - 00:34:15
Farzad Akhavan - 00:34:19 - 00:40:30
Katharina Bellinger - 00:40:32 - 00:42:25



Part II - Talks

Speakers
Roman Passarge, Axor / Hansgrohe SE, Schiltach - 00:00:45 - 00:14:15
Ahmet Igdirligil, Sans Mimarlik, Bodrum - 00:15:16 - 00:36:43
Dr. Harun Badakhshi, Charité School of Medicine and University Hospital, Berlin - 00:37:46 - 00:57:01
Jörn Frenzel, eyLAND vatnavanir, Berlin - 00:57:34 - 01:13:14

WORKSHOP 22 - 28 August 2014
The symposium kicked off and informed a week-long design workshop with international participants focusing on water as ritual. The participants explored two distinct yet overlapping aspects of the subject: wellness/spa/bathing in private and public spaces; and water as a design element. The social, environmental, cultural and economic contexts of different rituals were questioned, as well as our physical, human relationship to water and ultimately what spatial implications such rituals have.


Final Presentation

FINAL PRESENTATION, 28 August 2014
Introduction
Miriam Mlecek, Research Manager, ANCB The Metropolitan Laboratory, Berlin - 00:00:00 - 00:02:24

Presentations
Annette Fromm - 00:02:25 - 00:15:25
Catalina Polini and Oluwaseun Ojo - 00:15:25 - 00:24:51
José Paredes, Ismail Elabd and Omar Akl - 00:24:51 - 00:36:10
Andres Roberto Ochoa Riegner - 00:36:11 - 00:56:02
Farzad Akhavan - 00:56:05 - 01:08:01
Marija Kesic, Kate Shelegon and Katharina Bellinger - 01:08:02 - 01:17:38

Design Studio Coaches
Akari Takebayashi, University of Kentucky, Lexington   
Birgit Hansen, Hansen Innenarchitektur Materialberatung, Köln   
Regina Viljasaar, Linnalabor, Tallinn   
Roman Passarge, Axor / Hansgrohe SE, Schiltach
Harun Badakhshi, Charité School of Medicine and University Hospital, Berlin                           
Jörn Frenzel, eyLAND vatnavanir, Berlin
Gunnar Hartmann, New Dialogues, Berlin