Is Germany's Far-Right AfD Co-Opting Joseph Beuys?

More than 30 galleries based in Düsseldorf, Germany, signed an open letter last week that called out the far-right Alternativ für Deutschland (AfD) party for its attempts to “instrumentalize Düsseldorf’s art and cultural history to serve a political narrative that promotes social exclusion.” Published on October 15 and initiated by Daniela Horn, the founder of Van Horn gallery, the letter centers around an event that was initially set to be staged at the city’s Heinrich Heine Institute on October 26. That event, titled “Culture Policy from the Right!,” will no longer happen at its intended venue, however, because of what Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung called “organizational reasons,” citing a Düsseldorf city official.

as computational demand grows, architects, engineers, and designers face a more fundamental question: how can technology evolve without deepening its dependence on finite resources? thomai tsimpou October 22, 2026 10 min prefer designboom on googlethe ‘cloud’ is physical: the hidden infrastructure behind digital lifeThe digital world is often described as immaterial, a space of information that moves invisibly between devices and across networks. The term ‘cloud,’ for instance, suggests an ethereal space where data like photos, images and more can be stored without occupying any tangible place. In reality, though, these files reside on physical servers housed in data centers, supported by networks, cooling systems, and energy infrastructure. Every search, video stream, and artificial intelligence query depends on systems that consume energy, water, land, and raw materials. From mineral extraction and semiconductor manufacturing to data centers and electronic waste, the infrastructure behind digital life has a substantial environmental footprint.

CORTEN STEEL CONDUITS FRAME REVERSIBLE UNDERGROUND structurePositioned at an altitude of 2,173 meters at the Pavillon intermediate station of the Skyway Monte Bianco cableway in Aosta Valley, Italy, Tana delle Marmotte (Marmot Den) is a permanent underground educational installation designed by architecture practice Officina 82. Conceived as an experiential learning environment for children and teenagers, the project combines play with environmental education by translating the subterranean habitat of Alpine marmots into a modular architecture integrated directly into the mountain landscape.all images ©Giulia SarnoSPRUCE RIBS FORM MODULAR TUNNEL INSPIRED BY MARMOT BURROWSThe pavilion’s primary structural shell consists of three prefabricated Corten steel conduits: an 8-meter-long central tube paired with two transverse access pipes measuring 2,200 mm and 1,300 mm in diameter. To preserve the high-altitude ecosystem, the structure by studio Officina 82 rests on a bed of fine gravel without permanent concrete foundations, ensuring complete structural reversibility.

AA Apartments reuse open-plan commercial space in MálagaDesigned by CREARCTIVE, AA Apartments addresses the adaptive reuse of a former open-plan commercial space in Málaga, converting the premises into four independent residential units. To make full use of the building’s four-meter clear height, the interior layout works in section, utilizing a centralized service spine that frees the perimeter and accommodates a mezzanine level above.living area | all images ©Nicolás DíazCLERESTORIES AND GEOMETRIC OCULUS DISTRIBUTE CROSS-LIGHTINGThe central core houses the compact wet and utility functions, including bathrooms, kitchen areas, walk-in closets, storage, and MEP services, enabling unimpeded air circulation and visual continuity across the entire depth of each apartment. Above this service volume, the architects at CREARCTIVE add a flexible mezzanine to serve as a multi-use loft space. A geometric oculus cut into the partition wall establishes a diagonal light connection between the mezzanine and the double-height living area, channeling light toward the rear bedroom zone.

Demonstrators are upending the country’s public landmarks to denounce police violence, under-resourced schools, and a worsening cost-of-living crisis. A yellow vest placed by protesters on the statue of Marianne on the Monument à la République in Paris reads, “2026: The police mutilates high schoolers.” (photo Carl Court/Getty Images)

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