Two Weeks in Changsha
28.10.2026
MDH-Studierende entdecken chinesisches Kulturerbe
Ein internationaler kreativer Austausch an der Hunan Normal University, der Gestaltung, Tradition und neue Perspektiven auf visuelle Kommunikation miteinander verbindet.
MDH Students Explore Chinese Cultural Heritage
An international creative exchange at Hunan Normal University, bringing together design, tradition and new perspectives on visual communication.
From 15 to 30 September, I had the pleasure of travelling to Changsha, China, with nine students from Mediadesign Hochschule (MDH), representing our campuses in Berlin, Düsseldorf and Munich. Together, we took part in the International Youth Co-Creation Camp on Digital Revitalization and Innovative Communication of Cultural Heritage at Hunan Normal University (HNNU). Our group brought together students from different degree programmes and semesters, as well as alumni. I was particularly excited to experience how this international exchange would inspire our students and their creative work.
Throughout the two weeks, one central question accompanied us: What does the past teach us for our new present?And how can visual communication preserve yesterday, understand today and anticipate tomorrow?
The first week offered an extraordinary introduction to the cultural richness of the Hunan region. Workshops in Chinese calligraphy and painting gave us the opportunity to engage directly with traditional artistic practices, while excursions to museums, temples and historical sites opened up new perspectives on Chinese culture. Particularly memorable were our visit to the Wuxi Stele Forest, with its remarkable inscriptions and wall art; the Nüshu Museum in Jiangyong, dedicated to a unique writing tradition historically used by women; and the approximately 1,200-year-old village of Yongzhou.
The second week shifted the focus from experiencing cultural heritage to interpreting it through design. A panel discussion and a series of talks brought together perspectives from both universities. Professor Li Shaobo, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at HNNU; Professor Lu Wen, Director of the Department of Digital Media Art; Professor Sybille Schmitz, Programme Director at the MDH Munich campus; and I shared our thoughts on typography, the art of writing, cultural heritage and their relevance to contemporary visual communication.
These discussions became the starting point for a collaborative workshop involving 15 students from HNNU and MD.H. Working in five groups, the students translated their experiences and observations into individual visual commentaries. Guiding this process was a particularly rewarding part of the experience for me: seeing different cultural backgrounds, personal interpretations and design approaches come together in unexpected ways. The resulting projects were presented to an audience and documented in a catalogue.
Beyond the workshops and finished projects, what will stay with me most is the openness, generosity and extraordinary hospitality with which we were welcomed. The programme was thoughtfully organised, and the exchange was enriching not only professionally, but also on a personal level. Over the course of two weeks, encounters became conversations, collaboration led to new ideas, and new friendships emerged.
For me, this is what international creative exchange is ultimately about. It goes beyond learning about another culture. It challenges our assumptions, expands our perspectives and reminds us that design can create connections across languages, traditions and borders.
My sincere thanks to everyone at Hunan Normal University and MDH who made these two weeks such a meaningful experience.