Imperfect Assemblies @ Form/Design Center

04 Sep 2026 – 09 Jan 2027

How can architecture strengthen democracy? Who gets to shape the city? Imperfect Assemblies explores how architecture and urban development can contribute to a more democratic society. Through a spatial installation and an extensive programme of talks, workshops and guided walks, the exhibition investigates how our shared spaces can become places for dialogue, participation and collective responsibility.

Who owns the conversation about the city and society? Democratic institutions are facing significant challenges. As polarisation grows and collective action becomes increasingly fragmented, we need to ask: how does architecture shape the conversations that, in turn, shape our decisions? Architecture is about more than buildings – it is a social infrastructure that enables society to function. Democracy is formed in the spaces where people meet: in public squares, neighbourhoods, associations and the city’s public realm.

The exhibition is presented by the international network Cultures of Assembly (CoA), led by architects and researchers Markus Miessen and César Reyes Nájera. For more than two decades, they have explored how architecture can create better conditions for dialogue, disagreement and collective decision-making. Rather than seeking simple solutions, they highlight the value of democratic friction – situations where people with different perspectives must listen to one another and find ways forward together. Their work challenges conventional ideas of public participation by showing how “friendly” forms of inclusion often conceal existing power structures, while shifting the focus from online debate to direct, face-to-face encounters.

Malmö in Focus

Following its presentation at the Copenhagen Architecture Festival (CAFx), Imperfect Assemblies now arrives in Malmö. The exhibition at Form/Design Center is developed in collaboration with the City of Malmö (Malmö in the Making) and serves as a testing ground where international research meets the realities of the city. It explores how Malmö can be shaped more democratically by raising questions of distribution, housing and justice. Which initiatives are being developed by the municipality to strengthen the city, and what is required from grassroots movements to ensure that the city’s spaces and resources truly belong to everyone?

A Living Meeting Place for Democracy

Throughout the exhibition period, local and regional organisations working to challenge existing democratic structures and build a more inclusive society will contribute to the programme, including Alstra, Jag vill ha bostad, CSAM, ACAN and others. Through school programmes, workshops, guided walks and public conversations, the exhibition becomes a place where ideas are tested, experiences are shared and new perspectives emerge. What new forms do we need to move forward? Have our current models and spatial formats reached their limits? Imperfect Assemblies becomes a platform for repairing and renewing the democratic foundations of urban development.

The 2026 Election: Architecture as a Democratic Arena

The exhibition opens on 2 September, in the final weeks leading up to the Swedish general election. During this crucial period, the exhibition space will become a forum for public debate and discussion. How do we design environments that embrace difference and prioritise social justice? How do we build a society where we live together not only as neighbours, but as participants in a shared and equitable commons? Politicians, public officials and critics will come together to discuss how architecture and urban development can contribute to a more equal and democratic society.