Tacit Dimension creates games to close the gap between urban research and the development of things and technologies used in urban life. As a lab we constantly develop the method of ‘research through design’ to generate knowledge and test innovative designs.

The term ‘Tacit Dimension’ is borrowed from the philosopher scientist Michael Polányi. He coined the term to elaborate on knowledge that we acquire through experience and through interactions with our environment, but which we can’t explicitly formulate. Yet tacit knowledge is always at the bottom of what we can put into words, draw or create.

Street Game Design

Streets, stairs, and the rhythm of traffic lights constitute our platform. We create games in which rules of the game blend in with every day rules of urban life.

Research Through Design

We create games to explore research questions regarding the urban. Games function as probes that provide knowledge in context. Often the game design process itself is the research tool.

Technology Testing

We use urban games to test prototypes of technologies and services that are designed for urban use.

WE HAVE WORKED WITH:

Art and Technology Aalborg University // Design Akademie Berlin // Berlin Metropolitan Utilities Dialogue // Climate-KIC Berlin // ConstructLab // District Office Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf // Dönerkind // Institute of Ethnology University Freiburg // Hasso-Plattner-Institute, Potsdam // Neighbourhood Alliance Klausenerplatz // Node Center for Curatorial Studies // Open Knowledge Foundation Germany // Sandefjord Kunstforening, Norway // Studio Schwitalla // ZHDK Master for Arts in Designs

team

Dr. Viktor Bedö

Dr. Viktor Bedö

Founding director
Dr. Viktor Bedö

Dr. Viktor Bedö

Founding director

Bio

Viktor is street game designer, consultant and philosopher based in Berlin. He is founder of Tacit Dimension and is lecturer at the School for Design Thinking at HPI Potsdam. His activities are organized around methodology and practice of game design for urban design and team based innovation. In his PhD thesis "Interactive Urban Maps as Instruments of Thinking" he examined how bodily experience of urban life enables the discovery of emerging patterns on real-time urban maps. In Olafur Eliason's Institute für Raumexperimente he cooperated with young artists on turning theoretical concepts of space and body into interactive performances. He is former member of the street-games collective Invisible Playground with whom he has been extensively touring international arts festivals (among others Metropolis Festival Copenhagen and  Hide&Seek Weekender London).

former members

Perla Montelongo

Perla Montelongo

Strategic development
Perla Montelongo

Perla Montelongo

Strategic development

Bio

Perla has a background in art education and curatorial training. She holds a Master of Interactive Systems for Arts and Design and a Master of Curatorial Practices in Art and New Media, both from the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain. As lecturer she worked in Universities in Mexico (UACJ) and Spain (Escola Superior de Disseny ESDi) until she funded the independent art education program Visions of Art, dedicated to the professionalization of emerging artists in Iberoamerica. In 2008 she moved to Berlin and funded the Node Center for Curatorial Studies, a platform to teach, research, and experiment with subjects related to curatorial studies and contemporary art practices.

Aysegül Dinccag

Aysegül Dinccag

Intern
Aysegül Dinccag

Aysegül Dinccag

Intern

Bio

Aysegül studied Architecture at the UdK Berlin, where she currently is a PhD Candidate in Architecture Theory. Besides her research she also is an advanced track student at the School of Design Thinking Program at HPI Potsdam. 2001-2002 she was an AFS exchange student in USA. Since 2004 she lives and works in diverse design and architecture offices in Berlin. She likes to paint and watch action movies.

Ricarda Ihmenkamp

Ricarda Ihmenkamp

Project assistant
Ricarda Ihmenkamp

    Ricarda Ihmenkamp

    Project assistant

    Bio

    Ricarda is doing a Master of Business Communication Management at the HTW Berlin. In the last couple of years she worked for a communication agency in Berlin and the fundraising platform betterplace.org. During that time she gained experience in brand strategy and social innovation projects. She is interested in urban topics and social design. Her bachelor thesis was about cultural sponsoring and street art.

    research

    Selected PUBLICATIONS

    Viktor Bedö “Urban Game Design: Prototyping as Hacking“, in Martijn de Waal, Michiel de Lange (eds.): Hackable Cities: From Subversive City Making to Systemic Change, Forthcoming.

    Viktor Bedö “Size and Shape of the Playing Field”, in Anton Nijholt (ed): Playable Cities, Springer, Singapore, 2016.

    Viktor Bedö “A particularly sketchy philosophy of urban game design and the tacit dimension of the urban”, in The Future of Art is Urban Exhibition Catalogue, London, 2014

    Selected TALKS

    2017 June – “Street Games as Laboratories” Process Festival, Dortmund

    2017 March – “Street Game Design: Rapid Prototyping for the Urban” Obel guest lecture – Aalborg University, Aalborg

    2014 Nov – “Urban games as prototypes in the urban design process” Keynote speech @ Mind the Game – Smart City Conference Budapest

    2014 June – “A particularly sketchy philosophy of game design and the tacit dimension of the urban”, The future of art is urban Conference @ Enclave Gallery, London

    2014 June – “Introduction to Urban Game Design as Prototyping and Mapping Tool for Urban Design and Research”, Symposium The Future of Art is Urban @ Enclave Gallery, London

    2014 Apr – “How Game Design Can Teach Us About Urban Scale”, Obel Lecture and Workshop @ Art and Technology, Aalborg University, DK

    2013 Nov – “Size and shape of the playing field” 4th International Conference of the Visual Learning Lab @ Budapest University of Technology and Economics, HU

    2012 July – “Disruptive Mapping Strategies For Urban Innovation” @ A Future Cities Symposium – Co-organized by InnoZ Berlin, LSE Cities. Berlin, DE

    Selected FESTIVALS / EXHIBITIONS

    2015 Aug – Research Residency @ Mons Invisible, European Cultural Capital Mons, Belgiıum

    2015 May – Horror Vacui, Tomrom Exhibition @ Sandefjord Kunstforening, Norway

    2014 Oct – Ferromon Now, Festival of Future Nows @ Neue Nationalgallerie Berlin

    2014 June – Operation Noose, The Future of Art is Urban exhibition @ Enclave Gallery, London, UK

    2014-2013 – Operation Noose ft. by The Maldives Exodus Caravan Show @ Te Tuhi Arts Centre, Auckland, New Zealand. // @ Malé, Maldives. // @ Museum of Everything Official Collateral Event for the 55th Venice Biennale. // @ The Silent Barn, Brooklyn, NYC

    2013 May – Operation Noose, Invisible Zürichs program @ Walcheturm Zürich, Swiss

    2012 Sept – HPI d.Confestival @ Hasso-Plattner-Institute, Potsdam

    Selected WORKSHOPS

    2016 April – Size and Shape of the Playing Field @ Design & the City Conference, Amsterdam, NL

    2015 Nov – Energy Hack @ Impact Hub Berlin

    2014 Apr – Playing the Graveyard Workshop @ Art and Technology, Aalborg University, DK

    2014 Mar – ‘socialSIM14’ @ Institute for Ethnology, University Freiburg, DE

    2014 Feb – ‘R_objects’ @ Master of Arts in Design, Zurich University of Arts, CH

    2012 Sept – ‘Game Design as Prototyping Method’ @ d.confestival, Hasso- Plattner-Institute, Potsdam, DE

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    Impressum

    Dr. Viktor Bedö

    Emser Straße 65

    12051  Berlin Germany