“CTRL ALT DEL”, the BAU exhibition that reimagines design as a way of producing knowledge

The University Master’s Degree in Design Research at BAU presents, for the first time, a public exhibition of the Master’s Final Projects from its 2025–2026 graduating class at Palo Alto.

On July 7th at 5:00 PM, Palo Alto will host the opening of CTRL ALT DEL: A Design Research Manifesto, an exhibition that brings together the Master’s Final Projects from the 2025–2026 graduating class of the University Master’s Degree in Design Research at BAU. The exhibition, which is open to the public, marks a milestone for the program, as it is the first time that the master’s final projects are being presented together in an exhibition format.

Taking its cue from the well-known keyboard command used to restart a system, CTRL ALT DEL proposes a critical pause to rethink the role of design research both inside and outside the academic sphere. Rather than an exhibition of finalized results, the showcase serves as an invitation to question, reorient, and explore new ways of producing knowledge through design.

The projects on display are the result of a year of practice-based research, conducted through the exploration of materials, territories, communities, technologies, and fictions. The exhibition also reflects the diversity that characterizes this graduating class, which is made up of individuals from various disciplines, backgrounds, and professional career paths.

The exhibition can be visited on July 7th from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM and on July 8th from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Palo Alto. Admission is free and open to professionals in design, research, art, and culture, as well as anyone interested in discovering new ways of thinking about and practicing design through research.