During the presentation of the Spinozalens to Achille Mbembe (Cameroon, 1957) on November 24, the jury announced the winning teams in the Achille Mbembe Challenge, in the categories of pupils and students. A meet & greet with Achille Mbembe took place prior to the presentation.
On November 15, 2025, seven teams presented their designs for the Achille Mbembe Challenge to the jury, consisting of Martine Gosselink (chair), Daphina Misiedjan, Katleen Gabriels, and Erica Cargaglione. The designs ranged from apps and websites to art objects and educational projects.
The student teams impressed with their diverse approaches to the themes. Inspiring Parents, a project to more actively involve parents of pupils of color in school; www.roofkunstarchief.nl, a website that aims to provide a global overview of looted art; and MBOK@: The world, a village, a conceptual app inspired by Çatalhöyük’s non-hierarchical model. The jury ultimately selected MBOK@: The world, a village as the winning student team.
Four very different designs were also presented on the student side: the international environmental project If Walls Could Speak, the art installation (Don’t) be so nosy, the critical technology object Interface, and the cooperative farming app Sajha Kheti, which the jury deemed “enormous potential” and was declared the winner.
The brochure provides an overview of all the teams and their designs. Together, the submissions demonstrate how young designers creatively reflect on Achille Mbembe’s ideas about restitution, technology, identity, and breathing space—the themes central to the Achille Mbembe Challenge.
Photos from the meet & greet, the award ceremony, and the finalists’ day:
