Bound through Air

The exhibition »AIRBOUND. Sensing Collective Futures« (Oct 20th-Nov 9th, 2023) by CollActive Materials offered new perspectives on air as a material, a connecting social element, and a decisive space for negotiating futures.

Ubiquitous and yet invisible: Air accompanies us daily and is an essential foundation of life. More than that, air will play a fundamental role in determining what futures become possible for us as humans. »We believe that air will be the decisive material in the Anthropocene,« says Martin Müller, cultural scientist and researcher at the »Matters of Activity« Cluster of Excellence. He and Léa Perraudin (Media Studies, HU/ Matters of Activity) are leading the CollActive Materials project, funded by the Berlin University Alliance (BUA). Together, they have curated the exhibition »AIRBOUND. Sensing Collective Futures«.

What if... the future would breathe a different air?

The human-made climate crisis, the destructive use of resources, and the associated ecological and social injustices make it inevitable to rethink our relationship with air. The goal of the exhibition was to create opportunities for visitors to reflect on the role of air in their current and future daily lives. Approximately 650 visitors explored snapshots from the cultural history of air, site-specific experimental setups in the exhibition space, and speculative scenarios. These scenarios explored questions such as: What would a climate future look like in which survival is only possible through technological interventions on the weather? How would people come together in a future without clean air? What if living together in future cities was shaped by new forms of cooperation with air?

Futures Scenarios at the Interface of Society, Design, and Research

These scenarios and stories of possible futures originate from a long-term design process carried out by the BUA-funded project CollActive Materials, involving individuals from civil society, design, and research. The foundations of the exhibited scenarios were developed in three full-day workshops in the spring of 2023. Researchers from the Excellence Clusters Matters of Activity and Science of Intelligence, as well as other guests, provided insights from research that the participating individuals used for their speculations. Inspired by the participants’ speculations, designers and artists ultimately created the interactive exhibits that were showcased in AIRBOUND.

The contributing designers were Valerian Blos, Lena Böckmann & Rodolfo Acosta Castro, and Gosia Lehmann, as well as Monika Dorniak and HU design researcher Clemens Winkler. The exhibition design was developed by Mina Mahouti. The accompanying speculative workshop program was created by science communicators Kristin Werner and Antje Nestler.

Exchanging Knowledge through Speculation

As an experimental science communication project, CollActive Materials explores the extent to which speculative design can enable a new mode of interaction between science and society. Through speculation, conversations on an equal footing become possible in an entirely new and unique way: everyday and academic knowledge, personal experiences, and current research topics complement each other. Together, the participants explore what the world could be like - and dare to think beyond conventional futures scenarios. The scenarios that arise from speculation, in turn, provide a materialized basis for exchange, discussion, and negotiation. In the spirit of »Design for Debate«: Do we want to live in these futures?

Bringing Public Engagement with Science into Urban Society

»It was particularly important to us to move out of the university premises into the city, thereby facilitating an open exchange,« explains project lead Léa Perraudin. »For such collaborative and experimental design processes, there is still a lack of role models in the academic context.« This fundamental approach of the project was reflected on-site at the exhibition space: With a ground-level window front, the exhibition invited pedestrians to enter and contribute their thoughts on the growing exhibition – right at Moritzplatz in Berlin-Kreuzberg.

A crucial partner in this endeavor was once again the Berlin Science Week. Within its framework, a speculation workshop took place with interested participants at the Berlin Science Week CAMPUS in the Museum für Naturkunde, along with a successful Finissage of the AIRBOUND exhibition featuring a participatory performance by Leipzig-based artist Doris Dziersk.

»AIRBOUND. Sensing Collective Futures«

An exhibition by the CollActive Materials experimental laboratory

Exhibition concept and design: Mina Mahouti
Curation: Léa Perraudin & Martin Müller

Science Communication & Project Management: Kristin Werner
Workshop Concept: Kristin Werner & Antje Nestler
Topical Consultation ›Air‹: Clemens Winkler
Interaction Design Co-Design Process: Martin Kim Luge
Communication: Solveig Steinhardt, Antje Nestler
Textile Production: Katja Lonzeck
Design Assistance: Eva Bullermann
Graphic Design: NODE Berlin Oslo

With contributions by

Valerian Blos
Gosia Lehmann
Lena Böckmann & Rodolfo Acosta Castro
Monika Dorniak
Clemens Winkler
Doris Dziersk