Frank Bauer
Frank Bauer inquires into methods and ontologies of computational design and manufacturing in interdisciplinary and experimental formats. His ongoing dissertation engineers operative, instrumental and material extensions of digital modelling and making processes in computational art production. He applies notions of affordance, persistence and activity in these workflows and embeds and probes them in industry.
Before graduating in Architecture at UdK Berlin and UIC/IIT Chicago, he finished from cultural and art historical as well as political and social science studies at ALU Freiburg, FU Berlin and JGU Mainz. He held positions at the Fondation Vasarely and KWY Lisbon and co-founded Büro Vogel Bauer, where his work in the visualization, modeling and generation of manufacture data allows him insights into practices of artists like Olafur Eliasson and Nevin Aladağ.
His teaching efforts are situated within the B.A./M.A. programs at UdK, the research-based M.A. Design & Computation (UdK/TUB) aswell as the Design for Manufacture MArch at The Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL) – attempting to bridge the broader agendas of »Matters of Activity« outwards and shift discourses from possibility to constraint spaces of technology.
Material Form Function (Pre-Doctoral Researcher)
Symbolic Material (Associated Member)
Material Form Function (Associated Member)
Cluster of Excellence
»Matters of Activity«
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Sophienstr. 22a
10178 Berlin
Edited Volumes & Exhibition Catalogues
Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Marienberg, S., Schäffner, W. eds. 2024. Towards a New Culture of the Material. Berlin: De Gruyter. Forthcoming.
Articles in Edited Volumes
Bauer, F., Skafte, L. 2021. »Persistent Modelling of the Built. A Collective Experiment Merging Structural Preservation and Digital Design Between Academia and Industry.« In Design Commons - Practices, Processes and Crossovers, edited by Bruyns, G., Kousoulas, S. London: Springer.
Bauer, F. 2021. »Grids of Contemporary Art Production: Artistic, Computational, Craft and Performative Making.« In The Arts of the Grid. Interdisciplinary Insights on Gridded Modalities in Conversation with the Arts, edited by Bigon, L., Shaked, N. Berlin: De Gruyter, 81-94.
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110733228/html
Bauer, F. 2018. »Victor Vasarely et l‘Integration Architecturale.« In Victor Vasarely: MultipliCité, Lyon: Fage, 63-68.
Bauer, F. 2017. »Body and Space, Gothic and Cubism.« In Architecture and the Body, Science and Culture, edited by Sexton, K. London: Routledge, 177 - 195.
Articles
Bauer, F. 2021. »On Pristine Boxes and Primeval Huts.« Drawing Matter.
https://drawingmatter.org/on-pristine-boxes-and-primeval-huts
Bauer, F. 2021. »On the Visual Agency of Manufacturing Models.« In Medios Digitales y Arquitectura, special issue. Bitacora, 46: 130 - 139.
Bauer, F., Skafte, L. 2017. »A Machine for the Future? Exploting Flaws between the Manual and the Digital.« PROTOCOL, 9: 122-129.
Bauer, F. 2017. »Vom Denkmal oder Hundert Jahre später.« MOOR, 4: 22-25.
Bauer, F. 2015. »Les Ouevres Monumentales.« In La Foundation Vasarely, special issue. Beaux Arts Magazine, 7: 47-52.
Exhibitions
Beyer, Bastian (organizer), Bauer, Frank (organizer). Growing Sensecapes. Open Design Master's Students' Projects Exhibited at Humboldt Lab. Exhibition. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Humboldt Forum. 22 July 2022 - 25 July 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/8774/growing-sensecapes
Talks & Presentations
Beyer, B., Bauer, F., Jalkh, H., Schäffner, W. Constructing activity. Keynote at the Trazos biomateriales, Biomaterial Traces Conversation. Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires. 2 December 2022.
http://www.centroculturalrecoleta.org/agenda/trazos-biomateriales
Weber, R., Werner, B. M., Eger Domingos, D., Yang, B., Kim, Y., Almpani-Lekka, D., Bauer, F., Hehemeyer-Cürten, J., Rosenthal, N., Siquera Rodrigues, L., Shams, B., Schneider, M., Rasehorn, F. Indoor Water Bio-Remediation System. Poster presentation at the Scaling Matters: From the Lab to the Field, MoA Retreat at the Landgut Stober. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 13 September 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/9125/scaling-matters-from-the-lab-to-the-field
Weber, R., Werner, B. M., Eger Domingos, D., Yang, B., Kim, Y., Almpani-Lekka, D., Bauer, F., Hehemeyer-Cürten, J., Rosenthal, N., Siquera Rodrigues, L., Shams, B., Schneider, M., Rasehorn, F. »Minus Zero. Interspecies Design in Underwater Environments«. Talk at the Scaling Matters: From the Lab to the Field, Landgut Stober. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 13 September 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/9125/scaling-matters-from-the-lab-to-the-field
Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Letellier, J. Three Attempts at Human and Non-Human Agencies. Talk at the Brown Bag Brunch. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 15 June 2021.
Bauer, F., Kim, Y. Points in Making. Talk at the 2nd Annual Conference »Tipping Points: Plastic, Contingent and Unstable Matters«, Contingent Matters. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Hybrid. 17 November 2021.
Bauer, F. Constraint-driven Design. Talk at the Histories and Habitations Lectures. Design for Manufacture MArch. The Bartlett (UCL), London. 25 February 2021.
Bauer, F. Rebuild Curve. On the Materialisation of Virtual Models in Contemporary Art Fabrication. Panel Presentation at the Association for Art History Annual Conference 2021, Matter (Im)materials and Materiality: On the life of digital artworks. University of Birmingham. 14 April 2021.
Bauer, F. Situating CAD/CAM. Panel Presentation at the 11th International New Materialisms Conference: New Materialist Informatics. Computing and Worldmaking, Transdisciplinary Methodologies and Interventions. 24 March 2021.
Bauer, F. Technologische Möglichkeits- und Bedingungsräume. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Online Teaching Working Group, Berlin University of the Arts. Virtual. 21 April 2021.
Bauer, F. Trans-disciplinary Teaching as a Turn from Possibility to Constraint Space. Panel Presentation at the Online Education. Teaching in a Time of Change. AMPS, PARADE, Routledge. 21 April 2021.
Bauer, F. Volute versus Vortex. Ein Vergleich von Bedingungen der Freiformfertigung. Talk at the Transformationen – Zeichen und ihre Objekte im Wandel. Internationaler Kongress der Deutschen Geselschaft für Semiotik, Transformationen in Architektur und Städtebau. Technische Universität Chemnitz. Virtual. 29 September 2021.
Bauer, F. Das Bild als Entwurf. Symposium »Architektonische Darstellung«, FATUK, Technical University Kaiserslautern. 24 January 2020.
Bauer, F. On a Convergence of Artist, Instrument Maker, and Fabricator. Panel Presentation at the The Multidisciplinary Grid 2020, Holon Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv. 23 November 2020.
Bauer, F. On Hammers, Robots and Cannons. On the Ontologies of Computational Research in Architecture. Panel Presentation at the AHRA 16th Annual PhD Student Symposium, Conveying. Architectural Humanities Research Association, Newcastle University. 22 April 2020.
Bauer, F. Realizing the Albertian Paradigm? Italian Imprints: Influences and Issues in Architectural Culture in the Long Twentieth Century, Pennsylvania State University. 17 January 2020.
Events & Workshops
Bauer, F., Guiducci, L., Hathroubi, S., Kim, Y., Marienberg, S., Miodragović, N., Nestler, A., Rešetar, I., Winkler, C. 2nd Annual Conference »Tipping Points. Plastic, Contingent and Unstable Matters«. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Hybrid. 16 November 2021 - 17 November 2021.
www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/6581/tipping-points-plastic-contingent-and-unstable-matters
Bauer, F., Kim, Y., Wegener, F. Share Your Toolbox. at the Brown Bag Brunch, Cluster »Matters of Activity«. Virtual. 16 March 2021.
Bauer, F., Schneider, M. Constraints as Chance. 11th International New Materialisms Conference: New Materialist Informatics, Computing and Worldmaking. University of Kassel. Virtual. 22 March 2021.
Teaching & Courses
Bauer, F., Beyer, B., González, J. C., Iglesias, R. M., Le Calvé, M. Growing Senses, Laboratory Project. Course within the Master’s Program “Open Design”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin/Universidad de Buenos Aires. 13 May 2022 - 22 July 2022.
Beyer, Bastian, Bauer, Frank, Cojal González, José, Le Calvé, Maxime. »Open Design« Master Program. Course within the Master’s Program “Open Design”, Matters of Activity, Humboldt University Berlin; University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires. 29 May 2022 - 22 July 2022.
Bauer, F., with guests Kim, Y., Rasehorn, F., Schneider, M., Tebbe, M., Wenig, C., Yang, B., Situated Digital Agencies. Seminar, B.A./M.A. Architecture. Universität der Künste Berlin. 16 April 2021 - 16 July 2021.
https://www.udk-berlin.de/studium/architektur/fachgebiete/digitales-und-experimentelles-entwerfen/seminar-situated-digital-agencies/
Bauer, F. Design for Manufacture MArch. Thesis Tutor. The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. Since 31 May 2021.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/architecture/programmes/postgraduate/march-design-for-manufacture
Bauer, F. Instrumentations. Design Studio., Design & Computation M.A., Universität der Künste Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin. 19 October 2021 - 29 March 2022.
Bauer, F. Iterations. Design Studio., Design & Computation M.A. and Architecture B.A./M.A. Universität der Künste Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin. 1 November 2020 - 14 May 2021.
https://www.udk-berlin.de/studium/architektur/fachgebiete/digitales-und-experimentelles-entwerfen/entwurf-maba-iterations/
External Grants, Fellowships, Scholarships & Residencies
Bauer, F., Grosser, H., Schäffner, W. 2021. Virtual Matters Lab. DAAD, Project funding. »Open Design« M. A., Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Bauer, F., Schäffner, W., Palz, N. 2018. Elsa-Neumann-Stipendium for Frank Bauer. Scholarship. Funded from 04.2018 to 06.2021 by Land Berlin.
Research Stays at Another Institution
Beyer, Bastian, Bauer, Frank. Research stay at the University of Buenos Aires. University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires. Funded by Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). 19 November 2022 - 3 December 2022.
Bauer, F. IKKM Mentoring Program. Mentor A.-S.-Lehmann. Internationales Kolleg für Kulturtechnikforschung und Medienphilosophie, Bauhaus University Weimar. 10 January 2020.
Review Activities & Expertises
Bauer, F. 2021 - 2022. Board of Reviewers. Matter. Prospects for a New Materialist Informatics. Special Issue, the 11th New Materialisms Conference.
Memberships
Bauer, F. 2018 - 2019. Margot and Paul Baumgarten-Scholarship Committee. Institute of Archietcture and Urban Planning. Berlin University of the Arts.