Léa Perraudin
Léa Perraudin is a media theorist and speculative material scholar and works as postdoctoral research associate in the project Material Form Function. She also supports Claudia Mareis in her function as Cluster Co-Director.
Her research interests include media theory, environmental humanities, queer feminist technology studies, (media) infrastructures of the Anthropocene, experimental cultures in media, art and design as well as diffractive practices of knowing, writing and making.
Léa has held positions at the University of Cologne and the Münster School of Design and received fellowships from the Berkeley Center for New Media, UC Berkeley and the IKKM Weimar. After studying Cultural Anthropology, Philosophy and Media Culture Analysis, she defended her PhD at the a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School for the Humanities Cologne with a theoretical framework for the multiple (in-)tangibilities of the Anthropocene.
Léa currently works on a habilitation project, bringing forth a media theory of phase transitions by investigating the material ties of media infrastructures in contemporary technocapitalist environments through situated phenomena of transience, dispersal, abundance and solidification.
Furthermore, Léa is the leader of the experimental laboratory CollActive Materials together with Martin Müller, a joint project of the Clusters of Excellence »Matters of Activity« and »Science of Intelligence«, funded by the Berlin University Alliance within the objective 2 »Fostering Knowledge« (2022-2024). »CollActive Materials« is dedicated to establishing a novel approach to science communication through the means of speculative design. The project gathers multiple publics to jointly tackle possible material futures with hands-on methods and new modes of collaboration across scientific research and everyday material practices.
Cluster of Excellence
»Matters of Activity«
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Sophienstr. 22a
10178 Berlin
Edited Volumes & Exhibition Catalogues
Perraudin, L. , Otremba, H., Harth, T. eds. 2016. TextGestalten – DesignSchreiben. Münster: Verlag der FH Münster.
Articles in Edited Volumes
Caison, G., Perraudin, L. 2022. »To Carry Water. An Invitation to Move and Sense Otherwise.« In Venice and the Anthropocene: An Ecocritical Guide, edited by Baldacci, C., Bassi, S., De Capitani, L., Omodeo, P. D. Venice: Wetlands, 161-165.
Perraudin, L., Rešetar, I., Winkler, C. 2021. »The Body of Breath: Morphologies of Air Movement.« Proceedings of the conference »Atem (Breath)« at the Department of Art and Visual History, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 11.9.2019–13.9.2019. In Atem / Breath: Gestalterische, ökologische und soziale Dimensionen / Morphological, ecological and social dimensions, edited by Burchert, L., Rešetar, I. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter.
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110701876
Perraudin, L. 2021. »Augmenting the Material Reality of Computing.« In Extended Reality – Code and Materiality in Art and Culture: Catalog, edited by Schürrer, D., Stark, M. Berlin: HTW/HU Berlin, 16-23.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714450
Perraudin, L. 2020. »Digging Deep—Mud as Medium. Playful Encounters with the Soil.« In Playful Participatory Practices. Perspektiven der Game Studies., edited by Abend P., Beil B., Ossa V. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien, 111-130.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-28619-4_7
Perraudin, L. 2019. »Capturing the Ephemeral. Experimental interfaces and Snapchat as messy modes of interaction in the Technosphere.« In Technobilder: Medialität, Multimodalität und Materialität in der Technosphäre, edited by Grabbe, L., Rupert-Kruse, P., Schmitz, N. M. Marburg: Büchner, 198-217.
Perraudin, L. 2017. »Where have all the cases gone? Die offenen Behausungen des experimentellen Interfacedesigns.« In Gehäuse: Mediale Einkapselungen, edited by Neubert, C., Bartz, C., Miggelbrink, M., Kaerlein, T. Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink, 171-190.
https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/14822.
Perraudin, L. 2016. »Tales from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.« In Waste – Perspectives for the Remaining, edited by Lewe, C., Othold, T., Oxen, N. Bielefeld: transcript, 143-170.
https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839433270-007
Perraudin, L. 2014. »Zur Medialität der Wolke. Agnes Meyer-Brandis "Im Troposphärenlabor".« In The Invisible Force Behind. Materialität in der Medienkunst. Ausstellungskatalog zur Quadriennale 2014, edited by Buschmann, R., Simunovic, D. Dortmund: Verlag Kettler, 68-75.
Articles
Perraudin, L., Caison, G. 2023. »To Carry Water. An Invitation to Move and Sense Otherwise.« In Venice and the Anthropocene: An Ecocritical Guide, special issue. Edited by Baldacci, C., Bassi, S., De Capitani, L., Omodeo. koozArch. Un-built Imaginary.
https://koozarch.com/essays/venice-and-the-anthropocene-an-ecocritical-guide
Löffler, P., Perraudin, L., Schneider, B., Yusoff, K., Gabrys, J. 2020. »Dinge anders machen. Ein Gespräch über feministische Anthropozän-Kritik, Dekolonisierung der Geologie und «sensing» in Medien-Umwelten.« In Zirkulation, special issue. Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft, 23 (2): 138-152.
https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/14822
Löffler, P., Perraudin, L., Schneider, B. 2020. »Making Things otherwise. An Interview with Jennifer Gabrys and Kathryn Yusoff about Feminist Criticism of the Anthropocene, Decolonizing Geology and Sensing Media Environments.« In Zirkulationen, special issue. Zeitschrift für Medienwissenschaft (ZfM), 23: 138–151.
https://zfmedienwissenschaft.de/online/making-things-otherwise
Perraudin, L. 2020. »Jeder Tropfen zählt. Elementar-mediale Begegnungen im Milieu des Rain Room (rAndom International, 2012).« In "Spürtechniken. Von der Wahrnehmung der Natur zur Natur als Medium", special issue. Special Issue: Spürtechniken. Von der Wahrnehmung der Natur zur Natur als Medium. Medienobservationen. 1-22.
https://www.medienobservationen.de/pdf/20200430Perraudin3.pdf
Perraudin, L., Harth, T., Otremba, H. 2016. »Gedanken gestalten. Integration reflexiven Schreibens in das Studium.« Neues Handbuch Hochschullehre, (75): 109-126.
Perraudin, L. (project leader), Müller, M. (project leader), Werner, K. (coordinator, moderator), Brock, O. (contributor), Tikka, E. (workshop design), Nestler, A. (science communication), Bullermann E. (project assistant), Steinhardt, S. (science communication). 2023. Speculative Co-Design Workshop »Von Kontrolle zu Kooperation: Luft als Technologie«. Berlin University Alliance, Clusters of Excellence »Matters of Activity« and »Science of Intelligence«, silent green Kulturquartier, Berlin. 16 May 2023.
https://www.collactive-materials.de/workshops/
Perraudin, L. (project leader), Müller, M. (project leader), Werner, K. (coordinator, moderator), Dorniak, M. (contributor), Kim, Y. (contributor), Tikka, E. (workshop design), Nestler, A (science communication), Bullermann E. (project assistant), Steinhardt, S. (science communication). 2023. Speculative Co-Design Workshop "Breathing In, Breathing Out: Practices of Air". Berlin University Alliance, Clusters of Excellence »Matters of Activity« and »Science of Intelligence«, Lobe Block Berlin. Germany. 20 May 2023.
https://www.collactive-materials.de/workshops/
Perraudin, L. (project leader), Müller, M. (project leader), Winkler, C. (host, co-facilitator), Werner, K. (coordinator, moderator), Tikka, E. (workshop design), Nestler, A. (science communication), Bullermann E. (project assistant), Steinhardt, S. (science communication). 2023. Spekulativer Co-Design Workshop: Es liegt etwas in der Luft. Bühne & Umwelt. Berlin University Alliance, Clusters of Excellence »Matters of Activity« and »Science of Intelligence«, Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch, MA program Spiel&Objekt. Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch, Berlin. 6 May 2023.
https://www.collactive-materials.de/workshops/
Perraudin, L. (speaker), Lehmann, G. (speaker), Werner, K. (workshop concept, moderator), Nestler, A. (workshop concept, moderator), Bullermann, E. (design assistant) 2023. Introducing: The Breathless Choir. Workshop. Clusters of Excellence »Matters of Activity« and »Science of Intelligence«, Berlin Science Week. Campus Naturkundemuseum Berlin. Germany. 4 November 2023.
https://berlinscienceweek.com/event/introducing-the-breathless-choir/
Highlighted by Highlighted by Berlin Science Week in the track »Diversity of Perspectives«.
Exhibitions
Perraudin, L. (curator), Müller, M. (curator), Mahouti, M. (exhibition design), Werner, K. (project management and workshop concept), Winkler, C. (collaborator), Nestler, A. (communication and workshop concept), Steinhardt, S. (communication), Bullermann, E. (design assistant). Airbound. Sensing Collective Futures. Exhibition. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, CollActive Materials. CLB Berlin at Aufbau Haus. 20 October 2023 - 9 November 2023.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/11645/airbound-sensing-collective-futures
Perraudin, L., Rešetar, I. Intervention »My ABC is active«. Exhibition. Kunstbibliothek and Werkstoffarchiv Sitterwerk St. Gallen. 23 March 2023 - 7 May 2023.
https://www.sitterwerk.ch/De/Event/689/Mein_ABC_ist_aktiv
Talks & Presentations
Perraudin, L., Rešetar, I. »My ABC is... active«. Invited Talk, Stiftung Sitterwerk, St. Gallen. 23 March 2023.
https://www.sitterwerk.ch/De/Event/689/Mein_ABC_ist_aktiv
Perraudin, L., Rešetar, I. »My ABC is... active«. Talk at the Stiftung Sitterwerk St. Gallen. 23 March 2023.
https://www.sitterwerk.ch/En/Event/689/Mein_ABC_ist_aktiv
Perraudin, L. Smoke, Fat, Goo. Forms Moving on the Edge. Panel Presentation at the Edge Play. Annual Conference ASAP13, Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present, University of California Los Angeles. Hybrid. 17 September 2022.
Beyer, B., Cubasch, A., Fratzl, P., Hengge, R., Mareis, C., Perraudin, L., Sauer, C., Schäffner, W., for the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«. Can Bacteria Spin a Yarn? We Need a New Culture of Materials. Panel Presentation at the »Can Bacteria Spin a Yarn? We Need a New Culture of Materials«, Humboldt Forum Berlin. Hybrid. 29 April 2021.
https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/programm/termin/science-humanities/do-bacteria-spin-a-yarn-20472/
Cubasch, A. J., Perraudin, L. Filtering. Talk at the »MitWissenschaft - Spinnen die, die Bakterien?«, Humboldt Forum Berlin. Virtual. 29 April 2021.
https://www.humboldtforum.org/de/programm/termin/wissenschaft/spinnen-die-bakterien-14206/
Perraudin, L., Müller, M. Active Matter(s). Talk at the Research Colloquium »Design and the History of Knowledge«, organized by Mareis, C. and Büsse, M. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 30 June 2021.
Perraudin, L. Evaporate | Obfuscate. Pulverize | Crystallize. Some Preliminaries to Phase Transitions of Media. Talk at the Brown Bag Brunch, Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 16 February 2021.
Perraudin, L. Leakage and Accumulation. A Field Test for Environing. Talk at the Workshop »Filtering Legacies – Filtering Wasted Environments«. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin. Hybrid. 12 November 2021.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/6577/filtering-legacies-filtering-wasted-environments
Perraudin, L. What Flows Beneath. Venice and the Undercurrents of Mediation. Talk at the 2nd Annual Conference »Tipping Points. Plastic, Contingent and Unstable Matters«, Fragile Entanglements. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Hybrid. 16 November 2021.
www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/6581/tipping-points-plastic-contingent-and-unstable-matters
Invited Moderation/ Comment
Sicher, E., Weber, R., Kesselring, R., Asa, P., Perraudin, L. (moderator) MATTERSCAPES. A Studio Visit. Doctoral Presentations, repair, restore, regenerate, Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 27 June 2023.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/11320/matterscapes-a-studio-visit
Clark, N., Weaver, J. C., Dierichs, K., Perraudin, L. Earthly Matter. Deep Material Futures Exploring the Different Temporalities of Active Matter, silent green Kulturquartier, Berlin. Hybrid. 16 November 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/9051/deep-material-futures
Events & Workshops
Perraudin, L. (curator), Müller, M. (curator), Dziersk, Doris (artist). Bound through Air: Finissage of the exhibition »Airbound. Sensing Collective Futures« with participatory performance AIRNSHARE #2 by Doris Dziersk. CLB Berlin Aufbau Haus. Clusters of Excellence »Matters of Activity« and »Science of Intelligence«. CollActive Materials. 9 November 2023.
https://berlinscienceweek.com/event/bound-through-air-airnshare-2/
Highlighted by Exberliner as one of 10 things to do at Berlin Science Week.
Mareis, C, Büsse, M., Gründel, A., Perraudin, L. Lecture Series Dis/Entangling Material Futures. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Cultural History and Theory at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 25 April 2022 - 18 July 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/7704/dis-entangling-material-futures
Perraudin, L., Müller, M., Werner, K. What are futures made of? CollActive Materials @ SCIoI Thursday. Cluster of Excellence »Science of Intelligence«. 24 November 2022.
Werner, K., Nestler, A., Steinhardt, S., Bullermann, E., Müller, M., Perraudin, L. Woraus ist deine Zukunft gemacht? Mall Anders, Berlin. 20 May 2022 - 21 May 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/8032/collactive-materials-in-der-mall-anders
Highlighted by Tagesspiegel.
Werner, K., Tikka E., Nyakatura, J, Rasehorn, F, Vaish, A, Perraudin, L., Müller, M., Nestler, A, Bullermann, E. What is the Future Made Of? A speculative workshop about bio-inspired design. Naturkundemuseum Berlin, Berlin Science Week. CollActive Materials. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 5 November 2022.
https://berlinscienceweek.com/de/event/what-is-the-future-made-of/
Held, M. (co-chair), Kimpel, K. (co-chair), Mareis, C. (co-chair), Perraudin, L. (organization), Sauer, C. (co-chair), Winkler, C. (organization). »Material Trajectories. Designing with Care«, 17th Annual Conference of the German Society for Design Theory and Research (DGTF). Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, weißensee school of art and design berlin. Virtual. 6 May 2021 - 8 May 2021.
https://materialtrajectories.dgtf.de/
Kim, Y., Perraudin, L. Where Does our Knowledge Come From? Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity. Image Space Material«. Virtual. 4 May 2021.
Mareis, C. with Büsse, M., Gruendel, A., Perraudin, L. Dis/Entangling Perspectives in Material Research. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Cultural History and Theory at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 25 October 2021 - 14 February 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/6386/dis-entangling-perspectives-in-material-research
Cubasch, A. J., Perraudin, L., Cojal Gonzalez, J., Razghandi, K. How to environ? Epistemic & design perspectives on environments, cultural techniques, and structures. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 13 November 2020.
Teaching & Courses
Perraudin, L., Tikka, E., Winkler, C., Müller, M. Aerial Witness/ing. (Summer) School, Future of Life – Elementals. Biodesign Lab, HfG Karlsruhe / ZKM Karlsruhe. 24 July 2023 - 29 July 2023.
https://biodesignlab.hfg-karlsruhe.de/en/news/future-of-life-elementals
External Grants, Fellowships, Scholarships & Residencies
Perraudin, L., Brock, O., Coelho Mollo, D., Mareis, C., Müller, M., Nestler, A., Puhlmann, S., Schäffner, W., Steinhardt, S. 2021. »Wenn Materie lebendig wird«. Experimentallabor für Wissenschaftskommunikation »CollActive Materials«. Berlin University Alliance, project funding for 2022-2024.
https://www.collactive-materials.de/
Research Stays at Another Institution
Perraudin, L., Rešetar, I. Intervention Kunstbibliothek and Werkstoffarchiv »My ABC is active«. Stiftung Sitterwerk St. Gallen. 20 March 2023 - 24 March 2023.
https://www.sitterwerk.ch/De/Event/689/Mein_ABC_ist_aktiv
Perraudin, L. Gregory Bateson Archive. University of California Santa Cruz. 24 August 2022 - 4 September 2022.
Memberships
Perraudin, L. Since 2022. Member of the ASAP Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present.
Perraudin, L. Since 2012. Gesellschaft für Medienwissenschaft.
Podcasts & Videos
Perraudin, L., Tikka, E. What is speculative design and how can it help science communication? Berlin Science Week Deep Dive. Video. 6 minutes, 11 January 2023.