Dear friends of »Matters of Activity«,

We are thrilled to announce that the first half of 2026 marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our Cluster, driven by new appointments, team changes, and a wave of fresh momentum. This energy fuels a vibrant program packed with inspiring new publications, open calls, and innovative projects that continue to expand and strengthen our collaborative network.
We are especially looking forward to the event »Microbial Matters« on 2 June at Tieranatomisches Theater, where renowned architectural historians and theorists Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley will present their new book, We the Bacteria. Their talk will be followed by a roundtable discussion bringing together microbiologist Regine Hengge, architects Iva Rešetar and Bastian Beyer, and design and cultural historian Claudia Mareis, Co-Director of our Cluster.

We warmly invite you to celebrate these new horizons with the latest CZ#72 and dive into this inspiring cross-disciplinary exchange.

Enjoy reading!
Carolin Ott

On May 12 2026, talks by Susanne Brorson (»Making Architecture«) and Lorenzo Guiducci (»From Plant to Material: Structure, Processes and Properties of Hemp«) sparked a stimulating interdisciplinary exchange during the event »Plant Architectures Across Scales«. They drew a large audience, filling both the Central Laboratory and the online streaming room. This transdisciplinary exchange across scales and disciplines is part of the Material Focus Studio: HEMP – Ancient Plant for New Design at the Department of Textile and Material Design, led by Christiane Sauer at weißensee school of art and design. → more

Publications Published in TAD (Technology | Architecture + Design), Frank Bauer’s article offers a fascinating exploration of how small‑diameter roundwood material, often undervalued or overlooked, can open entirely new pathways in sustainable design. By treating thinnings construction not as a limitation but as an opportunity, Bauer demonstrates how hands‑on carpentry, material experimentation, and device‑driven learning can renovate traditional craft to approach emerging robotic methods. The article challenges common expectations of industrial lumber processing and invites us to rethink architectural authorship, value, and material control.⁠ → more

Object Space Agency | Air | Bacteria | More-Than-Human | Toxics At the STS conference »Before Ruins« at Ruhr University Bochum, Clemens Winkler participated in the case study »Toxic Heritage Ruhr« case study. During the Case Day, participants were taken from the German Mining Museum in Bochum to the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex and PACT Zollverein, where they focused on industrial sites whose ecological and material legacies persist to this day. Clemens contributed his research on atmospheric infrastructures, air samples, and microclimates to the case study's field-research format. Using simple sensors, agar plates, adhesive sampling films, and notational forms, he examined air as an archive of dust, moisture, microbes, and industrial residues. In this way, »toxic heritage« became legible not only as a matter of soils, buildings, or landforms, but also as a fleeting, shared atmosphere. This work combines design research, STS, aerobiology, and speculative methods, and views atmospheric measurement as a practice of paying attention to »invisible« ecological and political interconnections. → more

Publications Glas ist ein paradoxes Material. Einerseits steht es exemplarisch für die Herstellung von Sichtbarkeiten. Brillengläser, Fenster, Spiegel, Lupen und Bildschirme gehören in dieser Weise zu unseren alltäglichen und beruflichen Welten: Sie eröffnen Blicke, skalieren Objekte, schützen Kostbarkeiten und präsentieren Wissen. Andererseits können die präsentierenden Eigenschaften des Glases auch mit Praktiken des Verbergens, Trennens oder Täuschens in Zusammenhang gebracht werden: Gläser werden schmutzig, spiegeln ihre Umgebung, blenden die Betrachter, verfärben, was dahinter zu sehen ist oder zerbrechen. In solchen Situationen wird Glas nicht nur als künstliches Material bemerkbar, sondern kann zugleich als ein Medium der Wissensproduktion verstanden werden. Der vorliegende Band greift solche Perspektiven auf und versucht sie im Horizont zeitgenössischer Kultur- und Medienwissenschaften sowie der Kunst-, Architektur- und Wissenschaftsgeschichte fortzuschreiben. → more

Publications The latest issue of The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory, guest-edited by MoA members Karin Krauthausen and Christiane Arndt, focuses on minimalism. The literary texts discussed — among them Lola Randl’s Der Große Garten, Judith Hermann’s Daheim, and Thomas von Steinaecker’s Die Verteidigung des Paradieses — indicate how less can indeed be a vantage point for more. All contributions are freely available as open access through the publisher. → more

Publications Affordable and sustainable water purification and reuse remain a global challenge for decentralized systems. The release of untreated or insufficiently treated grey and wastewater into surface waters contributes to pollution and increases downstream treatment costs due to nutrients, organic matter, heavy metals, and microbial contamination. Hybrid approaches combining biological and physicochemical processes are emerging, yet modular systems enabling direct integration of living plant roots with functional biopolymer-based filters remain underexplored. Here, the authors demonstrate a modular co-filter system integrating plant roots with biopolymer filters enabling effective decentralized greywater treatment within flexibly connectable pot units. We’d like to congratulate the Co-Filtering Project on their newly published article! → more

Publications | ＿matter Festival 2025 Rewetting peatlands is crucial for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, as these ecosystems store twice as much carbon compared to forests. Transitioning to sustainable wetland regeneration depends on farmers being able to develop viable new peatland economies, known as paludiculture from the Latin palus, meaning swamp. This research addresses how we can support farmers to thrive in these rewetted landscapes, to develop suitable new technologies with local resources, and speculate on future modes of living in these newly fashioned landscapes. Congratulations to Charlett Wenig, Lucy Norris and Janne Ebel on their visual essay publication in the .able journal! → more

Weaving | MoA Design Research Studio | Prototype / Model | Yarns/Fibers | Teaching The MoA Design Studio project »Hybrid Craft« investigated the intersection of traditional basketry and digital fabrication, exploring how tactile practices can be integrated with robotic production. During their winter semester 2025/26 at weißensee school of art and design, students developed a hybrid methodology using materials such as grass and bio-resins. By blending human agency with machine precision, the project redefined contemporary design and craft. The studio was conceptualized and supervised by Cluster members Nayeli Vega-Vargas and Maja Avnat, together with Jörg Hugo, Yolanda Leask, Kim Cordes, and Evey Kwong. → more

Object Space Agency | Air | Science Communication | Climate | Cloud At PolyFutures – Reimagining Policymaking for Europe, a two-day event organized by the European Commission’s EU Policy Lab in Brussels, Clemens Winkler co-led the workshop »Per-Forming Atmospheric Commons« with Myriel Milicevic (Potsdam University of Applied Sciences). The event brought together researchers, designers, foresight experts, behavioral insights practitioners, and policymakers to explore how creative, participatory, and forward-looking methods can transform European policymaking. The event was organized by the EU Policy Lab, which is part of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.  → more

How do movement and the formation of knowledge relate to one another? The answer is as profound as it is exciting: Movement is not merely a physical act, but a fundamental catalyst for understanding. The new Public Engagement Hub at Zentrum für Kulturtechnik (ZfK) – Embodied Futures. Knowledge and Movement – is dedicated to this groundbreaking connection. This hub serves as a dynamic platform for projects and courses that utilize creative movement as a rigorous research method and a transformative educational tool. By integrating scientific, artistic, and practical perspectives, the hub fosters a participatory form of knowledge production. We are delighted that Cluster members Anna Schaeffner, Léa Perraudin, and Shintaro Miyazaki are participating in the very first collaboration round to explore these innovative frontiers! → more

Achievements | Teaching We are thrilled to announce that Karin Krauthausen has taken on two prestigious academic roles, running from April until September 2026. She is now a visiting professor in the Department of Cultural History and Theory at Humboldt-Universität zu  Berlin, filling in for Wolfgang Schäffner’s professorship. She is also active as an invited fellow at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, where she is focusing on her research project, »Reading the Forest« (»Den Wald lesen«). The project examines exemplary forest locations, practices, and histories, challenging the notion that there is a single, universal definition of a forest. Rather, it shows how forests have a long, evolving history deeply intertwined with regional political, economic, and cultural systems. Congratulations to Karin on these outstanding appointments – wishing continued inspiration and success in her research and teaching this semester! → more

Achievements | Teaching We have wonderful news to share: Our Associated Member Charlett Wenig is spending the current summer semester as a guest researcher at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Charlett is contributing to the Product Design program while substituting the Professorship of Transformative Design. This appointment highlights the vital impact of our community’s research on the wider design landscape. Please join us in congratulating Charlett and wishing her all the best for an inspiring time in Weimar! → more

Achievements | Biodesign We are delighted to announce that our Associate Member, Heidi Jalkh, has been selected for a residency at the Delfina Foundation in London. Chosen from over 1,200 global applicants, Heidi is one of seven artists joining the thematic program Making and Materiality in spring 2026. This residency explores the intersection of fine art, craft, and design, bringing together a diverse cohort to advance research-led material practices and artistic exchange. We warmly congratulate Heidi on this outstanding achievement and look forward to the insights she will bring back from her time in London! → more

We have some bittersweet news to share regarding our team structure. In mid-May, Kerstin Germer started an exciting new chapter as Managing Director and Board Member at Geisteswissenschaftliche Zentren Berlin (GWZ). A huge congratulations to Kerstin on this fantastic career move and a heartfelt thank you for her outstanding dedication to »Matters of Activity«. While she will be sorely missed, we couldn’t be happier for her! At the same time, we are delighted to announce that this position remains in capable hands: Carolin Ott has officially stepped up as our new Academic Manager. Having served as our Science Communication Officer for years, Carolin knows the Cluster inside out. We are thrilled to welcome her to this new role and look forward to shaping the future of the Cluster together!

Weaving | Bacteria | Biodesign We warmly invite you to »Microbial Matters« — an interdisciplinary exchange focusing on shifting perceptions of microbial activity in the built environment, design, and material culture. By challenging the modernist impulse to control and exclude microbial life, we open up a dialogue about the active role of bacteria in past and future design practices. »Microbial Matters« welcomes a lecture by renowned architectural historians and theorists Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley to present their latest book, We the Bacteria, followed by a roundtable discussion with microbiologist Regine Hengge, architects Iva Rešetar and Bastian Beyer, and design and cultural historian as well as co-director of the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity. Image Space Material«, Claudia Mareis. → more

Science Communication Seid ihr bereit für die spannendste Nacht des Jahres? Am Samstag, den 6. Juni, öffnet die Berliner Wissenschaft ihre Türen – und »Matters of Activity« liefert euch das volle Programm! Dieses Jahr wird es besonders genial: Unser beliebtes Kneipenquiz zieht zum allerersten Mal direkt ins Hauptgebäude der Humboldt-Universität! Schnappt euch ein Team und ratet über die Forschung der Berliner Exzellenzcluster um die Wette. Wer es lieber atmosphärisch mag, taucht im Humboldt Labor tief in die Wasser- und Wolkenforschung von Dimitra Almpani-Lekka, Joseph Vogl und Clemens Winkler ein. In Adlershof erwartet euch mit PlanckPlay ein 4D-Metamodell der Physik, mit dem ihr spielerisch die Zusammenhänge zentraler Theorien erkunden könnt. An der Charité führt euch Sophia Gräfe in einen Film zur Geschichte des Krankenbetts ein, und im Tieranatomischen Theater könnt ihr eine Installation aus bakterieller Zellulose bestaunen, die Architektur und Design mit Mikrobiologie und Materialwissenschaften verbindet. Es wird großartig und inspirierend - wir freuen uns auf euch! → more

How can we foster successful collaboration and exchange between science, the arts, and society? The workshop conference of the Office for Public Engagement and Knowledge Exchange with Society on June 12, 2026, invites participants to explore this central principle of Open Science through practice-oriented discussions and presentations: the event focuses on translation practices between different forms of knowledge and different contributors, it discusses participatory research and teaching formats with a focus on place-based learning and teacher education, and shows examples of practitioner involvement in academia. The evening features two art-science collaborations from the Public Engagement Hub »Embodied Futures: Knowledge and Movement« that demonstrate how body-based approaches are used in learning and research processes. Please find the complete conference program ↗ here. Please register ↗ here.

Organized by HU Office for Public Engagement and Knowledge Exchange with Society at Zentrum für Kulturtechnik, HU Berlin, and the BUA Ambassadors for Open Science program

The »XXIII International Conference on Culture and Computer Science – Remixing Physical and Virtual« will be held on September 22–23, 2026 at Gdansk University of Technology, in Gdansk, Poland. Cluster members Johann Habakuk Israel, Christian Kassung, and Jürgen Sieck, members of the Steering Committee, invite you to submit full papers, short papers, demos, and artistic projects by Sunday, May 31, 2026. Accepted papers will be published in the ACM digital library and indexed in Scopus. As an alternative, independent researchers and artists can have their papers published open access at Zenodo. We are looking for submissions that address this year’s theme, as well as a broad range of other topics. Please have a look at the ↗ conference website for more detailed information.

Fynn Dobler, Tally Miller, and Cluster member Rosario Tomasello are happy to announce the Language and the Brain Symposium (September 3-4, 2026), organized by the Brain Language Laboratory at Freie Universität Berlin. Over two days, international experts will reflect on recent advances in brain-based language research, jointly with the results and achievements of the ERC-funded project MatCo (»Material constraints enabling human cognition«). The symposium is held in memory of Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedemann Pulvermüller, whose contributions to the study of language and the brain have significantly shaped the field. Among the confirmed invited speakers is MoA colleague Thomas Picht (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin). More detailed information about the program, the Call for Posters, and the registration can be found on the ↗ symposium website.

We are happy to share that Maja Avnat is part of the 2026 edition of the Bosco Colto Campus, dedicated to Thinking with Animals, which will take place in Sicily from July 30 to August 9, 2026. 
The campus continues to question how to learn from the forest, returning to recognize the earth's primary materials and the forms of knowledge that emerge from them. In Maja's workshop, More-than-Human Audio Worlds, participants will experiment with sound recordings and audio works as a means of access to different ways of knowing. The group will create an audio work for the forest, intended to be available to visitors via streaming.
The Bosco Colto Campus 2026 is open to university students, graduating students, and recent graduates in architecture, agriculture, pedagogy, DAMS, design, fine arts academies, and related disciplines. More info can be found on the ↗ website.