Symbiotic Wood

Experience a fascinating journey through the world of wood — a ›more-than-human‹ material that not only plays an important role for us humans, but also for other species.

Climate change and monocultures have left forests vulnerable to insects and fungi. Beetle-infested wood is deemed less valuable from a traditional human-centric perspective. The exhibition »Symbiotic Wood« focuses on this ›more-than-human‹ material that is co-owned with other species. Visitors are invited to explore how this material that differs from conventional expectations might spark new design opportunities. The interdisciplinary group show with contributions by artists, designers, architects, and cultural historians is complemented by a series of public events.

Symbiosis as Science

The first part of the exhibition introduces the fundamental scientific facts on beetle infestation and co-related fungal invasion of spruce forests both locally in Germany and across the globe. These phenomena are connected to climate change and monocultures, both factors accelerating beetle population growth. Visitors will gain insight into how forest ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions and understand the complex relationships between climate patterns, forestry practices, and forest health.

Symbiosis as Culture

The second part centers on the cultural discourse of »Symbiotic Wood« in which beetles, fungi and environmental factors such as dryness are considered co-creators. Design objects and artistic pieces are integrated with reflections on the cultural history and theory of beetle-infestation. Ceramic casts from the trees surrounding the museum, for example, interlace the exhibition’s theme with its immediate environment: What if the trees in Berlin were considered part of this symbiosis?

Awareness of cultural and aesthetic reorientation is cultivated in the Berlin Kunstgewerbemuseum with its historical collections. There, the aim is to see the age in objects and works of art and to recognise them in their historicity. The museum understands the traces of use and age, of care, but also of neglection and decay, as a valuable ›patina‹. It opens our eyes to the limits of human endeavour and to the symbiotic relationship with nature. In the collection of the Berlin Kunstgewerbemuseum, this perspective is represented by a late medieval griffin figure – an outstanding work of art despite the considerable damage caused by insect infestation.

Symbiosis as Creation

The exhibition continues in the inner courtyard of the museum, where an architectural structure reflects on the topic of harvesting, storing, and revaluing beetle-infested wood. The open-air installation demonstrates how wood traditionally rejected by industry can be reimagined and repurposed, challenging our notions of value. Its material system is derived from box storage techniques, encouraging further drying and future use following disassembly. Visitors can walk through this architectural structure and experience the gradual transformation from less infested to more infested wood, seeing and feeling the varying textures up close.

Contributors

Pelin Asa
Karola Dierichs
Judith M. Dobler
Tarik Goetzke
Başak Günak
Florent Jouy
Nuri Kang
Rahel Kesselring
Karin Krauthausen
Anna Kubelík
Julia Rhein
Siegfried Saerberg
Robert Stock
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity)
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Department of Biomaterials)
Technische Universität Berlin (Robot-Assisted Manufacturing of the Built Environment, Structural Design and Construction)
Weißensee School of Art and Design Berlin (Material and Code)

Press

tagesspiegel, Gunda Bartels, 27 June 2025: »Ehrenrettung für den Borkenkäfer im Kunstgewerbemuseum: Zwischen Baum und Borke«
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/ehrenrettung-fur-den-borkenkafer-im-kunstgewerbemuseum-zwischen-baum-und-borke-13923430.html

Credits

»Symbiotic Wood« is the fourth chapter and final project of the More than Human exhibition series of Kunstgewerbemuseum and was developed in collaboration with the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity« at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin as part of the ＿matter Festival 2025.

Team Credits

Curator: Karola Dierichs
Co-Curators: Achim Stiegel; Claudia Banz (Curator of the »More-than-Human. Design after the Anthropocene« exhibition series)
Curatorial Assistance: Jessica Farmer
Coordination Assistance: Laura Niklas, Andrea Wiethoff
Coordination ＿matter Festival 2025: Sophia Gräfe
Production: Julia Blumenthal
Production Assistance: Mareen Baumeister, Nick Geipel, Nicholas Plunkett, Maria Pape, Luise Warning & Kai Müller
IT: Martin Wagner
Lighting Design: Caspar Pichner
Graphic Design: Nuri Kang
Photography: Roland Halbe
Press & PR: Antje Nestler and Carolin Ott
Finances: Kathrin Bauer and Sandra Bauer
Event Assistants: Antonia Katharina Giebner & Tim Oliver Langner

Dates

Vernissage: Fri, 27 June 2025, 6:00–10:00 pm
Exhibition: 28 June–21 September 2025 (extended until 23 November 2025)
The outdoor pavilion will be shown until 29 March 2026.
Opening Hours:
Wed–Fri: 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Sat–Sun: 11:00 am–6:00 pm

Public Program

4 July 2025, 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Symposium »Symbiotic Futures 2.0« (in English)
Hosted by Karola Dierichs and Robert Stock
With contributions by Siegfried Saerberg (Evangelische Hochschule für
Soziale Arbeit & Diakonie), Lisa Cronjäger (International Research Center for Cultural Studies, University of Art and Design Linz in Vienna (ifk)) and Peter Fratzl (MoA/MPIKG)

The »Symbiotic Futures 2.0« symposium features interactive public workshops and lectures bringing together experts and enthusiasts to exchange knowledge and ideas.Discover the full program and register by July 1st via the following link:
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/16879/symbiotic-futures-2-0

18 July 2025, 3:00–5:00 pm
Roundtable »Wood Kinship« (in German)
organized by Judith Marlen Dobler

Program Change: Unfortunately, the planned event has to take place in an adapted form due to illness. The schedule remains unchanged - Judith Marlen Dobler and Anna Kubelík will be on site, but without the announced guests. Instead of the roundtable, we are offering a guided tour with an introduction, background information, and the opportunity to discuss the topic of »Wood Kinship« together.

22 August 2025, 1:00-2:30 pm
Guided Tour with Karola Dierichs and Jessica Farmer
Registration via the following link:
https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/kunstgewerbemuseum/events/detail/symbiotic-wood-2025-08-22-130000-151907/

More information

https://www.smb.museum/en/exhibitions/detail/symbiotic-wood/
https://www.more-than-human.eu