Article in the Tagesspiegel Highlights the Interdisciplinary Exhibition
At the center of the exhibition »Fermenting Textiles« is a greenish-brown shirt made of coarse fabric used for hunting. It was treated with vouwo, a dyeing method practiced in the Marka-Dafing community in Burkina Faso for generations. An interdisciplinary team from »Matters of Activity« has systematically researched the dyeing technique for the first time, together with a master dyer from the West African community of Safané. You can read about their findings and how they relate to today's fast fashion in a profound Tagesspiegel article by Martin Ballaschk. The exhibition can be seen at the Art Laboratory Berlin until July 6.
more
Samples of woven cotton cloth dyed with mud (vouwo), Adama Séré - Marka-Dafing master dyer, 2020. Photo: Salif Sawadogo 2020
Exhibition and Talks
»Fermenting Textiles« explores the fermentation of textiles in mud and plant material. The exhibition at Art Laboratory Berlin connects anthropology, microbiology, and art through the engagement of artisans, anthropologists, scientists, and artists and mirrors the multi-species collaborations that are integral to the mud dyeing process.
more
»Re-Enactment« mit lebenden Bakterien in einer großen Petrischale: Visualisierung der Interaktionen von Bakterien und den Schoten einer Pflanze, die bei der Schlammfärbung von Textilien von Bedeutung sind. (Foto: José I. Hernández Lobato und Regine Hengge/HU)
Interview mit Regine Hengge zu »Fermenting Textiles«
Im Interview spricht die Mikrobiologin Regine Hengge über die besondere Sichtweise des Exzellenzclusters »Matters of Activity« auf Materialien und was ihre Expertise auf dem Gebiet von Bakterien und Biofilmen damit zu tun hat. Die am 16. Mai 2025 eröffnete Ausstellung »Fermenting Textiles« im Art Laboratory Berlin, die die Ergebnisse ihrer Forschung zu traditionellen Färbetechniken in Afrika zeigt, ist der Anlass mit ihr über das Konzept aktiver Materialien und ihrem Nutzen zu sprechen sowie darüber, was naturwissenschaftliche Forschung von künstlerischen Herangehensweisen lernen kann.
more
MAKING Scoby Grow with Emma Sicher. Copyright: Matters of Activity
New Episode with Emma Sicher
Remember that cup of tea you left forgotten on your table for weeks? Don’t worry – you might have created something amazing without even realizing it! Meet the SCOBY – a symbiotic structure made of bacteria and yeast, a true powerhouse of bio-design! Find out more and watch the newest episode of »MAKING_«!
more
Automated elevator system for harvesting BC, photo: Marius Land. Detail of fig. 6 in: N. Rackov, N. Janßen, A. Akkache, B. Drotleff, B. Beyer, E. Scoppola, N.E. Vrana, R. Hengge, C.M. Bidan, S. Hathroubi, in: Bacterial cellulose: Enhancing productivity and material properties through repeated harvest, in: Biofilm Volume 9, June 2025, 100276, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100276
New Paper on Bacterial Cellulose Out Now
Bacterial cellulose (BC), a promising versatile biopolymer produced by bacteria, has immense potential in various industries. However, large-scale application is hindered by high production costs and low yields. This study introduces an innovative approach combining a prolonged static culturing with intermittent harvesting. The findings by the interdisciplinary team, which also included Cluster members Bastian Beyer, Cécile Bidan, Regine Hengge, and Skander Hathroubi, highlight the potential of intermittent harvesting for sustainable BC production and the role of bacterial adaptation in tuning BC properties.
more
Co-Weaving Biofilms, Bastian Beyer, Iva Rešetar, Moritz Liedtke, Regine Hengge, Installation for Bauhaus Museum Dessau, 2025, photo: Michelle Mantel. Copyright: Matters of Activity
Installation »Bacterial Cellulose: Co-Weaving Biofilms« Featured at Exhibition in Dessau
Was the historic Bauhaus interested in ecology? Presumably in a different context than today. The exhibition »Bauhaus Ecologies«, on view from April 11th to November 2nd, 2025 at Bauhaus Museum Dessau, explores approaches to ecological thinking in modern design. We are thrilled to share that the exhibition also features the installation »Bacterial Cellulose: Co-Weaving Biofilms« developed in the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«. The project of architects Bastian Beyer and Iva Rešetar and microbiologist Regine Hengge presents the latest results of research at the interface between design, materials science, and biology.
more
Microverse III-3, 2025 © Kathrin Linkersdorff
Photographs Created by Kathrin Linkersdorff in Collaboration with Regine Hengge Exhibited at Haus am Kleistpark
Circularity and sustainability of material flows are hallmarks of intact ecosystems. This principle has now been stunningly visualized in ultrahigh resolution, large format photographs - the MICROVERSE series - created by Kathrin Linkersdorff in collaboration with Regine Hengge, Professor for Microbiology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The exhibition at Haus am Kleistpark (Berlin-Schöneberg) will be on view until June 8th, 2025.
more
Cluster Member Emma Sicher Gives Talk at Futurium
Moderator Pireeni Sundaralingam, a cognitive scientist, and her guests, Emma Sicher, MoA Pre-Doctoral Researcher and Anna Yona, founder and managing director of »Wildling« will discuss the future of sustainable design and the unconventional use of raw materials at Berlin’s ›House of Futures‹. Emma is a designer investigating materials and foods at the intersection of microbiology and anthropology to envision relational futures. What would happen if we used different materials for our clothes and our shoes? How could our food systems or our buildings use completely different raw materials? A ticket is required, but the admission is free of charge.
more
Traveling Exhibition Bakteriopolis, 2024 Photo: Sven Ellger, TU Dresden
Exhibition at Museum für Naturkunde
Bakteriopolis is a mobile exhibition built into a shipping container showcasing bacteria and their amazing ability to form multicellular aggregates. These very common and sometimes spectacularly looking ›biofilms‹ may cause chronic infectious diseases but are also involved in beneficial activities such as food fermentation. Designed as a public outreach activity of the DFG-funded priority program SPP2389 at TU Dresden, Bakteriopolis is traveling through Germany and will be presented in front of Naturkundemuseum Berlin during Berlin Science Week from 1-10 November 2024. On the 5th and 6th of November, MoA PhD student José Ignacio Hernández Lobato will lead through the exhibition and experiments at Bakteriopolis and will give you a glimpse into his research on how bacterial biofilms and plant-microbe interactions impact fermentative textile dyeing. Bakteriopolis is designed to be accessible to adults as well as kids.
more
Dimitra Almpani-Lekka, Natalija Miodragović, and Emma Sicher are Part of Talk Series on Mycelium
The exhibition and talks aim at celebrating the intersection of art, design, science, and ecology, and at exploring how the process of mycofabrication – using fungi as a tool for manufacturing – and multispecies design can reshape our perceptions, inspire new ways of thinking and reconnect us to the environment. Metempsychosis, the idea of mind transmigration, serves as a metaphor for the transformative journey of creating with living mycelium, which not only serves as a medium but actively participates in the creative process. Cluster members Dimitra Almpani-Lekka, Natalija Miodragović, and Emma Sicher will contribute to the talk series on November 2nd from 5 pm in Berlin-Mitte.
more
Fermentation preparation with Tanyaporn Tantasathien. Thailand 2024. Copyright: Emma Sicher
Emma Sicher Exchanged Knowledge with Researchers and Practitioners in Thailand
Between May and June, doctoral researcher Emma Sicher spent three weeks in Thailand as part of her PhD in Design Studies. Invited by Professor Aracha Krasae-in, she presented the work of the Cluster and her current research at the Faculty of Architecture of Kasetsart University in Bangkok. There, she also exchanged ideas with Professor Prakit Sukyai, an expert in Biotechnology and Biopolymers. Additionally, she presented at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts of Thammasat University, invited by Professor Wuthigrai Siriphon.
The heart of the experience consisted of visits to two sites associated with acetic fermentation techniques that can generate biomaterials. These techniques range from ancient practices to more recent methods, employed in various ways from fertilizers to health-promoting substances. The visits took place in small artisanal production realities in Nakhon Ratchasima province, including Stefano and Somporn Abbruzzese, and Micro Friends, an initiative run by Tanyaporn Tantasathien and Waratchanat Thongthiangtham at the Baan Ama farm stay. more
The heart of the experience consisted of visits to two sites associated with acetic fermentation techniques that can generate biomaterials. These techniques range from ancient practices to more recent methods, employed in various ways from fertilizers to health-promoting substances. The visits took place in small artisanal production realities in Nakhon Ratchasima province, including Stefano and Somporn Abbruzzese, and Micro Friends, an initiative run by Tanyaporn Tantasathien and Waratchanat Thongthiangtham at the Baan Ama farm stay. more
Publication »Raue Reihe«, edited by Horst Bredekamp with a first issue by Regine Hengge on »The Essential Role of Microbes in Planetary Metabolism«. Copyright: Matters of Activity
Edited by Horst Bredekamp with a First Issue by Regine Hengge on »The Essential Role of Microbes in Planetary Metabolism«
The academic series »Raue Reihe / Raw Studies« is a new publication organ of the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity« edited by Horst Bredekamp. Modeled on »grey literature« formats, such as the preprints of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin or the legendary Merve volumes, its issues will appear at irregular intervals and aim to support the publishing of Cluster literature in terms of processes, and rapidity, spontaneity, and process character. Its title, »Raue Reihe«, emphasizes the resistance of matter that continues to be the decisive determination of existence in all its varieties in our digital age.
more
Flyer Symposium Regine Hengge
35 years of the Regine Hengge Lab
The symposium celebrated the key scientific contributions of Prof. Dr. Regine Hengge and her laboratory over the past 35 years in the field of Microbial Stress Responses: from the stationary phase and general stress response to regulatory networks, second messengers, biofilms, and the interface of science and art. Talks will feature Hengge Lab members, collaborators, and colleagues, presenting personal and historical research perspectives and, importantly, vignettes of their latest exciting discoveries and insights.
more
Copyright: Sistemas Materiales
Pioneering Publication on Biomaterials Launched in Buenos Aires
»Trazos« is a pioneering publication in Spanish in the interdisciplinary field of biomaterials developments. The book is divided into three sections which explore, interrogate, shape, and reflect on these scientific and creative advancements. This book encourages interaction between the Spanish-speaking community and provides access to a topic predominantly discussed in English. It seeks to stimulate dialogue and amplify the reach of the Latin American biomaterials field to a broader audience. Likewise, it aspires to foster collaborations that transcend language barriers, promoting enriching exchanges of ideas and knowledge. The book, edited by MoA Associated Member Heidi Jalkh and Gisela Pozzetti, and designed by Paula Rodríguez, includes contributions by MoA researchers Bastian Beyer, Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten, Wolfgang Schäffner, Daniel Suárez, Charlett Wenig and by Rodrigo Martin Iglesias, Coordinator of the Master Open Design.
more
Thermography shows the effect of shading and the influence of solar radiation on surface temperatures. Copyright: Maxie Schneider
Workshop Series at Futurium
Gestaltet das Futurium Lab selbst mit! In der öffentlichen Workshopreihe »OPEN LAB ABEND: Materialzukünfte besuchen« spekulierten Teilnehmende darüber, aus welchen Materialien die Welt von morgen gemacht sein könnte. Die Workshopreihe umfasste 4 Termine und fand von März bis Juni im Futurium statt. Forschende von »Matters of Activity« (MoA) gaben Einblick in ihre Arbeit. Davon ausgehend entwickelten Teinehmende Zukunftsszenarien und gestalteten Prototypen, die im Anschluss zusammen mit Objekten aus der MoA-Forschung im Lab ausgestellt wurden. Begleitet wurden Teilnehmende dabei vom spekulationserfahrenen Team von »CollActive Materials«.
It’s getting hot in here... In diesem ersten Workshop ging es darum, wie wir mit smarten Materialien die Städte der Zukunft gestalten können. Im Sommer machen steigende Temperaturen, Metall und Beton das Leben in der Innenstadt für alle Bewohnenden immer mehr zur Herausforderung. Welche Materialien schaffen Abhilfe in überhitzten Städten?
more
Microverse I-6, 2023. Copyright: Kathrin Linkersdorff
Photographs Created by Kathrin Linkersdorff in Collaboration with Regine Hengge Exhibited at Deichtorhallen
Circularity and sustainability of material flows is a hallmark of intact ecosystems. This principle has now been stunningly visualized in ultrahigh resolution, large format photographs – the MICROVERSE series – created by Kathrin Linkersdorff in collaboration with Cluster member Regine Hengge, Professor for Microbiology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The exhibition at the Deichtorhallen Hamburg will be on view from October 27th, 2023 to January 21st, 2024.
more
Leben im Schleim. Copyright: FASZ
Read about MoA in the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung, the Purpose Magazine, The Praxis Journal and Tagesspiegel
We are very happy that »Matters of Activity« has been highlighted by many different (international) news outlets lately. Next to beautiful biofilm pictures and information from Regine Hengge, Cluster Members Wolfgang Schäffner and Maxime Le Calvé have been interviewed by Purpose Magazine and The Praxis Journal from Argentina. Wolfgang Schäffner has also been interviewed in connection to the BUA initiative »BUA Calling« by Tagesspiegel Berlin. With our involvement in the Berlin Science Week news about MoA will also travel fast in the upcoming weeks.
more
MoA Project »Bacterial Cellulose: Co-Weaving Biofilms« at the Milano Triennale 2022. Copyright: Triennale Milano – photo by DSL Studio
An Installation for the Triennale XXIII: »Unknown Unknows, An Introduction to Mysteries«
Cellulose of different forms and origins is woven together in this structure: pieces of wood, paper threads and biofilms grown by bacteria. A collaborative textile is created – human, plant and microbial. Three MoA research projects, Weaving, Material Form Function and Object Space Agency and with that many MoA Members worked together on the project »Bacterial Cellulose: Co-Weaving Biofilms« shown at the Triennale di Milano XXIII »Unknown Unknows, An Introduction to Mysteries«, in the thematic exhibition »Alchemic Laboratory«, curated by Ingrid Paoletti, from July 15th to December 11th, 2022.
more
Still from Interview with Bastian Beyer and Skander Hathroubi showing the making of parts of the »Active Curtain Project« shown at the exhibition »After Nature« at Humboldt Lab. Copyright: Anne von Petersdorff (info@annevonpetersdorff.com) for Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Interview with Bastian Beyer and Skander Hathroubi
The Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity. Image Space Material« investigates materials that are built by bacteria. Architects and biologists work together to explore new, sustainable materials. Some of these bacterial structures were on display at the Humboldt Lab. In the interview with Cluster Members Bastian Beyer and Skander Hathroubi, parts of the development of the »Active Curtains Project« are presented in more detail.
more
Can Bacteria Spin a Yarn? Kick-Off event »MitWissenschaft/ WeSearch«, Humboldt Forum Berlin, 29 April 2021. Copyright: Humbolt Forum
Cluster Members Opened Event Series »MitWissenschaft/ WeSearch« at the Humboldt Forum
On Thursday, April 29th, 7–9:30 pm, members of the Cluster gave insights into the research of »Matters of Activity« in an interactive live show, thus opening the event series »MitWissenschaft/ WeSearch« at the Humboldt Forum.
Using concrete examples from the Cluster projects »Weaving« and »Filtering«, MoA members Bastian Beyer, Alwin Cubasch, Peter Fratzl, Regine Hengge, Claudia Mareis, Léa Perraudin, Christiane Sauer and Wolfgang Schäffner showed how the natural sciences, the humanities and the design disciplines work closely together to find innovative solutions to contemporary problems.
more
Hella Jongerius, Woven Cosmos – Pliable Architecture (2021), Copyright: Hella Jongerius / VG Bild-Kunst 2021, Photo: Laura Fiorio.
Essay by Regine Hengge and Karin Krauthausen on the Occasion of the Exhibition »Hella Jongerius: Woven Cosmos« Published
Regine Hengge's and Karin Krauthausen's essay »The Event of Fibre« has been published in the volume accompanying the exhibition »Hella Jongerius: Woven Cosmos« which was shown in Berlin's Gropius Bau from April 29th to September 15th, 2021.
Whether in DNA interactions, bacterial biofilms or city architectures, weaving can be a model for different and relational »ecologies of life«. Ranging across artistic practices, cell biology, and human forms, molecular biologist Hengge and cultural historian Krauthausen (both Project »Weaving«) examine what we can learn from nature's enmeshed processes.
more
Biomaterials from Potsdam for Charité Dentists
Cluster Member Cécile Bidan Receives Further Funding
In 2021, Cluster member Cecile Bidan received further funding for the interdisciplinary research project »InterDent«, together with dental colleagues at the Charité. Its goal is to make dental fillings or crowns more durable in the future. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding this project with 2.1 million euros, initially for three years.
more
Poster Workshop »Material as Environmental Device«. Copyright: Kristina Pfeifer »detail woven skin of Kurdish black tent« & Cécile Bidan »detail of bacterial cellulose biofilm«
A Zoom Workshop on 10 September 2020
The workshop »Material as Environmental Device« on September 10th, 2020 gathers researchers and practitioners from the fields of architecture, ecological anthropology and the natural sciences to discuss the status of the material as an active element of environmental design on the basis of past and contemporary buildings and current research in the Cluster »Matters of Activity«. Three thematic sessions – »Materials and Environments«, »Essential Material« and »Active Skins« – focus on different aspects of material activity, addressing design and production techniques, ecological and cultural implications and the prospects of climate-responsive architectures.
more
The weaving/braiding robots are part of an experimental setting of the ERC group PENELOPE. Copyright: Karin Krauthausen
with Dr. Ellen Harlizius-Klück
The »Weaving« project continued its series »Weaving in Different Disciplines« on November 7th, 2019 with Dr. Ellen Harlizius-Klück, Project Leader of the ERC group PENELOPE at Deutsches Museum Munich.
more
Image of a first 3D-printed model of an E. coli cell with matrix cocoon - created by Lynette Cegelski’s research group. Copyright: Lynette Cegelski
with Prof. Lynette Cegelski
On August 30th at 3 pm the »Weavers« started their series of lectures on the topic »Weaving in different disciplines«. We are very happy that on this first event our cooperation partner Lynette Cegelski from Stanford University was presenting and discussing her research with us. The title of her presentation was »Structure and properties of the polymer fibers of the biofilm matrix of E. coli«.
more
Bacterial Weavings
From Microbiological Activity and Fibrous Biofilm Matrices to Design and Architecture
Microverse I-6, 2023. Copyright: Kathrin Linkersdorff
Blurring the Boundaries between Science and Art in a Living Theatrum naturae et artis
Circularity of growth and decay as well as sustainability of the flow of living matter is a hallmark of intact ecosystems. This principle is stunningly visualized in ultrahigh resolution, large format photographs - the MICROVERSE series - created by freelance artist Kathrin Linkersdorff in collaboration with microbiologist Regine Hengge.
more