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.
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Newly Appointed Scientific Advisory Board, Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, February 2025. Copyright: Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau
We warmly congratulate Cluster Co-Director Claudia Mareis on her appointment to the Scientific Advisory Board of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation! The Scientific Advisory Board advises the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation on specialist issues and is made up of experts from architecture, art history, design, and related disciplines. Due to their expertise and their engagement with current social discourses, they will also play a valuable role concerning the anniversary »An die Substanz. Bauhaus Dessau 100«.
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Exhibition of research objects during the MoA PhD presentations 2024. Posterlayout Ada Favaron. Copyright: Matters of Activity
Presentations Doctoral Program 2024
Under the title »testing un/common grounds«, the Matters of Activity doctoral cohort impressively presented the progress of their diverse research projects during the Cluster retreat. The event included the three moderated panel discussions as well as an exhibition of selected research objects that were at the core of the format. With their various disciplinary backgrounds ranging from art, architecture, engineering and design to the humanities and natural sciences, the group explored this interdisciplinary ›un/common ground‹ and aimed to develop forms of common knowledge that respect locally-based actors and embrace collaborations with diverse agencies and species.
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Visit Bauhaus Earth, 15 July 2024. Copyright: Matters of Activity
On July 15th, 2024, members from Bauhaus Earth and the research group »Architectural Yarns« exchanged common ideas and current projects with mutual visits to MoA's Activarium and the Marienpark Lab of Bauhaus Earth. The goal was to foster an exchange of ideas for potential collaborations, emphasizing the shared goals and innovative approaches in sustainable architecture and material design. Key overlapping areas of interest include the reuse of materials, circular resources, economic potentials, and rethinking aesthetics in housing, and building culture.
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»Textile Gestures - Mapping Tactile Practices with Architectural Yarns«, Hand-on Workshop at Bauhaus Study Rooms. Copyright: Thomas Meyer
Hand-on Workshop at Bauhaus Study Rooms
The Architectural Yarns research group at »Matters of Activity« has been hosting a hands-on workshop on tactile knowledge in performative research at the Bauhaus Study Rooms 2023.
During the one-day workshop, a group of 45 international students from Bauhaus Foundation Dessau, Coop Design Research of the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences explored, verbalized and mapped tactile practices and textile gestures with large-scale yarns made of natural fibers. By investigating reconfigurable textile techniques with yarn samples, insights into collective design and construction processes of fiber-based materials such as ›Architectural Yarns‹ were gained.
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Unpacking Jak R. Maier. Copyright: Bauhaus Archiv
Nina Samuel und Felix Sattler sind Teil der Bauhaus Archiv Veranstaltungsreihe »Unpacking Jak R. Maier. Geerbt und ausgepackt – vom Wert der Dinge« am 24. Mai 2023
Alles beginnt mit einem unerwarteten Anruf und einem Testament: Das Bauhaus-Archiv erbt den Nachlass des Künstlers Jak R. Maier. Doch wer war Jak R. Maier? Wieso kommt sein Nachlass zu uns? Was bedeutet es, über die Objekte eines anderen Menschen zu verfügen und zu entscheiden? Die Ausstellung »Unpacking Jak R. Maier« setzt sich erstmalig mit dem künstlerischen und privaten Archiv des Berliner Künstlers und unseren Umgang damit auseinander. Die »unpackings« bringen an sechs Themen-Abenden Dynamik in die Ausstellung. In Gesprächen mit Gäst:innen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis und Live-Aktionen erkundet das Museumsteam gemeinsam mit dem Publikum den Nachlass des Künstlers.
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Poster New European Bauhaus Conference 2022
MoA Co-Director Claudia Mareis Gives a Talk at the New European Bauhaus Conference
From 5-6 March 2022, the digital conference »Re: New European Bauhaus. For A Just Design of Climate Politics« took place. It navigated critical perspectives on the European Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus. The virtual program of talks, discussions, and workshops aimed to explore institutional, artistic, and designerly strategies to utilise the creative fields’ response-ability and agency for climate justice in European politics. MoA Co-Director Claudia Mareis will gave a lecture within the Panel »Art, Architecture, Design, and the Climate Crisis: Old Bauhaus Politics« on March 5th, 3-5 pm.
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Copyright: https://europa.eu/new-european-bauhaus/co-design/co-designing-new-european-bauhaus_en
An Initiative by the European Commission
The New European Bauhaus is an initiative by the European Commission that wants to make the Green Deal a cultural, human-centered and positive, »tangible« experience. The initiative aims to connect the European Green Deal to our living spaces. It calls on all Europeans »to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls«. The New European Bauhaus unfolds in three phases: Co-design, Delivery and Dissemination. Find out more about contributing to the current phase »Co-design«.
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Armchair, flamed birch wood with ivory and mother-of-pearl inlays, designed as part of a bedroom ensemble by Mackay Hughes Bailly Scott, made by the Dresdener Werkstätte für Handwerkskunst in 1903, Bröhan-Museum, Berlin.
PhD Project Kaja Ninnis
The PhD project »(Hi)Stories of Transformation: Tracing Materials in the British Arts and Crafts Movement« by Kaja Ninnis investigates the environmental implications of the sourcing and transformation of ›raw‹ materials in the context of the British Arts and Crafts Movement.
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