Antje Nestler
Together with Carolin Ott, she is responsible for science communication and public engagement at the Cluster, initiating knowledge exchange. Antje is a Principal Investigator for the experimental laboratory for science communication CollActive Materials. With a background in communication and language studies and knowledge transfer through scientific exhibitions, Antje tests experimental formats for public engagement. Within Matters of Activity, she played a key role in setting up the Cluster’s showroom, the Activarium, where visitors can experience prototypes of its interdisciplinary research on active materials such as bark, biofilms, and mycelium. In addition, Antje works as a freelance science communicator, sharing research insights and sparking conversations about what the future holds.
Antje Nestler has a Master's degree in Communication and Language with a focus on Media Studies. Before joining the Cluster in June 2019, she worked on various projects at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin. She managed the showroom of the Smart Data Forum, a venue for knowledge transfer funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, which displayed the topics of digitalization, AI and smart data. Since 2017 Antje is also a certified Systemic Life & Business Coach.
moa.public.relations [at] hu-berlin.de
Cluster of Excellence
»Matters of Activity«
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Sophienstr. 22a
10178 Berlin
Science Communication
Systemic Personal and Business Coaching
Monographs & Books
Kristin Werner, Antje Nestler. 2025. Co-Creating Futures – A Practical Guide for Speculation Workshops Connecting Research, Design, and Society.
https://doi.org/10.18452/31342
Design Projects
Nestler, A., Schmidt, E., Stein, C., Trinkle, J., Wegener, F., Winkler, C. 2020. Virtual Cluster Space. Design Project. Since 11 November 2020, Virtual.
https://www.virtualspace.matters-of-activity.de
Exhibitions
Léa Perraudin (project lead), Martin Müller (project lead), Eva Bullermann (exhibition design), Antje Nestler, Kristin Werner (concept) Julia Blumenthal, Richard Ley (support), Dimitra Almpani-Lekka, Bastian Bayer, Eva Bullermann, Michaela Eder, Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten, Natalija Miodragović, Anna Schäffner, Maxie Schneider (contributors) Visiting Material Futures. Pop-up Exhibition at Futurium. Exhibition. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Futurium. 4 May 2024 - 31 August 2024.
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
Public Engagement
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«.
Talks & Presentations
Nestler, A. (contributor), Le Calvé, M. (curator and organizer) Jumpstart Drinks: Water Kefir, Kvas and Dandelions. Talk at the Jumpstart Drinks: Water Kefir, Kvas and Dandelions. Virtual. 16 June 2021.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/5680/ferment-activity-club
Nestler, A. Virtual Cluster Space. Best-Practice-Beispiel eines virtuellen Ausstellungs- & Konferenzformats. Talk at the Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation 2021, Projektvorstellungen. Wissenschaft im Dialog. Virtual. 4 October 2021.
https://www.wissenschaft-im-dialog.de/forum-wissenschaftskommunikation/
Events & Workshops
Nestler, A., Ott, C., Wegener, F. (organizers), with contributions by Akbal, Z., Almpani-Lekka, D., Beyer, B., Dierichs, K., Eder, M., Farmer, J., Fekonja, L., Krauthauen, K., Miodragović, N., Queisner, M., Rodrigues, L., Singer, N., Stein, C, Winkler, C. Open Space – Active Matter on Stage. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Berlin. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 8 November 2023 - 9 November 2023.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/activities/11681/open-space-active-matter-on-stage
Menges, A. (lecturer), Dierichs, K., Ott, C. (organizers). Talking Matters: Computational Material Culture in Architecture. Cluster of Excellence Matters of Activity, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. 12 July 2022.
Nestler, A., Werner, K., le Calvé, M. Kombucha-Workshop. Mall Anders, Berlin. 21 May 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/8032/collactive-materials-in-der-mall-anders
Werner, K., Nestler, A., Müller, M., Duncan, C. Ideenlabor Lebendige Materialien. Mall Anders, Berlin. 20 May 2022.
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/8032/collactive-materials-in-der-mall-anders
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/
Bauer, F., Guiducci, L., Hathroubi, S., Kim, Y., Marienberg, S., Miodragović, N., Nestler, A., Rešetar, I., Winkler, C. 2nd Annual Conference »Tipping Points. Plastic, Contingent and Unstable Matters«. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Hybrid. 16 November 2021 - 17 November 2021.
www.matters-of-activity.de/de/activities/6581/tipping-points-plastic-contingent-and-unstable-matters
Dörfler, K., Rust, R. (lecturers), Dierichs, K., Ott, C. (organizers). Talking Matters: Human-in-the-Loop – How Human-Machine Collaboration Could Shape the Future of Digital Design and Fabrication. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 18 May 2021.
Le Calvé, M. (organizer and curator), Nestler, A. (contributor) Ferment-activity Club #3: Jumpstart drinks. Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Virtual. 16 June 2021.
https://blog.matters-of-activity.de/2021/06/04/ferment-activity-club-3-jumpstart-drinks/
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/
Nestler, A. 2015. Smart Data Forum. BMWi Project funding. Project Manager Showroom/Knowledge Transfer.
https://www.digitale-technologien.de/DT/Navigation/DE/ProgrammeProjekte/AbgeschlosseneProgrammeProjekte/Smart-Data-Forum/smart-data-forum.html
Review Activities & Expertises
Nestler, A. 2019. Jury Membership at Research2Market Challenge: Digital & Technologies.
http://www.marketchallenge.de/
Nestler, A. 2018. Jury Membership at Research2Market Challenge: Digital & Technologies.
http://www.marketchallenge.de/
Podcasts & Videos
Böttcher, D., Dillinger, R., Euteneuer, A., Gold, A., Ionescu, A., Jurak, E., Nestler, A, Siebert, S., Smalian, S., Ziller, B., Exzellent erklärt – Spitzenforschung für alle. Podcast. 1 September 2021.
exzellent-erklaert.de