Matters of Activity

The Cluster of Excellence "Matters of Activity," located at Humboldt University of Berlin, is an interdisciplinary research project dedicated to creating a new culture of materials. Our central vision is to rediscover analog activity in images, spaces, and materials in the age of the digital and virtual.

Our mission is to create a foundation for a new material culture in which biology and technology, spirit and material, nature and culture are interconnected in new ways. We emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary research and the development of sustainable practices and structures in areas such as architecture, soft robotics, textiles, materials, digital filters, and surgical cutting techniques.

• Interdisciplinary Research: Over 200 researchers from more than 40 disciplines collaborate to develop design strategies for active materials and structures that adapt to specific requirements and environments.
• Sustainable Developments: We focus on the development of sustainable, energy-efficient artifacts and technologies that reflect the inseparable connection of active images, spaces, and materials.
• Innovative Projects: Projects like "Filtering," "Cutting," and "Virtual Dissection" showcase our focus areas, ranging from historical and experimental approaches to computer-based methods.

• Sustainable Practices: A central concern is the development of sustainable practices and structures aimed at the continuous improvement of materials and visualization forms across all disciplines.
• Energy Efficiency: We are working on energy-efficient solutions that minimize environmental impact while promoting innovative technologies.
• Intercultural and Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Our research includes collaboration between the humanities, natural sciences, and design disciplines to gain practical and theoretical insights.

The Cluster of Excellence "Matters of Activity" collaborates closely with various institutions, including Freie Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin, and Kunstgewerbemuseum - State Museums of Berlin.

We regularly organize workshops, conferences, and exhibitions that present our research findings and initiatives to the public. Examples include events such as "Sensing Common Grounds," "Toward a New Culture of the Material," and the exhibition "Bakteriopolis" at the Museum für Naturkunde.

The Cluster of Excellence "Matters of Activity" is a dynamic interdisciplinary laboratory that embodies the legacy of over 200 years of Humboldt University of Berlin and 100 years of Bauhaus. We are convinced that the analog will play a new central role in fundamental research in the digital age.

• 1 - https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/research/excellent-research/clusters-of-excellence/matters-of-activity
• 2 - https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/
• 3 - https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/about/92/matters-of-activity-image-space-material
• 4 - https://www.mi.fu-berlin.de/en/inf/groups/hcc/research/projects/matters_of_activity/index.html
• 5 - https://www.berlin-university-alliance.de/en/excellence-strategy/clusters/matters-of-activity/index.html