Exkursion to Emma Sicher: Matters of Activity (I)

On the third day of our excursion, we started at the Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”. This interdisciplinary research program at Humboldt-Universität Berlin has set itself the goal of rethinking the analog in images, spaces and materials in the digital age. More than 40 disciplines are working at the interface of biology, technology, nature and culture.

We were welcomed by the Italian designer Emma Sicher. In a lecture, she gave us a more detailed overview of the topic of bacterial cellulose and then went into some of her most important work including the “From Peel to Peel” project, in which she researched biodegradable disposable packaging made from food waste, bacteria and yeasts. She also talked about the “InnoCell Bioreactor”, an open source device for the optimized production of scoby mass. This is largely produced using digital manufacturing processes such as 3D printing and laser cutting and was developed by her in the Design Friction Lab at the University of Bolzano. She also reported on her fieldwork in Thailand, where she worked on local fermentation techniques

Sicher advised us to always research the state of the art before starting a project and if it already exists, to plan it locally and use regenerative practices.

In a subsequent tour of the archive, we were able to examine a number of material samples and projects and ended up in the “Matters of Activity” exhibition space. Here, the exhibits were once again explained in detail and could be experienced haptically.