Exkursion to Studio Jan Bernstein

As part of our Microbial Factories project, we visited Berlin-based artist Jan Bernstein in  his studio. Bernstein, born in 1982 in Berlin, studied industrial design from 2003 to 2010  at the Hochschule für Kunst und Design in Halle and spent a year at the Escola d’Art i  Superior de Disseny de València, Spain, in 2007/08. 

After his studies, he taught as a lecturer at the Hochschule für Kunst und Design in Halle  from 2010 to 2013 and held a guest professorship in 2015. In 2013, he co-founded the  artist collective Quadrature with Sebastian Neitsch, which existed until 2016. 

Bernstein’s artistic practice blends construction and creative expression, focusing on  kinetic artworks. His works are known for their precision and craftsmanship and refect  poetic themes such as transience and eternity. 

During our studio visit, Bernstein provided insights into his current projects and explained his approach to combining art and technology. What impressed us most was his use of  mechanics and movement to represent complex concepts. In the subsequent discussion, we exchanged thoughts on integrating kinetic elements into design processes and  explored the intersections of art, science, and industry.