Hub : Thinking through …

In the organizer's words:

Thinking through Materialities

How do materials shape our thinking, our actions and our perception of the world? The multi-day event "Thinking through Materialities" invites you to understand materials not just as passive objects, but as active sources of knowledge. In an interdisciplinary setting between art, science and design, we will embark on an experimental journey through different material worlds - with the aim of thinking, researching and designing beyond familiar boundaries.

Day 1: Thinking through ...Cycles - cycles of life and things

What material cycles take place in our bodies? What does circularity mean in relation to materials? How can (new) materials promote suggestions for the protection of nature/nature conservation with consideration of circularity, repair and regeneration? What is behind the cradle to cradle principle? What consumes more resources: using a water bottle or a plastic bottle?

The prelude is dedicated to the cycles of materials and life. How do things undergo transformations? What life cycles do materials have - from creation to use to recycling? Together we will explore how material cycles are interwoven with biological, social and technological cycles on both a small and large scale.

Day 2: Thinking through ...Textiles - fibers, entanglements, possibilities

Textiles as tools for thinking: From traditional natural fibers to high-tech textiles, we examine the potential of textile materials for new forms of knowledge. In a playful and open approach to materials, we discover differences and similarities between different disciplines. The focus is on experience - through practical work, learning, evaluating materials and discussing the subtle nuances of material behavior. Textiles serve here as a medium for deep, haptic thinking.

Hub Day 3: Thinking through ...Polymers - Good plastic, bad plastic?

Plastics are the signature materials of our time - omnipresent, often invisible. We trace their history of invention, areas of application and cultural implications. How do these materials shape our everyday experiences and our relationship to the environment? Between artifacts, narratives and speculative practices, we explore their role in an interconnected world of the Anthropocene. - How can sustainable material choices contribute to the protection of nature, including the preservation of material, ecological and cultural heritage?

Contact: materialities@hfmt-hamburg.de

Hub Day 4: Thinking Through ...Possibilities

Marketplace of possibilities - materials in theater, art and design
Finally, we open a space for exchange and inspiration: How are materials used in artistic and performative contexts? And (how) do material decisions contribute to the future-proofing of theater practices?
What new forms of (co-)creation, (co-)ownership, business models and legal and political frameworks result from changes in material research and the practices of theater creation?
At the Marketplace of Possibilities, actors from theater, art and materials research will present their projects, ideas and practices. A day for networking, exchanging ideas and thinking ahead together.

"Thinking through Materialities" is more than just an event - it is an invitation to research, question and create together. Open to all curious people who are prepared not only to use materials, but also to think (through) them.

Contact: materialities@hfmt-hamburg.de