Book Launch: Driving the Human: Seven Prototypes for Eco-social Renewal

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of our publication Driving the Human: Seven Prototypes for Eco-social Renewal, which marks the end of the three year initiative. The book documents all the milestones of the project, while contextualizing and expanding the discourse on the several themes at the core of Driving the Human. Combining expert voices and emerging creative visions, this publication offers an in-depth look at essential themes in our current moment of eco-social transformation, and advances new proposals to inhabit the planet. Driving the Human: Seven Prototypes for Eco-social Renewal combines thought-provoking essays and conversations with powerful images and visual language. The publication is released in collaboration with Mousse Publishing and distributed worldwide, both online and in stores. 

To celebrate the book launch, we are delighted to invite you in the headquarters of Matters of Activity in Berlin on May 10th from 3:30 pm on. The event will include workshops, a talk, lively debates reflecting on the three year process of Driving the Human, inviting partners, experts and project authors to think with us, sharing some insights about what comes next.

Where? Matters of Activity, Sophienstr. 22A (2. Hinterhof), 10178 Berlin

Program:

4 - 6 pm Workshop: Interweaving Architectures of the Future with Fungi with Vera Meyer, Natalija Miodragović, Dimitra Almpani-Lekka and Alessandro Volpato (Matters of Activity)

The workshop is a collaboration of the Department Applied and Molecular Microbiology of the Technische Universität Berlin, the Plektonik Structural Textile research group at Matters of Activity, and the Myco-Hackers group of TOP Lab that explores the role of fungal mycelium as a living organism that defines the design process, transforms its environment, and stands as a model of co-operative entanglements.

4 - 6 pm Workshop: Designing with waste with Paula Nerlich (Driving The Human - 7 projects: Human-Bacteria Interfaces) and Jessica Farmer (Matters of Activity)

“Designing with waste” explores the circular materiality of turning local food and fiber waste into home products. It aims to rethink local waste streams, issues within the food and textile industries, our relationship to materials and community. This hands-on workshop is a collaboration between Circular Home Lab (@circular_home_lab), Paula Nerlich (@paula_nerlich) and Jessica Farmer (@studio_jessica_farmer) whose practices engage circular design and material research.

4 - 6 pm Guided visit of the Gamelab and Testing of the VR-Experience "Stretching Materialities" with Christian Stein (Matters of Activity)

We invite you to stretch a bit - more precisely, the material: Welcome to the virtual exhibition space of Stretching Materialities. The exhibition makes it possible to experience aspects of active matter on six virtual floors. For example, our glass elevator takes you inside the microscopic interior of a real stone and afterwards all the way up into a cloud with its fascinating cloud particles. Rethinking matter means experiencing matter differently. In our VR experience, you can travel all six floors and immerse yourself in the wonderful world of matter and its secret activities.

4:30 - 5:15 pm Guided visit of the design studio

The research of the »Matters of Activity« Cluster of Excellence is not limited to reading and writing, particularly in the Experimental Zone where activities such as stitching, cracking, sketching, and stretching take place. Some of the materials residing there may even emit unpleasant odours and occasionally grow in unexpected ways. You are invited to join a walk-through of the former office of the important and controversial media theorist Friedrich Kittler for a unique opportunity to witness hands-on research in action.

4:30 - 6 pm Workshop: The Backpack of Wings: Sensory Networks with Hyeseon Jeong and Seongmin Yuk (Driving The Human - 7 projects)

This workshop invites participants to a collective exercise of imaginary storytelling, by looking into GPS data from migratory birds. Birds’ geographical information tells us not only about their biological behavior, but also reveals its correlation with human activities. The workshop attempts to open up a possibility of using bio-geo tracking technology as a tool for communion, beyond the level of understanding the species. Focusing on the migration route of a white stork named Jonas, an exercise of collective imagining allows participants to embody the bird and speculate on the bird’s multisensorial perceptions throughout its journey: what the bird may have seen, heard, smelled, or felt. The stories are then collected and connected together.

(limited amount of participants)

5 - 6 pm Workshop: Ferment-Activity Club: Sensing Ecologies of Care with Emma Sicher & Maxime Le Calvé (Matters of Activity)

Tempeh is a protein-rich food that has gained popularity in recent years due to its health benefits and versatility in cooking. In this Ferment-Activity Club workshop, we will go beyond the human health perspective. In order to expand our sensitivities into a multi-species worldview, we will explore the political and ecological dimensions of home-growing practices. Making food together in MoA's central kitchen, designer Emma Sicher and anthropologist Maxime Le Calvé will take us on a journey to embrace your potential as a fungal caretaker and welcome an intercultural perspective on the microbiome. 

(limited amount of participants)

5:15 - 6 pm Guided visit of the design studio

6:15 - 6:30 pm Opening with Freo Majer, Martina Schraudner, Wolfgang Schäffner

6:30 - 7:30 pm Public Talk with Christian Stein (Matters of Activity), Sandra Fendl (acatech), Kim Albrecht (scientist in residence at ZKM), Paula Nerlich (Human-Bacteria Interfaces), Backpack of Wings moderated by Vera Sacchetti

7:30 - 9 pm Speed Dating (activation and exchange with drinks and snacks)

Please note this event is free of charge and will be conducted in English.

In case you can not attend a workshop with limited amount of participants, we kindly ask to inform us via hello@drivingthehuman.com