Inspired by beetles and moorland plants

© Pelin Asa, Matters of Activity / Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces

02.07.2025
Inspired by beetles and moorland plants

Brain City Berlin

Beetle traces and fungal infestation are considered damage to wood. As a symbol of destruction. And swamps are often dried out to make them “usable”. With two exhibitions, the Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity” at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, in cooperation with various partners is replacing conventional perspectives with new ones. Grub wood and moorland plants become new bio-based materials. “Symbiotic Wood” and “Swamp Things!” are part of the Berlin-wide “_matter Festival 2025”, which radically questions our established understanding of materials.

There is not only a destructive force in infestation and decay, but also a great deal of creative potential. So what would happen if infested wood was not considered damaged, rather transformed? The exhibition “Symbiotic Wood” at the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) at the Kulturforum invites visitors to see wood as a material that is shaped and used by many species – and not just by us humans. Fungi and beetles help shape the forest.

The exhibition is divided into two parts: The first part deals with the scientific basis of beetle infestation and the associated fungal infestation in spruce forests. It is about forest ecosystems and the complex relationships between climate, forestry and forest health. The second part looks at beetles and fungi as co-designers of unique shapes and textures. In addition to design objects and works of art, the exhibition provides insights into the cultural history and theory of beetle infestation. Finally, a large open-air installation in the museum’s inner courtyard shows how wood can be rethought and utilised in new ways. At the final event, visitors can take pieces of wood with them – thus helping to reinterpret the material themselves.

The “Symbiotic Wood” exhibition is the fourth and final chapter in the “More than Human” exhibition series at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin.

“Symbiotic Wood”

28 June – 21 September 2025
Wednesday to Friday: 10.00 to 17:00
Saturday/Sunday 11:00 to 18:00
Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, Matthäikirchplatz, 10785 Berlin

Art made from moor plants

Many of us have already wondered about what the pink pipes are on construction sites. In Berlin, they are a reminder that wetlands were drained there. Lowland moors, raised bogs, swamps and wet meadows were considered unusable land. They are valuable carbon reservoirs and living resources. The “Swamp Things!” exhibition at BHROX bauhaus reuse on Ernst-Reuter-Platz calls for these ecosystems to be preserved, restored and worked with in the interests of a sustainable future. And it explores the untapped potential of the plants that thrive in these humid environments. Native grasses from the Brandenburg moors are woven into baskets and artistically processed into abstract objects in winding machines, stimulating the imagination and inspiring lively conversations. “Swamp Things!” was curated by Berlin-based material and product designer Charlett Wenig and social anthropologist Prof. Dr. Lucy Norris. In addition to the Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity” and BHROX bauhaus reuse, the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG), the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) and the Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin (Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin) are involved in the project.

“Swamp Things!”

8 July – 20 July 2025
Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 20:00 (free admission)
BHROX bauhaus reuse, Ernst-Reuter-Platz, 10587 Berlin
Opening on Monday, 7 July 2025, 18:00 to 20:00

The exhibitions “Symbiotic Wood” and “Swamp Things!” were developed in collaboration with the Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity” as part of the ＿matter Festival 2025. The aim of the cluster is to create the basis for a new culture of materials. Design and art flow into basic research. (vdo)