Participate, network, develop visions for the future - the Brain City Berlin Summer Festival

03.09.2019 | "Think like a Scientist", "Dream like an Artist", "Identify value", "Act like an Entrepreneur" - with these four levels the "RIDE thinking model" of Berlin based STATE Studio playfully initiates holistic thinking. In this case regarding the future of Brain City Berlin. At the summer party on 19 August, to which the now two-year-old campaign had invited together with the HTW University of Applied Sciences Berlin to the Wilhelminenhof campus in Berlin-Oberschöneweide, the focus was not only on relaxed chatting and networking, but above all on one thing: ideas.

Around 70 guests had gathered on the banks of the Spree in bright summer weather and in a relaxed atmosphere. Among them were many Brain City Berlin ambassadors. At various stations of the "Ideas Workshop" on the Wilhelminenhof campus, visitors not only had plenty of opportunity to exchange ideas, but also to participate creatively. The themes of the individual showcases reflected Berlin's main research areas, such as artificial intelligence or biotechnology.

Playful journey into the future

The game "Here be Unicorns" under the direction of Dr. Cristian Rauch, Managing Director of STATE Studio, was a transversal and forward-thinking game. Fun and entertainment were in the foreground, but interdisciplinarity and creativity were not neglected. Together, the participants of the summer festival developed new ways to a sustainable future. They playfully considered how new technologies could be used in their social context to achieve positive effects.

Workshop stations: Insights into current Brain City projects

The Berlin painter Roman Lipski demonstrated how he was inspired in his work by artificial intelligence as a muse. And the Berlin biotech start-up Solaga showed an artistic research project on the future applications of algae biofilms. The project, which aims to improve the air in urban spaces, is being carried out in collaboration with the artist and designer Fara Peluso and the STATE Studio.

Deckchair Talks: Brain City ambassadors talk about their work

Thus Prof. Dr.-Ing. Volker Quaschning from the University of Applied Sciences Berlin - in a relaxed atmosphere directly on the banks of the Spree - reported on his experiences in communication for climate protection, especially in the social media. And Prof. Dr. Regine Buchheim, also from the HTW Berlin, gave insights into her research area "Taxes as instruments of persecution and expropriation of Jews in National Socialism". In an entertaining way, she told how this interdisciplinary research topic came to Berlin. Brain City Ambassador Dr. Hannia Bridg in turn gave a profound insight into how she works as a Brain City ambassador in Latin America and was thus able to give valuable tips to future ambassadors.

The weather also played its part into the night. So, the Brain City Summer Festival 2019 became a successful evening for everyone with many new impulses and impressions. (vdo)

Photos: © Jordan Katz