We are looking for artists who want to lead these workshops and are interested in the topics of Chemnitz University of Technology as well as in an interdisciplinary exchange with scientists and technology experts. In close cooperation with the project consortium and after a short research residency in the rooms and laboratories of Chemnitz University of Technology, they will design and implement a workshop programme lasting several days for students of the art and music universities. In the subsequent maturation phase, they will supervise the resulting artistic works and accompany the exhibition on 12 November 2025.
In three interdisciplinary workshops, central research areas and core competencies of the MAIN research centre , MeTech and the MERGE research cluster will be made accessible for artistic reflection and practice. Under the motto “C the Unseen”, innovative technologies and scientific methods will be used as impulses and tools for aesthetic and poetic creation. The project promotes transdisciplinary perspectives and makes the research activities of Chemnitz University of Technology visible as contemporary relevant topics for artistic debate and the public.
MeTech – Researching human-technology interaction
How can humans and technology communicate better with each other? In the MeTech lab, everything revolves around the question of how technologies such as virtual reality, sensor technology and artificial intelligence can improve the interaction between humans and machines. The aim of the researchers is to develop new methods and systems that not only make this relationship more understandable, but also more usable. How will these technologies affect our relationship with the environment, our social interaction and our cultural forms of expression if interfaces are created that are increasingly intuitive, understandable – and perhaps even empathetic?
MERGE – Rethinking materials and processes
This is where plastic, metal, textiles and smart systems meet: MERGE explores how different materials and production processes can be combined to produce more sustainably and conserve resources. It offers artists an exciting field in which to experiment with materials, shapes and industrial processes – from injection moulding to high-precision pressing processes. Of interest here are not only the aesthetic phenomena of materials and mechanical production as a field of investigation for artistic craftsmanship, but also the speculative exploration of the shape of materials – or their absence – in a state of formlessness.
MAIN – The world of flexible nanomembranes
The focus here is on a new class of materials: wafer-thin, flexible membranes that make tiny components possible – for example for body-hugging technologies or wearable electronics. These structures range from the atomic level to the micrometre range – and open up fascinating scope between science, design and future vision. Diving into the sphere of the nanoworld – using simulation technologies and data processing to visualise the invisible – opens up enormous potential for the development of technical utopias.
Project process:
– July 2025: Three-day research residency
– August 2025: OpenClass for students and graduates
– September – October 2025: Implementation of the interdisciplinary workshops and supervision of the development of the artworks
– November 2025: Exhibition and supervision of the production of the artworks
Expression of interest:
The starting point for the collaboration between TUC and artists is a matching phase. Interested artists are requested to send their application documents to christoph@klubsolitaer.de.
We would be particularly pleased to receive an initial self-assessment of the potential collaboration, especially with regard to
– Your localisation in the desired research area at TU Chemnitz
– Artistic approach, methods and materials
– Experience in the conceptualisation and implementation of workshops with students
– Portfolio/Website/Instagram (maximum one page)
Introductory talks with the FUNKEN Academy and the TUC will be held continuously until 7 July 2025. Due to the short-term start, a first-come-first-serve rule will be applied. A fee of €4500 including VAT will be paid for the work involved.
If you have any questions, please contact the project management at the same e-mail address: christoph@klubsolitaer.de or by telephone on 49 (0) 371 676 046 99.