Prof. Dr. Sabine Kunst

Greeting

Modern universities have long distinguished themselves by applying the term research not only to the academic world, but by involving the sphere of art as well, at least in an exemplary manner. Historically, this has been expressed, among other things, through honorary doctorates, such as the one the University of Jena awarded to Auguste Rodin. A similarly strong impulse was expressed by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude receiving an honorary doctorate from the Humboldt University even before they had wrapped the Reichstag.

Attempts to create new structural bonds between the fields of natural sciences and humanities, whose antagonism is only superficial anyway, focused on visual artists in particular, since they possess a profound knowledge of the matter in question, which is also employed, albeit in different ways, by natural scientists. This led to a broad discussion within the Humboldt University during the 1990s, ultimately resulting in the establishment of the Hermann von Helmholtz Center for Cultural Techniques (HZK). The term “cultural techniques,” widely used today, was invented in this context and has held currency ever since.

Today, natural science and humanities are entering into a lively dialogue at the Humboldt University’s “laboratory” at the Humboldt Forum as well. Together and from their own perspectives, they have seized upon the theme of the inaugural exhibition, Nach der Natur, to examine global environmental changes and processes of transformation, some of them violent, caused by the Anthropocene. This does not simply imply a transfer of science into the Humboldt Forum; instead, the Humboldt Labor offers a chance to establish productive exchange and relations between various disciplines, and also between what is commonly labelled excellent science, student science, and citizen science. The challenge of decolonizing knowledge is a main motive for our work with the partner institutions at the Humboldt Forum.

The exhibition Nach der Natur at the Humboldt Labor is a successor to the exhibitions Theatrum Naturae et Artis, which was the first to present to a wider public the Humboldt University’s near unfathomable holdings pertaining to the history of science; Weltwissen, the great bicentenary exhibition; and +ultra, the third large-scale scientific

exhibition presented by the Humboldt University at the Gropius Bau.

Stephan von Huene, one of the outstanding artists of the late 20th century, whose use of automated art, cybernetics, drawing, sculpture, and sound redefined the role of art as avant-garde, had become aware of the Humboldt University’s efforts early on. As part of the exhibition Theatrum Naturae et Artis, one of his most important works, Tisch Tänzer, was presented at the center of the Gropius Bau.

This spatial installation is one of the main works in the collection of the Center for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe, the institution where von Huene was among the founding professors. The Helmholtz Center for Cultural Techniques owns a set of Stephan von Huene’s mind maps as well as the installation Lexichaos, which reflects the confusion and illumination language can produce by putting it center stage. Major construction and rebuilding at the Humboldt University have so far made it impossible to present it in an appropriate manner. It is therefore all the more gratifying that the Barenboim-Said Akademie is taking this opportunity to exhibit the work.

As an institution that, together with the Humboldt University and the Humboldt Forum, forms a kind of triangle in the center of Berlin, the Akademie is a strong ally in our efforts to reflect and countermand the rifts between groups, cultures, and nations, through art and research. We wish the exhibition the success it deserves and would like to express our profound gratitude to the BarenboimSaid Akademie and the Helmholtz Center for Cultural Techniques.

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kunst

President, Humboldt University Berlin

Stephan von Huene in der Ausstellung Lexichaos, Hamburger Kunsthalle, 1990

Die biblische Geschichte fängt damit an: Die Sprache war eins, die Menschen waren eins. Gott hat das zerstört. Und das habe ich als Kind und auch später als eine Wunde in der Welt empfunden. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass es eine große Wunde war, die Gott gemacht hat, die Nicht-Einheit der Menschen und dass sie einander nicht verstehen durften.

Biblical history starts with this: language was one, humanity was one. God destroyed that. And as a child and later on as well, I perceived this as a wound within the world. I felt it was a large wound that God inflicted, this non-unity of people and that they were not allowed to understand each other.

Stephan von Huene

Stephan von Huene, Mindmap zu Lexichaos, 1990, Bleistift auf Papier, 21 x 29,7 cm, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik