Vom Archiv zur Ausstellung: Kuratieren des unheimlichen Körpers - Einzelansicht

This course is dedicated to the preparation and realization of the exhibition Working Body, Breaking Body: Biomechanics, Prosthetics, Robots, ca. 1920 at the Bauhaus Museum, as part of the international conference Planet Uncanny (December 3–5, 2025). Students will engage in all stages of a curatorial project: from research and concept development to media production, spatial design, installation, and public communication. Thematically, the exhibition explores representations of artificial bodies and machine-beings in the art, theater, and science of the 1920s.

Interdisciplinarity | The project brings together perspectives from art history, theater and media studies, curatorial and exhibition practices, and the history of science and technology. Students will explore how archival research, visual storytelling, media design, and spatial scenography can intersect in a single project. At the same time, the course builds bridges between the humanities and technical disciplines around the themes of the body, technology, and the uncanny. This interdisciplinary character fosters critical analysis, cross-disciplinary thinking, and creative knowledge transfer.

Learning Objectives | Participants will gain skills across the full spectrum of exhibition production — from research and concept development to design, media integration, and installation in the museum. At the end, each student will compile a portfolio reflecting their role and contributions. The course fosters abilities in visual thinking, collaborative curatorial work, creative problem-solving, and the communication of complex ideas in public space.

Didactic Concept | This course follows a project-oriented and practice-based approach. The first phase focuses on theory, curatorial strategies, and case studies from exhibition and archival practice. In the second phase, students work in teams on various aspects of the exhibition (research, design, communication), with close mentoring by a practicing curator.
The module also serves to complement the existing curriculum by offering students a rare opportunity to take part in a real museum project alongside a professional curator.

The literature will be announced at the beginning of the module.

A strong interest in independent research and curatorial practices are prerequisites for a profitable participation. The compulsory part of the course also includes participation in the organisation and realisation of the conference at the Bauhaus Museum from 1 to 5 December.

Assessment components include active (oral or written) participation in seminar discussions and other course sessions, as well as accompanying written research tasks. In the first part of the semester, students will actively research and prepare materials for the exhibition "Working Body, Breaking Body: Biomechanics, Prosthetics, Robots, ca. 1920." By the end of the course, each student will compile an individual portfolio that presents the materials gathered during the semester in both visual and textual form. The criteria for the portfolio — such as scope and format — will vary depending on the student’s academic level (Bachelor’s, Master’s, and/or PhD).

The research assignments will be interdisciplinary and tailored to the academic skills of students from various faculties, aiming to develop and support those competencies accordingly.

Die Veranstaltung steht im Rahmen der »Bauhaus.Module« allen Bachelor- und Masterstudierenden sowie Promovierenden der Fakultäten Architektur und Urbanistik, Bau- und Umweltingenieurwissenschaften, Kunst und Gestaltung sowie Medien offen. Bitte halten Sie vor der Anmeldung Rücksprache mit Ihrer Fachstudienberatung und klären Sie, ob diese Veranstaltung in ihrem Curriculum anerkannt werden kann. Bei Bedarf schließen Sie vor Veranstaltungsbeginn ein Learning Agreement (DE/EN) ab.