In this first of two workshops on the topic of “Media Staging” second-semester students in the summer semester of 2025, under the guidance of instructor Heiko Kalmbach, developed formal and technical basics for the use of moving images in space. For the first time, we relocated parts of the teaching and final project work to a special location in Berlin – the Teufelsberg Berlin – and designed the practical exercises site-specifically for this historic site and its buildings.
What was this course about? Usually, this initial workshop of two deals with theoretical and practical questions related to basic film concepts such as framing, camera perspective, and editing. In camera exercises, students first test and discuss formal methods and effects of different formats and genres. After creating filmic sketches, they then develop a project work in which multiple media layers reference each other and unfold their overall dramaturgy in interaction. In the spirit of ‘Expanded Cinema,’ this explores the use of moving images in spatial installations. On the Teufelsberg site, besides cinematic and media considerations, site-specific questions were naturally central, such as framing locations, engaging with existing materials and spaces, and involving the public in the open space. The results were as committed as they were diverse, addressing individual and collective aspects of ‘Trying, Failing & Hoping.’ This resulted in seven moving and inspiring projects under the overarching theme of HOPE.
An overview of the 7 projects on the theme “HOPE”:
- “For Those Who Enter” by Zoe Bertram and Leander Lentner
- “Missed me?” by Julia Mock and Michael Schulte-Austum
- “Taubenschreck” by Franziska Goetschi, July Savery & Katya Tiniakova
- “Postcards from Nowhere” by Reyhan Akdemir, Daria Hannig, Ilana Custos Quatreville
- “Auto(r)biographisch” by Henrike Haber
- “Wohl bekomm‘s” by Soffía Heese and Chiara Poma Rinklef
- “Hope 9 out of 40 & 3 out of 30” by Catharina Rodriguez and Lena Drazin
The gallery showcases the students’ work results, created site-specifically on the grounds of Teufelsberg Berlin within two days and presented in an open walking tour.
Photos: Heiko Kalmbach, Peter Teller