Art Laboratory Berlin invites you to the two-day festival BODIES OF WATER, which deals with topics related to urban waterways as part of the BUA series ON WATER | PARCOURS. With the art science collective DIY Hack the Panke and BUA scientists from the fields of hydrology and medicine, we will explore what forms an urban river takes and what lives in and on the Panke. There will be workshops, walk & talks, panel discussions, performances and other activities for participants of all ages.

Let's embark on a multi-sensory and transdisciplinary journey along one of Berlin's fastest flowing waters! Let's come together on 21 and 22 June to become aware of our connection to water, urban waterways and the Panke through learning, building, feeling, walking and listening.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/bodies-of-water-tickets-1356134337309

Art Laboratory Berlin: https://artlaboratory-berlin.org/

Comprehensive festival program mit biografies: https://artlaboratory-berlin.org/assets/pdf/EN_detailed_Programme_WASSER_Festival.pdf

FESTIVAL Programm

SATURDAY, 21. Juni 2025

9:30 – 10:00
Check-In
Meeting at the festival venue, PA58 cultural centre, Prinzenallee 58, with registration for the events.

10:00 – 11:00
 Reading session with collection of water samples
HYDRO ENCOUNTERS – BECOMING COMPANIONS
With Sybille Neumeyer (artist, researcher) and Fara Peluso (bio art artist, bio designer, researcher)
In a reading on the banks of the Panke, we collect water samples and narratives of bodies from and in water, inviting perspectives on symbiosis, microbial diversity and water as a shared resource. Texts from different genres and sensory exercises enable a hydrofeminist reconfiguration of the ‘other’ as a basis for cross-species communal use, caring stewardship, and camaraderie. (The texts are in English. The discussion will be in English, with the option to ask questions in German).

11:30 – 14:30
Workshop
AMPLIFYING RIVER COMMUNITIES
With Prof. Dr India Mansour (Microbiologist, Rillig Lab | Plant Ecology, FU Berlin), Dr Joana MacLean (Microbiologist, Rillig Lab | Plant Ecology, FU Berlin), Sybille Neumeyer (Artist, Researcher) and Fara Peluso (Bio Art Artist, Bio Designer, Researcher)
Get to know your microbial neighbours! This workshop invites citizens of all ages to get to know some of the Panke's smallest inhabitants through various DIY practices. This hybrid, disciplinary workshop, led by experts from different backgrounds - art, design, science and speculation - is an ecosystem of knowledge and learning about microorganisms such as algae. The workshop will be held bilingually, in English and German.

15:00 – 18:00
Workshop
BERLIN FLOWS
With Dr Kat Austen (artist, chemist), Nenad Popov (new media and sound artist), Sarah Hermanutz (artist, researcher), Dr Maria Warter (ecohydrologist, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries / IGB), Dr Christian Marx (ecohydrologist, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries / IGB)
They say you can never get into the same river twice because the water is constantly changing. In this workshop, we will explore the Panke through its water and the character of its river. Artists and natural scientists will accompany the participants in playful experiments with science, art and joint explorations. With interventions, they invite the Panke to become our partner in a collective performance to embrace flow and movement without fear - for the river and for ourselves.

18:30 – 20:00
Panel discussion
WATER, BODIES, AND PLANETARY HEALTH
Speakers:
Dr Kat Austen (artist, chemist),
Jonas Mauch (Aquatic Ecologist, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries / IGB),
Hélène Furaha Hauch (general practitioner, Charité), N.N.
Moderation: Prof. Regine Rapp, Christian de Lutz (Art Laboratory Berlin)
This interdisciplinary panel examines how man-made pollutants enter Berlin's waters and how they affect organisms and ecosystems - against the backdrop of ‘planetary health’. What are the roles of pharmaceuticals, industrial and agricultural products, and microplastics in urban waterways? How can we improve the current situation? The speakers have a background in medical research, aquatic ecology, and a trans-disciplinary artistic research on water chemistry.

20:00 – 20:15
Sound Performance
Based on the BERLIN FLOWS workshop in the afternoon, the artists Nenad Popov, Kat Austen and Sarah Hermanutz will present the audience with some sound recordings they have made on and in the Panke. The presentation will also highlight various experimental approaches to artistic research on the subject of water.

20:15
Reception
Let's get together over a few drinks and snacks, exchange ideas and round off the intensive festival day together.

SUNDAY, 22. Juni 2025

9:30 – 10:00
Check-In
Meeting at the festival venue, PA58 cultural centre, Prinzenallee 58, with registration for the events

10:00 – 13:00
Workshop
BERLIN FLOWS
With Dr Kat Austen (artist, chemist), Nenad Popov (new media and sound artist), Sarah Hermanutz (artist, researcher), Dr Maria Warter (ecohydrologist, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries / IGB), Dr Christian Marx (ecohydrologist, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries / IGB)
They say you can never get into the same river twice because the water is constantly changing. In this workshop, we will explore the Panke through its water and the character of its river. Artists and natural scientists will accompany the participants in playful experiments with science, art and joint explorations. With interventions, they invite the Panke to become our partner in a collective performance to embrace flow and movement without fear - for the river and for ourselves. (The workshop will be held in English, but parts can also be communicated in German. This is a repeat of Saturday's workshop).

13:00 – 14:00
Lunch Talk
ATMOSPHERIC WATER HARVESTING (AWH)
With Johannes Müller, Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT)
The increasing global water shortage - exacerbated by climate change - requires innovative and sustainable solutions. This lecture addresses the challenges ahead and introduces a new device for the remote production of drinking water using renewable energy. The presentation will be held in English, questions and answers can also be asked in German. (Feel free to bring your lunch)

14:00 – 17:00
Workshop
AMPLIFYING RIVER COMMUNITIES
With Prof. Dr India Mansour (Microbiologist, Rillig Lab | Plant Ecology, FU Berlin), Dr Joana MacLean (Microbiologist, Rillig Lab | Plant Ecology, FU Berlin), Sybille Neumeyer (Artist, Researcher) and Fara Peluso (Bio Art Artist, Bio Designer, Researcher)
Get to know your microbial neighbours! This workshop invites citizens of all ages to get to know some of the Panke's smallest inhabitants through various DIY practices. This hybrid, disciplinary workshop, led by experts from different backgrounds - art, design, science and speculation - is an ecosystem of knowledge and learning about microorganisms such as algae. (The workshop will be held bilingually, in English and German/ this is a repeat of Saturday's workshop).

17:00 – 18:00
Hike along the Panke
MICROBIAL PARADE
With Prof. Dr India Mansour (Microbiologist, Rillig Lab | Plant Ecology, FU Berlin), Dr Joana MacLean (Microbiologist, Rillig Lab | Plant Ecology, FU Berlin), Sybille Neumeyer (Artist, Researcher) and Fara Peluso (Bio Art Artist, Bio Designer, Researcher)
Join us for the closing event of the BODIES OF WATER festival, where DIY art, science and community come together to celebrate the hidden life of the river Panke. During the microbe parade, we will walk down the river with our large floating sculptures, which were created based on microscopic observations of river (micro)organisms during the Amplifying River Communities workshop. Each sculpture is an enlarged interpretation of the shapes, patterns and structures observed under the microscope, transforming the invisible life of the river into tangible, visible sculptures. It is a collective celebration of the Panke, its human and non-human neighbours, the microbial communities and other invisible inhabitants of this urban watercourse. The event is open to everyone: neighbours, families, friends and anyone interested in the ecology of the river or the creative process. Together we will gather on the riverbank with our sculptures and try to imagine new ways of caring for and connecting with our urban environment.