"Seeing, Hearing, Feeling" – Artistic Research and Education in the Context of the Ravensbrück Memorial Site
Frey, Sally & Candela, Mauricio & Kathrin Busch & Franka Geiser & Dominique Hurth & Matthias Heyl
Art in Context & Visual Communication & Fine Arts
Open to students in the following programs: Master’s in Art in Context, Master’s in Visual Communication, and for students in the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design with professional artistic practice

Registration via email at: s.frey_ @udk-berlin.de.

About
The project seminar “Seeing, Hearing, Feeling” explores the tension between visibility, denial, and collaboration within social and violent processes. The starting point is the former Ravensbrück women’s concentration camp, where a five-day block seminar will take place. The focus is on the physical proximity between the town of Fürstenberg/Havel and the Ravensbrück Memorial Site. The two locations are separated only by a lake and are visible from each other’s shores. This physical proximity serves as the starting point for questions of perception, positioning, and memory, which we aim to examine in both historical and contemporary contexts. The goal is for students to use artistic methods to explore both the surrounding environment and materials from the memorial’s archive. The aim is to search for traces, record observations, and experiment with different ways of engaging with historical sites and archival findings. The artistic investigations will be supported by artist Dominique Hurth, who will present her work on textile production at the Ravensbrück concentration camp. In a joint reading workshop with Prof. Dr. Kathrin Busch, participants will read and discuss texts that critically examine the power dynamics of archival practices and offer inspiration for incorporating archival material into their own artistic work. In addition, the memorial site’s education team will provide an introduction to the historical context of the site. In addition, art educator Franka Geiser will guide the artistic and educational process throughout the five-day program. She will support the students in incorporating educational perspectives into their research. At the same time, she will structure the collaborative work process through routines, exercises, and discussion formats that foster exchange, reflection, and a supportive approach to participants’ own perceptions, experiences, and feelings.

* At the end of the intensive seminar, there will be an opportunity to present the research findings at the memorial site.
** For the artistic investigation, all students will be provided with 50 euros for materials.
*** Unfortunately, the group size must be limited to 10 people.

Time & Dates
Organizational meeting: 26.11. 2026
Intensive seminar in Ravensbrück: 07.12.–11.12.2026
Follow-up discussion: tba

Literature
Hartman: Venus in Two Acts
Foucault: The Lives of Infamous People

Fulfilment criteria for ungraded accreditation
preparation for the seminar by reading the assigned texts in their entirety (maximum of two texts)
creation of an original artistic project
assistance with documenting the seminar
participation in the five-day intensive seminar with overnight stays at the Ravensbrück Youth Hostel
active participation

Credits
4 + 2 ECTS, 4 SWS