9 April 2026, 9:30 a.m.
Aula, Weißensee Academy of Art and Design Berlin, Bühringstraße 20, 13086 Berlin
The symposium re:lokal – closing cycles marks the start of the interdisciplinary design project at greenlab, which addresses the question of how regional resources and production methods can contribute to sustainable, cycle-oriented economic and lifestyle models.
In the context of our metabolism with the world and the transition to a circular economy, designers can play a pivotal role in shaping tomorrow's product culture from the ground up, starting with the use of resources. The symposium therefore focuses on local and regional potential: What raw materials are available to us in our immediate environment? How can materials be thought of in terms of cycles, waste be used as a resource, and production processes be organised in a decentralised manner? And what role does design play in enabling new forms of self-efficacy, community, and responsibility?
Experts from the fields of design, research and practice will discuss their approaches along the three main themes of cellulose, wool and microorganisms. The spectrum ranges from paludiculture and the use of plant-based raw materials to new processes for previously unused local wool and working with microorganisms in fermentation, dyeing and material development.
Register here
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Programme
9:30 a.m. – welcome
Jasmin Jouhar – moderator
Dr Angelika Richter – opening
Agora Agrar
Katharina van Bronswijk
10:20 a.m. – cellulose
Bettina Tacke
Swantje Furtak
Stefanie Silbermann
Esther Stögerer & Jannis Kempkens
Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten
12:05 p.m. – lunch break
1:20 p.m. – wool
Maxie Grüter
Fabienne Rako
Maxi Kneiseler & Katja Schmidt
Mareen Baumeister
2:40 p.m. – coffee/tea break
3:00 p.m. – microorganisms
Malu Lücking
Birke Weber
Emma Sicher
4:10 p.m. – End
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greenlab would like to thank its partners and sponsors for their support of this symposium: Preußenquelle and the weißensee school of art and design berlin