The Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik (HZK) is an interdisciplinary, practice-oriented research and teaching institution of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
The HZK is dedicated to researching cultural techniques in the sense of cultural practices of generating, transmitting and processing knowledge. The focus is firstly on the experimentation of knowledge spaces and secondly on collecting as a cultural technique. As a central institute, the HZK operates various research infrastructures in analogue and digital space.
Current research projects
- Coordination Centre for Scientific University Collections in Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity. Image Space Material”
- Research Centre “The Technical Image”
- BINDING BODIES. Perspectives on Bound Feet
- Queering the museum? An anthropological toolkit for intersectional relations in the arts
- inherit – heritage in transformation
Completed research projects
- Image Script Number. Founding Project for the HZK. Funded by the DFG from 2001 to 2007.
- Cluster of Excellence Image Knowledge Gestaltung. An interdisciplinary laboratory. Funded by the BMBF from 2012 to 2018.
- »Thronfolger/Replikenwissen« (conference and exhibition) cooperation project together with the Wickelmann-Institut für klassische Archäologie. Funded by the programme “Fellowship Internationales Museum” of the Kulturstiftung des Bundes from April 2016 to September 2017.
- Workshop series “Young Forum for Collection and Object Research”. Funded by the Volkswagen Foundation from 2016 to 2021.
- EXGAVINE. Funded by BMBF from October 2018 to September 2021.
- Fenster zur Natur und Kunst – Kunstkammer – Das Fenster zur Natur und Kunst. A historical-critical refurbishment of the Brandenburg-Prussian Kunstkammer as an observatory, laboratory, communication area and showroom of knowledge. November 2018 until October 2021.
- Museum Space Knowledge. An Interdisciplinary and Co-laborative Experiment at Humboldt Labor. Funded by Joachim Herz Stiftung from August 2021 to July 2022.
- gamelab.berlin. Research and development platform at HU Berlin from 2013 to 2022.
- CARMAH – Centre for Anthropological Research on Museums and Heritage from 2015 to 2023.