Bard College Berlin

As part of Prof. Dr. Dorothea von Hantelmann’s course “The Exhibition – A New Western Ritual?”, students visited Laure Prouvost’s immersive installation “WE FELT A STAR DYING” at Kraftwerk Berlin, presented by the LAS Art Foundation.​

The course examines exhibitions as modern ritual spaces that reflect and shape societal values. Prouvost’s work, which integrates video, sound, scent, sculpture, and scenography, offers a contemporary exploration of these themes. The installation challenges traditional exhibition formats by engaging with quantum phenomena and their sensitivity to cosmic and planetary forces, and invites viewers to reconsider their perceptions of reality. ​

This visit provided students with a tangible example of how exhibitions can function as ritualistic spaces that not only display art but also engage audiences in deeper reflections on science, technology, and society.​

The BCB community recently came together in W15 Café for a warm and welcoming Iftar Community Dinner in celebration of Ramadan. 🌙🍽️

Iftar, the meal to break the daily fast during Ramadan, is a moment of reflection, gratitude, and gathering. Whether fasting or not, students joined to learn and share cultural traditions through food in a peaceful and joyful atmosphere.

Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make the evening special.

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What does it look like to take a stand against racism, connect with the community, and be part of a Berlin-wide initiative to fight racism? The Pankow neighborhood hosted a Neighborhood Action Day Against Racism as part of the annual 'Pankow gegen Rassismus' week, and BCB's Office of Civic Engagement and interested students took part with a BCB stand!

As part of the course “A Lexicon of Migration” taught by Prof. Dr. Agata Lisiak, Bard College Berlin hosted a conversation with Anna Alboth, Polish journalist and human rights defender, on the unfolding humanitarian crisis at the Poland-Belarus border.

In dialogue with students and faculty, Anna shared insights into the complex realities of migration in the region, the role of grassroots activism, and the power—and limits—of media narratives. Drawing on her work with Grupa Granica, the Civil March for Aleppo, and her current role at Minority Rights Group International, she discussed how activists and journalists can work together to challenge harmful discourse and advocate for the rights of displaced people.

The conversation raised urgent questions about Europe’s migration policies, border politics, and the responsibility of civil society in times of crisis.

In this The New York Times op-ed by M. Gessen, Bard College president Leon Botstein says that universities are “portals to tolerance and the expression of fundamental equality of all human beings,” and essential to democracy. A must-read for anyone who cares about the future of education.

Opinion | This Is How Universities Can Escape Trump’s Trap, If They Dare It’s been tried in other countries facing authoritarian crackdowns. It works.

How can an intersectional feminist lens—one that is explicitly trans-inclusive—be practiced and amplified through sound activism and art? This question was explored by guest lecturer Kira Gama Rocha, who engaged with the ways in which feminist and LGBTQI+ movements have historically intersected, conflicted, and evolved by blending academic inquiry with creative experimentation. The workshop was part of Francisca Rocha Gonçalves' course Reflecting Human-Environment Relations (Through Sound).

Internationally-exhibited artist Yael Bartana investigates subjects like national identity, trauma, and displacement in her films, installations, photographs, staged performances, and public monuments. She recently spoke with the BCB community as part of the course 'Wannsee: Laboratory for the Future', led by Dr. Avi Feldman. Bartana's research and work in Wannsee was discussed in collaboration with the course students.

“Geopolitics: Power, Space, and the Global Order” is a political studies course taught by Prof. Dr. Boris Vormann. The course explores how global power relations take shape through space and geography, tracing the development of geopolitical thinking from the early 20th century to the present.

Students examine how concepts of power, territory, and strategy have evolved—from imperial ambitions and Cold War divisions to today’s emerging dynamics. Case studies include China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Russia’s territorial ambitions, and the reinvention of transatlantic relations. Through a mix of theoretical readings and real-world analysis, the course invites critical reflection on the forces shaping global cooperation and conflict today.

BCB alum Kai B. returned to campus to share stories and photographs from his recent time in the West Bank, where he worked as an international volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement.

During the talk, Kai reflected on his experiences on the ground and the everyday realities of life under occupation in Palestine. His presentation offered a personal perspective through images and narratives, followed by a discussion with students and community members.

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BCB’s DerDieDas Haus and Student Life recently hosted a cozy evening at W15 Café with a screening of an episode from the hit German comedy series "Die Discounter" 🎬✨

We were joined by Marie Bloching, one of the show's lead actors, for a Q&A session in German. Marie shared behind-the-scenes insights into the filming process, how the show has evolved over its four seasons, and her experiences working in the world of television and film.

Thank you to everyone who came by for laughs, questions, and conversation!

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Congratulations Admitted Students! We’re looking forward to meeting many of you in person at Admitted Students Day on April 12. It's a chance to explore campus, experience BCB’s academic atmosphere, and start building connections within the community.

This special day offers you a firsthand look into life at BCB:
🎓 Join a seminar with our professors
🤝 Meet fellow admitted students
🎙️ Hear from current students about life as a Bard Berliner
👋 Connect with staff and explore the campus

At BCB, learning reaches far beyond the classroom—our academic programs are closely tied to Berlin’s dynamic cultural, artistic, and political landscape. Whether in class or out in the city, you’ll be part of a community that thrives on curiosity and critical thinking.

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We can’t wait to meet you in Berlin!

Mohammad Zaki Rezwan, Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Humanities at BRAC University, presented two guest lectures at Bard College Berlin as an OSUN visiting faculty member: a workshop on small-file ecomedia filmmaking, and a talk on Rohingya rickshaw art in Bangladesh. 🎞️ BCB is proud to host a variety of guest lecturers that bring global, interdisciplinary perspectives to campus.

BRAC University

Bard College Berlin hosted a screening of "Foragers" followed by a discussion with the film’s director, Jumana Manna, as part of the Thinking Towards Feminist Futures series presented by the Experimental Humanities Collaborative Network. 🎬🌿

"Foragers" explores the politics of land, tradition, and ecological preservation in Palestine/Israel through the lens of foraging for wild plants like 'za’atar' and ’akkoub'. Blending documentary, fiction, and archival footage, the film captures both the joy and resistance embedded in these practices, while highlighting how Israeli nature protection laws have criminalized them.

Set in the Golan Heights, Galilee, and Jerusalem, the film follows foragers, their culinary traditions, and the legal and political tensions surrounding them. Manna’s discussion offered deeper insight into the power dynamics between conservation, colonization, and cultural survival—key themes in her work as a visual artist and filmmaker.

How can a museum inspire creative writing? 🏛️✍️ In Clare Wigfall's Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop, students develop their voices as creative writers in part by finding inspiration from the world around them. The class recently visited Berlin's Kunstgewerbemuseum , aka the Museum of Decorative Arts, to explore while writing in the museum.

On the 1st of March Mriї (Dreams) Collective hosted an event on campus "Fleeing Grief, Grieving Flight: 3 Years of the Russian full scale invasion" 🇺🇦

The event opened with an exhibition of Ukrainian students' artworks reflecting on war and refuge. After that guests were welcomed to join a panel discussion on Ukrainian civil society, moderated by the second year student Liza Nezhyva.

The panel featured a social work specialist Nataliia Gusak, a cultural studies researcher Mariam Naiem , a board member of a Ukrainian NGO in Berlin , Eva Yakubovska and BCB’s history professor Ostap Sereda, representing Invisible University for Ukraine - an academic initiative. The diverse experiences presented different ways of civilian organizing in times of war and offered tactics of resistance since the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022.

Thank you for Ukrainian community and its supporters on campus for giving a hands on perspective on the current situation in Ukraine and diaspora, and creating a space for the broader exchange on what it means to all of us now.

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Erick Moreno Superlano '22 recently returned to campus to give an alumni talk as part of Prof. Dr. Agata Lisiak's course 'A Lexicon of Migration.' Superlano is currently a PhD student in Migration Studies at the University of Oxford, where he researches the political structures, socio-economic formations, and racial hierarchies that influence the future of Venezuelan immigrants in New York.

Meet Sopo Kashakashvili, a BCB alumna who earned a BA in Humanities, Arts, and Social Thought with a concentration in Arts and Aesthetics in 2018. She is now an artist, educator, and founder of commune 6x3, working on a sculpture park and reforestation project in Ghana.

Reflecting on her time at BCB, Sopo emphasizes the impact of community, collaboration, and hands-on experience. Living on campus, co-founding a Cultural Journalism YouTube channel, and having her first studio at the Factory all shaped her artistic practice.

BCB’s interdisciplinary education helped Sopo develop both a strong theoretical foundation and practical skills, ultimately leading her to art school at Städelschule. Today, she teaches alternative education in arts and design while continuing her artistic work across Germany and Ghana.

Her advice to students?
“Stay focused—especially if you find an area where you feel comfortable, passionate, and confident. Keep working.”