SUPERPOWERS! Cultural Hackathon
At the Cultural Hackathon at the Bern Museum Quarter (May 23–25, 2024), participants with a wide range of skills took on a creative challenge. In interdisciplinary teams, they developed new cultural formats, which will now be adopted and further pursued by the institutions of the Museum Quarter.
Project 1: Mycelium - Decentralized Connected
Team: Elastic spaces
"Mycelium – Decentralized Connected" plays with fungal analogies. Markers and ropes bring the symbiotic connections of the institutions to the surface. Attractive decentralized mycelium installations around the perimeter of the Bern Museum Quarter draw people with different opinions into the garden, encourage interaction and communication, and enhance marginal spaces.
Team Members: Eleni Steinborn, Livia Hochstrasser, Lukas Schenk, Lynne Kopp, Manuel Bigler, Rebecca Etter, Sara Schmid and Thierry Zücher
Project 2: Village Square – The Playful Experience
Team: The ?????
The square in the Bern Museum Quarter feels like a modern village square. The project strengthens the presence of the institutions of the Bern Museum Quarter at this location. Through playful interventions, the initiative fosters a dialogue between the institutions, their audience, and the visitors of the village square.
Team Members: Bettina Wegenast, Gabriela Chiccherio, Jonas Nyffeler, Pia Viviani and Silvia Sterchi
Project 3: Piazza Frizzante
Team: Sprudis
The Piazza is open! At the center stands the STUDIO FRIZZANTE. From it flow knowledge and voices from staff and visitors, creating an inspiring bubbling sound. In various formats, the studio produces radio shows and enjoys the sparkling Piazza feeling together.
Team Members: Anna Caderas, Joana Nowotny, Julia Sonderegger, Laura Nötzli, Martha Mundschin, Michelle Huwiler and Nicolas Hermann
Project 4: Talking Tree
Team: Treehouse
The Talking Tree is the heart of the Bern Museum Quarter, a landmark and meeting point in one. Everything grows – the building, the oak tree at the center, and the communication among all the diverse people who gather here. The treehouse provides space for ticketing and dining, but the centerpiece is the Q&Oak – in this cozy spot under the tree, institutions and people exchange questions and answers.
Team Members: Alexandra Kunz, Jana Bally, Jane Richardson, Lorenz Firscher and Tobias Schropp
Project 5: Cadavre Exquis
Team: The Elephant in the Room
Like the game Cadavre Exquis, the project connects institutions and social groups. The game is played with hidden artifacts from the depots of the Bern Museum Quarter, which are made available. The first institution selects an object and a theme. Then, it nominates the next participant, who searches for a new association, and so on. The process can be followed digitally and on-site – and the outcome is unpredictable.
Team Members: Bernd Heisterkamp, Kerrie Stauffer, Ksenia Molina, Marc Hoechner
Maria Randy Mwatondange, Nora Mathys and Sabrina Schmid
Project 6: KUltur GArten KUGA
Team: gleichjetzt
Eleven institutions and an in-between space that connects them all. A welcoming place full of inspiration and mystery. A living environment for all the senses, for heart and mind. An urban area that, through its unique alchemy of culture, nature, and science, unfolds a surprising kind of magic.
Team Members: Claudia Heiniger, Dora Strahm, Elia Schneider, Karin Bucher, Laura Company, Michael Meier, Ueli Schenk and Zsofia Bendig
Project 7: School of Generosity
Team: 4+1+5=10
In the School of Generosity, children from different neighborhoods work together to create objects in response to various challenges. Teams from the Bern Museum Quarter curate themed boxes with materials and support the process with their superpowers. The children test their creations in their favorite places. Sharing perspectives and presenting their work fosters public dialogue
Team Members: Aviv Szabs, Dorothee Lanz, Marta Savoldelli, Martina Burato, Silvan Tarnutzer
and Sonja Koch
Project 8: MQBistDu
Team: MQBistDu
How can people with different perspectives help shape the Museum Quarter? How can the Museum Quarter bring together individuals with diverse viewpoints? And how can the 11 institutions benefit from each other’s superpowers? The MQBistDu app offers a space for participation, inviting EVERYONE to help shape the future of the Bern Museum Quarter.
Team Members: Andrea Moser, Camille Nchaga, Karl Lange, Martin Obrist, Nicklas Hoffmann, Nikola Stosic, Sam Bärtschi, Valeria Lucentini and Yasmin Kiss
Project 9: Zeit ist geil
Team: Quartier5
On a rainy Saturday, families are known to spend several hours at the well-known Swedish furniture store. But what makes this place so exciting and inviting? How can we bring that kind of experience to the Bern Museum Quarter? How can we translate the logic of the Swedish furniture store in a way that shifts the focus from consumption to our content? The answer: "Time is awesome!"
Team Members: Alexandra Heini, Annina Weber, Diego Sanchez Vila, Elisa da Costa
and Philipp Kuntze
Find out more about the Cultural Hackathon: