Research Night: Re-wriggling the MuseumResearch Night: Re-wriggling the Museum

Many Western institutions struggle to balance their tradition of preservation with new expectations to connect more closely to nature. Their carefully engineered buildings and layered bureaucracies are designed to reduce risk and unpredictability, yet these very structures often conflict with nature’s rhythms and expressions.

Oliver Klimpel will share how the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation is addressing this legacy: caring for its historic UNESCO-listed buildings, experimenting with exhibitions and public programs, and engaging in research. Central to this work are materials and resources — their ecological footprint, lifespan, and cultural meaning. These themes will also drive the upcoming Bauhaus Dessau Centenary programme, launching in September 2025.

This programme aligns with the expert meeting Regenerative Curating Part 1.

Both the Expert Meeting and Research Night are financially supported by the Stimuleringsfonds and the Museums, Collections & Society research programme at Leiden University, which promotes collaboration between academia and the museum sector.

The Bauhaus Dessau Foundation takes an artistic and scientific approach to preserving and developing Bauhaus heritage. It combines historical research with explorations of the relevance of the Bauhaus in the 21st century. It manages the Bauhaus building, the Masters’ Houses and the Dessau-Törten housing estate – all of which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1996. The foundation boasts the second-largest Bauhaus collection in the world, comprising around 50,000 objects.

Combine this event with a visit to our exhibitions — admission to the museum is free on Thursday evenings. Fancy a bite to eat? Join us in the Nieuwe Café!