Art and science open up new perspectives on the interplay between humans and nature

What does rain sound like under water? Can fish "talk"? Do water fleas see colours? Why can't a small fish reproduce without a mussel? And who needs to take action to prevent an environmental disaster like the fish kill in the Oder from happening again? These are some of the questions that were addressed in the events. And each of them opened up a new perspective on the interrelationships between humans, nature and the river and created space for intensive dialogue.

DISTURBED WATERS: Polluted rivers and "dancing" water fleas

The session DISTURBED WATERS: LIGHT AND NOISE INTERFERENCES gave an impression of how intensively light and noise pollution affect life in the water. The roar of passing boats, the sound of waves, the sound of rain and changing light conditions merged into a sound and light composition that made it possible to experience the differences between natural and man-made conditions at first hand.

A live experiment by IGB postdoctoral researcher Nedim Tüzün made tiny water fleas "dance", as they are surprisingly sensitive to light colours: Green light, for example, attracts them, while blue light causes them to sink in the water column. This quickly becomes a problem in bodies of water when artificial light disrupts the nocturnal vertical migration of these tiny creatures and thus the aquatic food web.

© Angelina Tittmann/IGB

Fish are also affected, as IGB researcher Markus Venohr clearly explained: "The frequency range of the various human noise sources overlaps greatly and thus covers the entire communication and hearing range of most underwater creatures. It is therefore easy to imagine that the exchange of signals, for example to attract mates for reproduction or to warn of predators, would then no longer work". In the subsequent discussion, he presented further research findings on underwater noise and light pollution together with sound artist Francisca Rocha Goncalves and IGB colleague Franz Hölker.

SONIC DIVE: A telephone box as an underwater sound cabin

For seven days, the Teledisco at the Holzmarkt was transformed into a "Freshwater Disco" and thus into a fascinating underwater world. " We wanted to create a space where people could immerse themselves in the rhythms and sounds of the underwater world," explains Francisca Rocha Goncalves. Here, the public could explore how different water bodies can sound, but also how human intervention changes life in the water. More than 1,300 visitors took the opportunity to "dive in".

ODER HIVE: The Oder as a connecting river

In ODER HIVE, a collaboration between the artist collective FrauVonDa// and the IGB, the performance also began acoustically: the sound compositions by Claudia van Hasselt and Nicolas Wiese, combined with free improvisation by the ensemble and compositions by Polish composer Wojtek Blecharz, made the river tangible in a sensual, associative way. "Our aim is to appeal equally to the senses and the mind, so that the audience can experience the Oder as a unifying body of water - as a river community and a unique habitat for people, animals and plants," explains Claudia van Hasselt. She is convinced that this is the only way to create a sense of community and responsibility.

© Angelina Tittmann/IGB

IGB expert Sonja Jähnig picked up on this understanding of community in her introductory remarks. She explained that rivers are highly dynamic systems that they are home to a wide variety of organisms. Not only are these organisms adapted to their respective habitats in fascinating ways, but they also interact with each other in ways, that shape the underwater communities. For example, bitterlings and freshwater mussels dependent on each other for reproduction. "In nature, everything is interconnected: If one life stage is disturbed, it can affect a population; if one species disappears, it can have long-term consequences for the entire ecosystem." It is therefore difficult to predict whether an ecosystem like the Oder can fully recover once it has been damaged.

The Polish environmental ethicist Hanna Schudy enriched the ensuing discussion with her cross-border perspective and categorised the various political and civil society challenges on both sides of the river. For many in the audience, the performance was a stimulus to reflect on their own relationship with the Oder. One visitor commented enthusiastically afterwards: "That was the best thing I've seen all week!"

ODER HIVE: Exploring the river with other senses

ODER HIVE was present on the Berlin Science Week campus on 1 and 2 November with a large, vibrating and sounding object that invited visitors to feel the 'liveliness' of the Oder. "With our object, we want to enable the public to immerse themselves in the perception of non-human life forms, to change their perspective and thus develop more empathy," explains Nicolas Wiese. Researchers from the Special Investigation Programme on the Environmental Disaster in the Oder River (ODER~SO), coordinated at IGB, provided visitors to the exhibition with comprehensive information about the river and the causes and consequences of the fish kill in 2022, so that here too sensory perceptions and facts were brought together.

Upcoming: Events in December and January

On 14 December, the ODER HIVE programme will travel across borders in the truest sense of the word on the cultural train from Berlin to Wrocław. On board are FrauVonDa// and IGB expert Christian Wolter, who has been researching the Oder for almost three decades and knows its fish communities like no other.

Soundscapes, visual poetry, scientific lectures and open discussions also await the audience at the ODER HIVE performance and installation on 11 and 12 January 2025 at the Villa Elisabeth in Berlin. In addition to new elements, the vibrating object will be used to make the river and its creatures a part of your own world of experience.

Immerse yourself and decide for yourself whether you want to be a spectator or part of the action. We look forward to it!

For an overview of the collaborations between artists and the IGB, click here >