Podcast

In 1699, at the age of 52, a woman traveled to Suriname to discover and study insects until 1701. At this time, Maria Sybilla Merian (* 1647 Frankfurt am Main – † 1717 Amsterdam) was already a recognized entomologist and successful businesswoman, not least thanks to her talent and skill as a painter. As a pioneer of entomology, she was the first to depict insects in all stages of development and in their living environment, especially the respective host plant. Today, the scientific field of ecology looks at the interactions between living organisms and their environment. And the topic is more topical than ever.

For the second episode of the new podcast »Schönheit & Verstand« (Beauty & Mind), we welcome historian and writer Barbara Beuys, author of the biography »Maria Sibylla Merian. Artist – Researcher – Businesswoman« and doctoral students Johanna Berger and Magarita Hartlieb from the Department of Biology at TU Darmstadt, who are working on the topic of biodiversity in their dissertations and as part of the BioDivKultur project.

Further information:

Website of the BioDivKultur project

Website of the publishing house with further information on the book »Maria Sibylla Merian. Künstlerin – Forscherin – Geschäftsfrau. Eine Biographie« by Barbara Beuys

Literature:

Barbara Beuys (2017): »Maria Sibylla Merian. Künstlerin – Forscherin – Geschäftsfrau. Eine Biographie« (285 pages, Insel Verlag, ISBN 978-3-458-36180-0)

From May 5 to October 27, 2024, the Kunstforum der TU Darmstadt is showing the exhibition »MILLI BAU. 5000 km to Paris«. It is the first exhibition of its kind to honor the work of journalist and photographer Milli Bau (* 1906 Darmstadt – † 2005 ibid.). Her impressive photographs, of which around 800 can be seen in the exhibition, bear witness to the more than 40 trips Bau undertook from 1948 onwards, later as a feature journalist for Hamburg's »Welt« newspaper. They are a sign of cosmopolitanism and cultural understanding – and an impressive testimony to an emancipated, fearless and curious woman.

In the first episode of the TU Art Forum's new podcast »Schönheit & Verstand« (Beauty & Mind), Julia Reichelt, director and curator of the TU-Kunstforum, and Alice Pawlik, co-curator and curator at the Weltkulturen Museum Frankfurt as well as ethnologist and cultural anthropologist, present their curatorial concept. They take us on Milli Bau's travels, shed light on important aspects of her life and tell us which photos in the exhibition are their favorites.

Literatur:

Julia Reichelt, Alice Pawlik (2024): »MILLI BAU. 5000 km bis Paris« (Exhibition catalog, available from mid-October, 364 pages, Kunstforum der TU Darmstadt, ISBN 978-3-948908-04-1)

Julica Norouzi (2017): »MILLI BAU. 5000 km bis Paris« (220 pages, Kerber Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7356-0389-0)