Science Gallery Berlin unveils Niamh Schmidtke's mineral-inspired exhibition

Developed in dialogue with TU Berlin’s geologist Dr. Johannes Giebel, this multimedia installation challenges our understanding of minerals beyond their technological roles

Installation view of PULLING BLOOD FROM A STONE by artist Niamh Schmidtke at Science Gallery Berlin at Technische Universität Berlin, 2024. Photo: Nadine Schönfeld

Science Gallery at Technische Universität Berlin presents its latest exhibition, PULLING BLOOD FROM A STONE, created by artist-in-residence Niamh Schmidtke. This new multimedia installation delves into the intricate and often overlooked relationship between minerals and human existence.

Schmidtke's work is the culmination of an interdisciplinary dialogue with Dr. Johannes Giebel, geologist and custodian of the Mineral Collections at TU Berlin. Together, they explored the profound and complex narratives that minerals hold, resulting in a compelling art-science installation.

The exhibition is the third edition of the art and environmental sciences research residency programme EARTH WATER SKY, curated by Ariane Koek, funded by the Fondation Didier et Martine Primat, and produced by members of the Science Gallery Network. 

Visitors of PULLING BLOOD FROM A STONE by artist Niamh Schmidtke at Science Gallery Berlin at Technische Universität Berlin, 2024. Photo: Nadine Schönfeld

At the heart of the installation is an audio play housed within a sculptural, tent-like structure. This piece of speculative fiction imagines conversations between minerals, encouraging visitors to consider them beyond mere scientific objects to entities with their own stories and significance. The structure itself is painted in layers using pigments extracted from the minerals featured in the audio piece, creating a tangible connection between the artwork and its subjects.

Adjacent to the structure, visitors can find mobile phones suspended on cords dyed with mineral pigments and made of wool. These phones play two-minute voice notes from the artist, reflecting on themes such as climate anxiety and the paradoxes of a ‘green’ Europe amidst the realities of resource extraction.

At the rear of the exhibition space, a film delves into the history of mineral extraction in Namibia by German geologists. It reveals the deep entanglement of climate justice, colonialism, and exploitation, shedding light on the historical and ongoing impacts of these practices.

The exhibition will be held at the UNI_VERSUM Exhibition Space, located on the ground floor of the main building at TU Berlin. It will open on 23 May with the symposium "CLIMATE IMPACT" featuring the artist, researcher, and curator. The show runs through 22 June 2024.