Johann Georg Hamann is arguably the most extraordinary thinker and writer of the late 18th century, and studying his works leads one to wonder why he is so little known. Compared with his contemporaries such as Immanuel Kant who was his friend, (although they were usually in radical disagreement on philosophical matters) and those who
CategoryStudent Academic Life
“God Is Dead.” Long Live God? The “Future of an Illusion” Foretold
On good authority, I know that many of the people who came to attend Julia Kristeva’s lecture (“The forces of monotheism confronting the need to believe”) at Haus der Kulturen der Welt on March 8th, did so me more for the speaker than for the subject as such. And how could you not get excited?
ECLA In Kyrgyzstan: A Travel Diary
On April 27 Madalina Rosca, Sarah Junghans and I journeyed to Kyrgyzstan to attend the international student conference on Freedom and Responsibility organized by the American University of Central Asia (AUCA). Although free, responsible and legally aged, we didn’t go alone. Bartholomew Ryan and Bruno Macaes also came, to offer us their support and expertise.
How or What to Eat?
Food to eat and food for thought on food and eating. Although a very tautological sentence, this statement truly summarizes this year’s Annual Conference hosted by ECLA, where the word ‘food’ was put to use in its fullest sense. Although this topic seems to provide a variety of areas for discussion, I would like to
Autumn Reading at ECLA
This year ECLA hosts 60 students representing 30 different countries. Students are spread out between three separate programs, each tailored for different student needs. As the campus proceeds with plans for designing new residential and study spaces, ECLA is expanding while still keeping an intimate atmosphere where everybody knows one’s name and discussions are often
Final Installation Showings
For eight ECLA students, there loomed a particularly stressful date in December: Wednesday 9th, at 19.30, when the final autumn term Installation showings were scheduled to take place. For a number of students, with elaborate projects in mind for the final showing, the race against time started a few days in advance. This event was
The Installation Exhibition: A sonic experience
Screaming babies, dark hallways, heartbeats, water, broken TVs, shouts and singers. The first exhibition for the installation module that took place on Wednesday October 21 filled the air with a medley of different sounds that moved the visitors emotionally through the provocation of contrasting moods. The tour consisted of eight different studios, each presenting a
Poetry Night
Continuing the Berlin Weekend programme, on Friday night we gathered at ECLA faculty member David Hayes’ apartment to share our favourite poems both in translation and in the original. Sitting on chairs or on the floor, we let our poems flow in circles, immersing ourselves in the mysteries of language. The night was opened by