Making the Invisible Visible
229Opening: March 13, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
with: Thiemo Frömberg and Daniel Hennschen
Master’s Thesis 2026 in Interactive Information Design
Supervised by Prof. Tom Duscher, in colaboration with sp ce | Muthesius
How can research be visualized in a way that moves, surprises, and leaves a lasting impression? This question lies at the heart of the Interactive Information Design track within the Master’s program at Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts, where visual science communication is not merely taught but is itself understood as a form of research.
The exhibition “Making the Invisible Visible” presents two master’s thesis projects that exemplify what this program stands for: making the invisible visible, tangible, and narratable. Through interactive, media-based exhibits, complex research processes and abstract data are translated into sensorially accessible forms that combine perception and understanding. This results in visualizations that not only inform but, as creative interventions, open up their own visual worlds and continue to resonate in the visitors’ experience.
At the same time, the precision of the content and facts of the research presented remains the top priority; it forms the foundation that makes reduction, staging, and artistic interpretation possible in a responsible manner. Where this scientific accuracy combines with high aesthetic standards and triggers moments of wonder, we speak of excellence—of “Beautiful Visualization.”
Thiemo Frömberg
“Familiar Strangers – Encounter with Mussels,” 2026
Interactive six-channel multimedia installation, biofeedback sensors, hand tracking, aquarium, computer, sound
The heartbeat of mussels is at the center of a narrative multimedia spatial experience. Their accompanying life activity—both visible and palpable—challenges our relationship with non-human, alien life forms. The interactive projection creates a tangible interface between the undisturbed organism and the human, who experiences the direct consequences of their actions and is informed about the needs of mussels and their role in the ecosystem.
The installation is an invitation to a mindful encounter with this underestimated life form on equal terms, in which an animal usually perceived as food or a “thing” appears as a living individual. The “strangers” become counterparts whose fragile heartbeat speaks of vulnerability, adaptation, and our shared dependence on water, oxygen, and time.
In cooperation with GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel: Dr. Mark Lenz, Dr. Jahangir Vajedsamiei
Underlying CT scans of the organs: Ghent University – Dr. Annelies M Declercq, Dr. Pieter Cornillie
Further information: thiemofroemberg.de
Daniel Hennschen
“Sandbox Stories,” 2025
Interactive multimedia spatial installation featuring floor and wall projections as well as real-time tracking, sand
In “Sandbox Stories,” four narratives unfold, shedding light on different dimensions of global sand mining. As an interactive, walk-through installation, the project translates these themes into a physical experience: Four corridors lined with sand each represent a story. As visitors move through the sand, the content deepens on a wall projection—from introductory contexts to the solution level, which opens up sustainable alternatives and new perspectives.
Sand is not merely observed here, but walked upon, felt, and traversed. In this way, the work combines space, movement, and information design into an immediate engagement with a resource upon which our modern life is literally built.
Program:
* March 13, 4:00 p.m. Opening*
March 16, 2026, Guided tour of the exhibition with designer Thiemo
Frömberg* April 9, 2026, 5:00–8:00 p.m., Academic lectures on the exhibition’s themes by Dr. Mark Lenz, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and Kiran Pereira, author of “Sand Stories” and doctoral candidate at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University; with a keynote talk by Prof. Tom Duscher, Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts, on the topic “Visual Design in Science
Communication”* April 11, 3:00 p.m., closing event
| Part of this event: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Führung durch die Ausstellung mit Designer Thiemo Frömberg | 16/03/26 | 230 |
| Wissenschaftliche Vorträge | 09/04/26 | 231 |