rafael
dernbach
about
Hi, I'm Rafael, I am a researcher, curator and strategist.
My research explores cultures of anticipation and combines media studies with critical future studies. I teach as a full professor for media theory at Hochschule Bielefeld's faculty for Gestaltung. As a curator, I design experimental collaborative processes and
I have more than 10 years experience in futures research and curation. I was a fellow at the Creative Impact Research Centre Europe (CIRCE), a post-doctoral researcher at the Università della Svizzera italiana, and an affiliate researcher at Heidelberg University. Previously, I worked as Director of Emerging Narratives at fischerAppelt advisors, where I initiated and led a new strategy unit exploring the impact of narratives in organizations. I also helped to open Europe’s first future museum Futurium in Berlin as a researcher and strategist.
In 2018, I completed a Ph.D. on anticipatory realism in post-cinematic art at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. During my doctoral research, I was a visiting researcher at Princeton University and Freie Universität Berlin. Prior to this, I worked as a journalist for the Grimme Award winning TV show Elektrischer Reporter (ZDFinfo).
WORK
We can no longer understand the present without its futures.
2023 Experimental conference
2023 Experimental Conference
"Visuelles wunderland" - MONOPOL Magazin
"ERST KLETTERN, DANN KUNST GUCKEN" - RP
CONFERENCE LIVESTREAM - YOUTUBE
2022 Experimental Conference
INSIDE locarnoS AMBITIOUS 24H TALK - MUBI NOTES
ATTENTION ECONOMY AT THE LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL - USI
2020 Talk SERiES
DIE ZUKUNFT STEHT STILL - ZEIT ONLINE
DER SIM - ZEIT ONLINE
PORTRAIT OF A HOPING SPECIES - AUSTRIAN STUDIES
THE UNCANNY OF SURVEILLANCE - ARCHITECTURE & CONTROL
HACKING THE VISION MACHINE - TEKNOKULTURA
EXPLORING NARRATIVE STRATEGY - INNOVATION
AI DOES NOT AFFECT EVERYONE EQUALLY - GOETHE INSTITUTE, CYPRUS
WHY I STOPPED CALLING THINGS DIGITAL - EN PLEIN AIR
2024 HSBI Fachbereich Gestaltung
2023 CREATIVE IMPACT RESEARCH CENTRE EUROPE - Future Skills Journey
2023 SWISS EMBASSY MOROCCO / MEM
2023 SCHWEIZERISCHE STUDIENSTIFTUNG
How can museums exhibit futures? A seminar exploring speculative curatorial methods.
2020 HUMBOLDT UNIVERSITY BERLIN
contact
For comissions, invitations or collaboration
about
Hi, I'm Rafael, I am a researcher, curator and strategist.
My research explores cultures of anticipation and combines media studies with critical future studies. I teach as a full professor for media theory at Hochschule Bielefeld's faculty for Gestaltung. As a curator, I design experimental collaborative processes and
I have more than 10 years experience in futures research and curation. I was a fellow at the Creative Impact Research Centre Europe (CIRCE), a post-doctoral researcher at the Università della Svizzera italiana, and an affiliate researcher at Heidelberg University. Previously, I worked as Director of Emerging Narratives at fischerAppelt advisors, where I initiated and led a new strategy unit exploring the impact of narratives in organizations. I also helped to open Europe’s first future museum Futurium in Berlin as a researcher and strategist.
In 2018, I completed a Ph.D. on anticipatory realism in post-cinematic art at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. During my doctoral research, I was a visiting researcher at Princeton University and Freie Universität Berlin. Prior to this, I worked as a journalist for the Grimme Award winning TV show Elektrischer Reporter (ZDFinfo).
WORK
We can no longer understand the present without its futures.
2023 Conference
Where dreams collide with artificial intelligence - SWI
Locarno muss zum Labor werden - NZZ
Intelligente sogno di una notte di mezza estate - LA REGIONE
2023 Conference
2022 Conference
Inside Locarno's ambitious 24h talk - MUBI NOTES
Attention Economy at the Locarno Film Festival - USI
L'attenzione dura (alemno) 24 ore a Locarno - RSI
2021 Talk series
Die Zukunft steht still - ZEIT ONLINE
Der Sim - ZEIT ONLINE
Portrait of a hoping species - AUSTRIAN STUDIES
The uncanny of surveillance - ARCHITECTURE & CONTROL
Hacking the vision machine - TEKNOKULTURA
Exploring Narrative Strategy - INNOVATION
AI does not affect everyone equally - Goethe Institute Cyprus
Why I stopped calling things digital - EN PLEIN AIR
David MacDougall - ON OBSERVING OTHERS
Joshua Oppenheimer - EMPATHY AFTER THE ACT OF KILLING
Ilija Trojanow - WIE BESTIMMT SICH WIDERSTAND
What are futures? Which role do media and milieus play in their construction? How are hypes created? How can one be more conscious and resilient regarding futures thinking?
2023 swiss embassy morocco / MEM
2023 Schweizerische studienstiftung
What is an image today? How do images derive from concepts? How do images act as concepts? What makes a convincing visual argument?
2020 Universitá della svizzera italiana
How can museums exhibit futures? How can futures be experienced? A seminar exploring speculative curatorial methods.
2020 HUMBOLDT UNIVERSITY BERLIN
contact
For comissions, invitations or
request for
collaboration.