Research in Progress (Doctoral Colloquium)

On October 30, 2026, HfG Offenbach will host its Large Doctoral Colloquium in an online format. The event brings together doctoral researchers to present and discuss the current state of their dissertation projects, share ideas, and receive feedback from fellow researchers and supervisors.

Poster: Mignon Vahl

Moderated by Prof. Dr. Tom Bieling, this edition features four contributions addressing a diverse range of questions at the intersections of design, media, art, architecture, and society. Niklas Schmidt presents his research under the title “Unbestimmtheitsstellen in der Produktsprache”, addressing the question of indeterminacy in product language. His contribution invites reflection on ambiguity and the ways in which products communicate meaning. Anoushirvan Masoudi presents “Displaced Bodies and Noisy Memories: Amateur Video Culture and the Aesthetics of Ordinary Bodies in Post-Revolutionary Iran”. His project focuses on amateur video culture in post-revolutionary Iran, bringing questions of visual representation, ordinary bodies, and memory into view. Romeo Bottiglia contributes “Autonomy and Inoperosità: Towards a Negative Theory of the Political in the Work of Art and Its Relation to Architectural Practices”. The project explores the concepts of autonomy and inoperosità in relation to the political dimensions of art and their connection to architectural practices. Marcel Dickhage presents “Arbeit und Subjektivierung und ihre Un/Sichtbarkeit”, focusing on the relationship between labour, subjectivation, and visibility. The contribution brings these interconnected concepts into the broader context of his doctoral research.

Held once or twice a year as an intensive block event, the colloquium provides a platform for presenting research in progress, whether through project presentations, text excerpts, or discussions of key research questions and findings. Beyond academic exchange, it fosters connections across research fields and strengthens the community of doctoral researchers at HfG Offenbach.

The link to this years online event room can be requested by emailing promovieren(at)hfg-offenbach.de.