About

Satellite Salon is a wandering art-science salon facilitating conversation and collaboration between artists, scientists, writers, historians and curators. Founded by artists Lucy Powell and Andrea Roe and curator and author Dr Sara Barnes in 2011 and now run by Sara Barnes and Lucy Powell, Satellite Salon is based in Berlin, but with an international reach. Each salon is based around a common theme and comprises 10-14 different invited participants, many of whom are only in Berlin temporarily. Working towards collaborative research, residencies, exhibitions and publications, the structured, but informal, character of Satellite Salon – deviating from the usual networking routes of conferences, seminars and online groups –  has already led to several participants (previously unknown to each other) working fruitfully together.  Satellite Salon is a non-profit organisation.

Dr Sara Barnes:
Freelance writer, researcher and curator in art and science projects, for several years she initiated and lectured in history and theory courses for undergraduates in Scientific, Natural History and Technical Illustration as well as Fine Art. She has been invited to participate in, and chair, workshops, seminars and conferences throughout Europe. Notable projects include Anatomy Acts, highlighting medical objects from Scottish collections and spanning more than 500 years of creative development made by professional artists, anatomists and technicians from Europe and beyond (2006);  Species of Origin, an interdisciplinary research project between Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow University and the Natural History Museum London on Charles Darwin and the contemporary arts (2007-8);  Ilana Halperin. Steine at Berliner Medizinhistorsiches Museums der Charité which explored the poetic connections between art, geology and biology with newly commissioned works by the artist juxtaposed with human and animal body stones, geological artefacts, meteorites and texts (2012), and the cultural fascination with volcanoes in Hand Held Lava the same year. Sara Barnes curated Satellite Salon’s first exhibition project On the Edge, 2015.

Lucy Powell:
An artist whose practice is a broad ontological inquiry with a focus on scientific and philosophical perspectives at the intersection of the human and non-human. She studied at Wimbledon Art School and Liverpool John Moores University and moved to Berlin in 1995. Recent exhibitions/screenings include On the Edge, Tieranatomisches Theater, Berlin, Inventing Temperature, Korean Cultural Centre, London; We, animals, Meinblau Berlin, Screening Nature, Whitechapel Gallery, London, The Animal Gaze Returned, SIA, Sheffield/John Cass Gallery, Metropolitan University, London; Amateurism, Kunsterverein Heidelberg; The Worldly House Archive,  Documenta 13, Kassel. She has recently residencies at LoBe, Berlin, Sirius Arts Centre, Cork, L’Entreprise Culturelle, Paris and Künstlerdorf Schöppingen. For more info: lucy-powell.com

Feedback from some of our guests:

Hannah Ahlheim, historian:  ‘Very interesting, instructive and, above all, most enjoyable. I got a whole lot of new ideas and met wonderful people.’

Anne Hoelck, scenographer:  ‘Everyone interested me !!! … I really think it is important knowing about approaches from other perspectives.’

Christoph Keller, artist: ‘An exciting evening, a delicious late dinner and such a great and interesting group of people! I would be very happy if our discussions can continue on other levels.’

Ulrike Mohr, artist: ‘This kind of exchange and discussion is so important for me and its always good to come in contact with such great artists and scientists. Thanks also for the delicious dinner and wine! I hope we will keep in touch for the future.’

Prof. Dieter Volkmann, biologist: ‘Ganz herzlichen Dank für die Einladung, den interessanten und atmosphärisch sehr schönen Abend. Regine und ich haben euere Gastfreundschaft und die offene Diskussion sehr genossen.’

Agnes Meyer-Brandis, artist: ‘A wonderful and prickling evening , I really like the informal format!’

Prof. Achim Brauer, geologist: ‘Time went very fast and I did not even talk to all the artists. I would be very interested to stay in discussion with this group about science and art and especially time. I am open for any further questions you might have or even to think about potential projects of any kind.’

Max Eipp, actor, screenwriter and journalist: ‘An inspiring evening, easy going, but profound’.

Ines Lechleitner, artist: ‘It is a very generous concept that you develop and the sense of hospitality and openness really makes it very special to participate.’

Prof. Phillipe Hamou, philosopher: ‘Warm, friendly and intellectually stimulating. I feel privileged to have been invited.’

Cordula Gdaniec, curator and researcher: ‘It was great meeting all these interesting people and had an immediate really inspiring effect on me! ‘

Julia Martin, artist and landscape architect: ‘Am curious what synergies might happen in the long run and with a growing network of participants and guests.’

Annette Moter, microbiologist: ‘It was a real adventure to get in contact with this world.’

Prof Thomas Schnalke, historian and museum curator: ‘Very interesting and highly stimulating. These kinds of interactions just open your mind. Congratulations!’

Pauline Hanson writer and curator: ‘A brilliant evening and I went away buzzing with ideas and afterthoughts’.