Alexander Schindler, M.A. (he/him)
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter
Knowledge Cultures and Media Environments | Erasmus+ Coordinator European Media Studies
Adresse: Campus Am Neuen Palais
Am Neuen Palais 10
14469 Potsdam
Haus 4, Raum 1.11
Öffnungszeiten: Sprechzeiten
nach Vereinbarung
Alexander W. Schindler works at the University of Potsdam, Institute for Arts and Media. He is a Research Associate and Lecturer at the Chair of Knowledge Cultures and Media Environments, a PhD candidate in Media Studies, and the Erasmus+ Coordinator for European Media Studies.
His research is situated at the intersections of Media Anthropology, Science and Technology Studies, History of Science, New Materialism, and Pragmatist Philosophy. The two main concepts behind his research are knowledge and media. Both are never static but constantly adapted, transformed, and co-produced. Knowledge and media are mutually dependent and embedded in practices, materials, infrastructures, technologies, relationships, and bodies that both enhance and constrain human and non-human agency.
Against this background, Alexander uses ethnographic and praxiographic methods to explore knowledge enactments in relation to social class.
[For more information about Alexander open the accordion menu]
Recent Activities
April 3, 2025:
"Dringende Relationen. Neumaterialistische Fragen zu Klasse"
Lecture at Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder.
Conference title: "Who is in charge here? Konzeptionen von Natur, Kultur & Agency angesichts der ökologischen Krise"
https://www.materialismen-konf.de/
January 7, 2025:
"Hauntings in Knowledge Production"
Joint lecture at Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for European Ethnology (Institute Colloquium "Spectres and Spectrums")
Collaborators: Prof. Milena Bister, Adina Dymczyk, Jelena Grosse-Bley, Anja Klein (HU Berlin), Alexander Schindler (Uni Potsdam)
May 23, 2024:
"Finding (New) Ways with Methods: Fieldnotes"
Joint workshop at Laboratory: Anthropology of Environment | Human Relations, (Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for European Ethnology, Science and Technology Studies).
Organized by Anja Klein (HU Berlin), Dr. Maxime Le Calvé (HU Berlin), Alexander Schindler (Uni Potsdam)
September 29, 2023:
"Kanonische Abhängigkeiten – ein Arbeitsgespräch zwischen Medienwissenschaft und Wissenschaftsforschung"
Input lecture and panel discussion at the Annual Conference of the Society for Media Studies (GfM).
Location: University of Bonn.
http://gfm2023.de/
July 13, 2023:
"Finding (New) Ways with Methods: 'The' Vignette"
Joint workshop at Laboratory: Anthropology of Environment | Human Relations, (Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for European Ethnology, Science and Technology Studies).
Organized by Anja Klein (HU Berlin), Sophia Rossmann (TU München), Alexander Schindler (Uni Potsdam)
Memberships
– Laboratory: Anthropology of Environment | Human Relations (HU Berlin, Institute for European Ethnology/STS)
– stsing e.V.: Doing Science and Technology Studies (STS) in and through Germany
– Critical Zones Study Group (Founded and supervised by Prof. Bruno Latour † October 9, 2022)
– AG Medienwissenschaft und Wissenschaftsforschung (GfM)
– AG EcoMedia (GfM)
– ZeM – Brandenburgisches Zentrum für Medienwissenschaften
Research and Outreach Projects
2020 – 2021:
Re-Imagine Climate Change Communication (with Prof. Birgit Schneider)
Function: Concept and Organization
Universität Potsdam / Fritz Thyssen Stiftung
9/2020 – 6/2021:
Anthropocene Curriculum (with Prof. Jürgen Renn)
Function: Interface / Online Projects, Author
Max-Plank-Institute for the History of Science / Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin
1/2018 – 6/2019:
Critical Zones: Observatories for Earthly Politics (with Prof. Bruno Latour)
Function: Researcher and Author
HfG Karlsruhe / ZKM Karlsruhe
Publications
Schindler, A: Multimodal Praxiography for Science Communication Research. Forthcoming
Schindler, A: Communicating Climate Change: How to Research and Communicate local-global? In: Educational Briefing. Understand – Communicate – Act: Climate Justice in European Citizenship Education, Schwarzkopf-Foundation Young Europe. 2022
Turnbull T, Renner M, Panwar A, Katsikis N, Kleidon A, Schindler A: Quantifying available energy and anthropogenic energy use in the Mississippi River Basin. The Anthropocene Review. 2021; 8(3):280-303. doi:10.1177/20530196211029678, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20530196211029678
Schindler A, Schreiber A: The Mechanical Discovery of Ultrastability. In: Latour B, Weibel P (eds.): Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth, The MIT Press, Cambridge Massachusetts. 2020
ISBN: 9780262044455
Schindler A: Mapping Inseparability. In Maske, Sarah (ed.): Sandstorm – And Then There Was Dust. Published on the occasion of the exhibitions at Depo, Istanbul and Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin. 2020
Schindler A: Reflections on Photogrammetry. Membrana. Journal of Photography, Theory and Visual Culture. Vol. 3, No. 1. 2018
Jóri A, Schindler A: (Re-)Archiving Flusser. In: Guldin Rainer (ed.): Flusser Studies Issue No. 24. 2018
Schindler A: The Hegemony of the Vision Machine. Entkunstung Yearbook 2017
Schindler A: From Imagination to Dubitation. In: XZY MAGAZINE. No. 1. 2018
Lectures, Conferences, Workshops
April 3, 2025:
"Dringende Relationen. Neumaterialistische Fragen zu Klasse"
Lecture at Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder.
Conference title: "Who is in charge here? Konzeptionen von Natur, Kultur & Agency angesichts der ökologischen Krise"
https://www.materialismen-konf.de/
January 7, 2025:
"Hauntings in Knowledge Production"
Joint lecture at Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for European Ethnology (Institute Colloquium "Spectres and Spectrums")
Collaborators: Prof. Milena Bister, Adina Dymczyk, Jelena Grosse-Bley, Anja Klein (HU Berlin), Alexander Schindler (Uni Potsdam)
May 23, 2024:
"Finding (New) Ways with Methods: Fieldnotes"
Joint workshop at Laboratory: Anthropology of Environment | Human Relations, (Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for European Ethnology, Science and Technology Studies).
Organized by Anja Klein (HU Berlin), Dr. Maxime Le Calvé (HU Berlin), Alexander Schindler (Uni Potsdam)
September 29, 2023:
"Kanonische Abhängigkeiten – ein Arbeitsgespräch zwischen Medienwissenschaft und Wissenschaftsforschung"
Input lecture and panel discussion at the Annual Conference of the Society for Media Studies (GfM).
Location: University of Bonn.
http://gfm2023.de/
July 13, 2023:
"Finding (New) Ways with Methods: 'The' Vignette"
Joint workshop at Laboratory: Anthropology of Environment | Human Relations, (Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for European Ethnology, Science and Technology Studies).
Organized by Anja Klein (HU Berlin), Sophia Rossmann (TU München), Alexander Schindler (Uni Potsdam)
03/2023:
Experimental Science Journalism as a Living Lab? Methodological Considerations for a New Field of Research
[Orig. Experimenteller Wissenschaftsjournalismus als Reallabor? Methodologische Überlegungen für ein neues Forschungsfeld]
Conference: "Experimental Science Journalism. Between Science Scepticism and Media Change" at Forum For Cultures of Science at the University of Tübingen
09/2021:
A Swamp as Boundary Object: How to Map a Drained Wetland?
[Orig. Ein Sumpf als Grenzobjekt: Wie kartographieren wir ein trockengelegtes Feuchtgebiet? ]
Annual Conference of the Society for Media Studies 2021: "Ecologies of Knowledge" at University of Innsbruck
6/2020:
Questioning Causation: A Dialogue Between Vilém Flusser and John Dewey
Conference: "Vilém Flusser and His Languages" at University of the Arts Berlin
6/2019:
Phenomenology of Visual Depth Perception and Model-Based Imaging
33rd Biennial of Graphic Arts In Ljubljana: Metabolic Museum-University (Director: Clémentine Deliss) at Museum Of Contemporary Art Metelkova
Academic Teaching
Winter 2024:
– Tell me you’re working class without actually telling you’re working class #firstgen (Project seminar on social mobility and classism in higher education)
– Media Aesthetics: Perception / Environments / Circuits (Seminar and final module exam)
Summer 2024:
– Inside Complex Spheres: Science–Technology–Participation–Democracy (Seminar in English)
– Media Anthropology and the Practice Turn (Seminar in English)
– Cities–Media: Affect-ecological Observations of the 'Urban' (Field seminar in Berlin)
Winter 2023:
– Media Aesthetics: Perception / Environments / Circuits (Seminar and final module exam)
– Collecting and Exhibiting Knowledge: Research and Participation in Museums (Research seminar)
Summer 2023:
– Hot in the City. Media Ethnographies on Heat in Urban Areas (Block seminar with field research)
Winter 2022:
– Positions in Science and Technology Studies (STS)
– Re-Representing a Hydro-Critical Zone: Drought in Brandenburg and Berlin (in Collaboration with Institute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning)
Summer 2022:
– Positions in Science and Technology Studies (STS): Introduction and Field Trips
– When Pictures Measure what People Unearth. Photogrammetry as a Praxiographic Method (Project seminar in Bröllin)
Winter 2021:
– Pragmatist Perspectives on Knowledge, Sciences, Media, and Publics
– What is Science Journalism? And How to Decolonize It?
Summer 2020:
– Critical Zones (Joint seminar with Prof. Birgit Schneider)
Academic Work Experience
Since 7/2021:
University of Potsdam, Institute for Arts and Media
Research Fellow and Lecturer
Chair: Knowledge Cultures and Media Environments
Study Program: European Media Studies
Since 9/2022: Erasmus+ Coordinator for Media Studies
9/2020 – 6/2021:
Max Planck Institute for the History of Science Berlin
Research Assistant
Department 1 (Prof. Jürgen Renn) / Anthropocene Formations
1/2020 – 8/2020:
University of Potsdam, Institute for Arts and Media
European Media Studies
Academic assistant and external lectureship
10/2016 – 10/2018:
Berlin University of the Arts, Institute for Time-Based Media
Student Assistant
Vilém Flusser Archive
[Previously: Communication designer and art director in private and cultural sector]
Academic Qualifications
10/2019 - 7/2021:
Berlin University of Technology
Master's programme: Theory and History of Science and Technology
10/2015 - 10/2018:
Berlin University of the Arts
Master's programme: Communication in Social and Economic Contexts
9/2009 - 8/2012:
University of Applied Sciences Vienna
Bachelor's programme: Communication Studies and Economy
Media Artistic Work
“In-Camera Proceedings”
In Collaboration with Jack Wolf;
4 channels w/ sound (5min 43sec);
Exhibited at:
Macam Lebanon (2019), Fotomuseum Winterthur (2019), Haus der Kulturen der Welt Berlin (2018), Le Carreau Du Temple Paris (2018), Volksbühne Berlin (2018), Stadtmuseum Stuttgart (2018)