In this public session of the Lab, we will be discussing Melanie Garland’s ideas for her upcoming research project.
The project reimagines maritime heritage by tracing the colonial, ecological, and cultural resonances of the German–Chilean saltpeter trade, carried by German sailing ships across the 19th century, and its links to today’s lithium extractivism. Through artistic-ethnographic and anarchival methods, it explores ocean-edge entanglements to foster decolonial, multisensory engagement within shifting human–environment relations.
Melanie Garland (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist, researcher, and lecturer based in Berlin, affiliated with the Institute for European Ethnology (IfEE) and IfEE’s Office for Everyday Culture. She holds a PhD in multimodal anthropology and reflexive European ethnology from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. You can find out more about her works at: www.melaniegarland.com.
And reach out to Melanie via this mail address: m@melaniegarland.com
Image: Photo of Valparaíso, Chile, 19th century, DSM Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum archive (M. Garland)
The session is moderated by Milena Bister.
Everybody is very welcome to join!
Thursday, 22 January 2026
10:00 – 11:30 am, (s.t.!)
Hybrid
@ Institute for European Ethnology (IfEE), HU Berlin, room 408 (accessible elevator available)
& on Zoom (for the link, please contact: alex.marlin.maurer@hu-berlin.de)