Facts alone are not enough. In the Environmental Sciences degree program, students address current societal challenges such as floodplains, soil sealing, and the expansion of renewable energy. So far, they have primarily approached these topics using traditional scientific methods—such as literature reviews, measurement data, and expert interviews. They present their findings in reports or on posters.
The FachKunst project team aims to expand this methodological toolkit. After all, societal change rarely arises from facts alone. It also requires empathy and the ability to understand different perspectives. Creative and artistic methods should therefore become an integral part of the curriculum in the future.
The idea has two goals: Students learn to examine complex issues from different perspectives. At the same time, they create works that make it easier for others to access different points of view.
Two Modules, One Common Thread
The approach will be tested using the topic of human-environment interactions as an example—over the course of two consecutive semesters.
Modules 1 – “Case Studies on Human-Environment Interactions” (winter semester 2026/27): The module begins with a lecture accompanied by a seminar. Before the semester begins, the project team identifies specific, regionally grounded research questions as part of a stakeholder and natural environment analysis. In the seminar, students explore these topics in accordance with scholarly practice and develop them into case studies—using specially designed templates so that the results can be reused in the second module.
The accompanying lecture focuses on the subjectivity of environmental perception and is supplemented by two day-long field trips designed to make students aware of their own relationship with nature. The module is supplemented by two public lectures open to the university community, for each of which students invite at least two experts with differing viewpoints and facilitate a dialogue between them. The module concludes with a public poster gallery where the developed case studies are presented.
Module 2 – “Art as a Catalyst for a Shift in Perspective” (Summer Semester 2027): In the second step, the academically developed case studies are artistically transformed. The goal is to highlight the different perspectives within a case and visualize them in a way that makes them more accessible to outsiders.
At the start of the semester, short workshops will teach creative techniques, while an accompanying lecture series will provide background knowledge on topics such as art education, artistic formats, and legal frameworks. Two field trips to relevant exhibitions are intended to provide inspiration for the students’ own creative work. The students will actively participate in designing their exhibition. The highlight and public conclusion of the project is an exhibition showcasing the works.
An accompanying “aftermovie” documents the entire creative and design process of the students leading up to the exhibition—intended both as a record of the results and for further public relations efforts.
The pedagogical concept: A shift in perspective through experience
At the heart of FachKunst is a shift in perspective as a transdisciplinary learning objective. Through experiential learning, students are intended to broaden their perspective on the diversity of different viewpoints and strengthen their tolerance for ambiguity—that is, the ability to endure ambiguous or contradictory situations and deal with them constructively. Guided self-reflection is also intended to help them consciously recognize their own perceptions and distinguish them objectively from those of others.
The project team will systematically evaluate whether this approach is effective by surveying both students and visitors to the poster gallery and the exhibition. Feedback from students will inform the further development of the modules, while the survey of guests will provide insight into the actual added value that the creative presentation brings to understanding different positions.
Who is behind this?
FachKunst was initiated by Katharina Pilar von Pilchau, who is working on the development and implementation of the modules together with Johanna Meyer. Professor Dr. Christiane Lübke is providing academic guidance for the project. The team is reinforced by Gesa Kuhlmann, a student (research) assistant who supports the project team while also gaining insights into the project’s implementation.
For those interested in following the project’s development: The poster gallery in winter 2026/27 and the public exhibition in summer 2027 are planned as university-wide events. All information, dates, and updates are available on the project page at: www.th-owl.de/bu/seiten/fachkunst
The project, which is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2028, is funded by the Foundation for University Teaching as part of the “Freiraum 2026” initiative.