BUA Institution

Freie Universität Berlin

Description of Research

In my research, I examine how texts configure human-object relationships from a literary studies perspective: What kind of stories do objects have? Do they have a life? Alongside the focus on analyzing how particular texts might respond to these questions, I engage with the intersections between materialist theory and literary studies.

Where in the world has your career been largely based until now?

So far, my studies have taken me to Freiburg, Paris, and now Berlin, where I am currently pursuing my master's degree.

Why Berlin?

I moved to Berlin because it's simply impossible to get bored here. It feels like being in several places at once. For me as a student, the cultural studies focus of the Peter Szondi Institute at Freie Universität was ultimately the decisive factor.

What fascinates you about your research area?

I'm fascinated by how, no matter which text you examine, you never quite get what you might have expected. Studying literary texts from a materialist perspective in particular presents the challenge of seeing them as epistemic resources and as aesthetically complex objects at the same time.

How will your research change the world?

I hope to make a small contribution to a better understanding of the human-thing-networks in which we find ourselves. 'Using' literary texts as objects of knowledge mapping and configuring these networks is, to me, a promising attempt to shape ecological thought. Moreover, I am convinced that a dialogue between (new) materialist ontologies and literary scholarship is mutually beneficial.

What major short-term goal are you currently working towards with your research?

Currently, I am co-leading an X-Tutorial with Alexandra Zysset titled “On the Life of Things. Object-oriented Telling in Capitalocene.” Together with other students, we seek to examine under which conditions we might attribute life to objects. In doing so, we aim to develop questions relevant both to literary scholarship as well as to material culture studies. An important goal on this path is to expand and organize the corpus of pertinent texts.

How did you become interested in your specific topic?

The initial spark ignited during a seminar on object biographies led by Prof. Irene Albers at Freie Universität. Drawing on this experience, I sought to integrate a material culture studies perspective with new materialist approaches to fiction.