Short bio
Since 2021 Together with
Prof. Dr. Philipp Misselwitz, Dr. Anna Steigemann, he is part of the interdisciplinary research consortium ›Transforming Solidarities. Praktiken und
Infrastrukturen in der Migrationsgesellschaft.‹ The project is funded through the Berlin University Alliance (DFG) within the Main Call Exploration Project
Social Cohesion. More info: transformingsolidarities.net/
He has given lectures, seminars and workshops at numerous universities worldwide.
2020 Simon Weckert, a Berlin-based artist, got global news coverage for the video of his ›Google Maps Hack‹- performance in Berlin, it went viral (over 3.2 Mio. clicks on Youtube). For his hack he transported 99 second hand smartphones in a handcart to generate virtual traffic jams in Google Maps. To contextualize his performance, he referenced an essay written by Moritz Ahlert, which was also cited internationally (Guardian, Tagesschau, Standard [e.g.]).
2015-2019 He was working towards a PhD in Art. The title of his dissertation is ›Die Vermessenheit von Google
Maps‹. The defense took place in summer 2019 (magna cum laude). His supervisors were Friedrich von Borries and Jesko Fezer.
Since 2017 he is a researcher and
lecturer at the Habitat Unit, Chair of International Urbanism and Design, Prof. Philipp Misselwitz (TU Berlin). Recent teaching activities include the ›Atlas
of Digital Urban Fragments‹ analyzing the global appropriation of digital tools (like community mapping) by civil society actors.
2015-2017 He was working as a researcher, designer and curator on the publication-, mapping-, intervention- and exhibition-project ›Mexibility‹ in Casa del Lago, Mexico City (in cooperation with UNAM and Goethe Institute). For the publication and exhibition, he also worked on a critical atlas which focuses on different aspects of mobility in Mexico.
2015-2017 He was part of a three
year graduate program, to research the ›Aesthetics of the Virtual‹ at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg. From 2015-2019 he was working towards a
PhD in Art. The title of his dissertation is ›Die Vermessenheit von Google Maps‹. The defense took place in summer 2019 (magna cum laude). His supervisors were
Friedrich von Borries and Jesko Fezer.
2013-2014 He was part of the research project »Urbane Interventionen« (»urban
interventions«) that is supported by the DFG (German Research Foundation). Comparative analysis and evaluation of urban interventions in art, theater and
political/cultural activism from an urban planning perspective. HFBK Hamburg.
2009-2015 Work experience in own
projects and projects for Projektbüro Friedrich von Borries
Since 2009 Freelance designer, architect
and curator
04/2009 Graduate Engineer (Dipl.-Ing. in Architecture), Universität der Künste Berlin. Thesis on »Urban Agriculture as a Strategy for
Shrinking Cities in Eastern Germany. Case study Weissenfels, Saxony-Anhalt«, completed with “Note 1.0” (very good). Supervisors: Prof. A. Krischanitz , Prof.
S. Hauser und Prof. A. Ranner.
Publications (selected
examples)
2018 »Moravia Manifesto. Coding Strategies for Informal Neighborhoods.«, Hg. Ahlert, Misselwitz (et al.), Jovis Verlag
Berlin
2017 »Mexibility. WE ARE IN THE CITY, WE CANNOT LEAVE.«, Hg. Ahlert, von Borries, editorial RM, Mexico City -
Barcelona [as Co-editor, author and graphic designer]
2014 »Urbane Intervention Istanbul«, Ahlert/ von Borries/, Fischer, Berlin, Merve Verlag
2013 »Die Berliner Weltverbesserungsmaschine: Die Rekonstruktion einer abstrakten Imagination«, Ahlert/von Borries/ Fischer, Berlin,
Merve Verlag
2013 »Inside Out«, catalog and documentation of the exhibition + workshops,
Ahlert/ Binder, Anne/ Herrmann, Christoph T., Verlag Universität der Künste Berlin
2011 »Berliner Atlas paradoxaler
Mobilität«. Berlin, Merve Verlag
Contributions to scientific publications
(selected examples)
2021 (upcoming)
›Hacking Google Maps‹, in: Quadflieg; Klaus Neuburg; Simon Nestler [ed.] dis–obey. Questions, considerations and reflections on possible disobedience in the
context of artificial intelligence and algorithmic power
2018 Ahlert: Kontrollgesellschaft und Überwachung, in: ›Politics of Design. Design of Politics.‹ Köln: Verlag Walther König S. 135,
143
2017 Visual Essay, in: Yet incomputable. Indetermination Principles in the Age of Hypervisibility and
Algorithmic Control. Materialverlag der HFBK Hamburg – Material 390
2016 Ahlert, Fischer: ›Urbane Intervention Istanbul‹, in: Menting, Prigge, Scherzer-Heidenberger, Thiesen,
[Hg.] Partizipation und urbane Intervention – Dimensionen, Gespräche, Projekte, Leipzig
2016 »Form und Karte«, in Forms of Formalism N.3, Lucia Verlag Weimar , S. 72-87
2015 Ahlert, M./ von Borries, F./ Kasten, B.: Grüne Städte? Ein Theorie- und Praxisbericht aus dem Feld von Architektur und Städtebau, in:
Fischer-Lichte, Erika/ Hahn, Daniela (Ed.), Wilhelm Fink, S. 89-110
2013 Ahlert, M./ von Borries, F.:
»Grün« als Standortvorteil im Stadtmarketing, in: Jirku, Almut (Ed.), StadtGrün, Frauenhofer IRB Verlag, S. 50-55
Contributions in journals
2019 Ahlert: Googles dividuelle Karten als Grundlage einer digitalen Kontrollgesellschaft., in ARCH+ 234: Projekt Bauhaus 3: Datatopia, S.
126-133
2019 Ahlert: The Power of Virtual Maps, in Hamburger Journal für Kulturanthropologie (Universität Hamburg
– Institut für Kulturanthropologie) Nr. 9 (2019): Urbane Designanthropologie, S. 51-57
2015 Ahlert, M./ von Borries, F./ Kasten, B.: ›Situative Planungsstrategien zwischen Top-Down und
Bottom-Up‹, in: RaumPlanung, Fachzeitschrift des Informationskreises für Raumplanung (IfR), RaumPlanung vom IfR, Themenschwerpunkt Informalität 178/ 2-2015, S.
44-49
Teaching Experience (selected
examples)
WS 2020/2021 Design Studio: Global Maker Space(s); Spaces, practices and commons; MA Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, TU Berlin. together with Prof. Michelle Christensen and Prof. Florian Conradi
SS 2020 Guayaquil - Ecuador; Co-Producing Inclusive Public Spaces. (Spring School cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
SS 2020 Seminar: Atlas of Digital Fragments 2 – The future of urban consumption; MA Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, TU Berlin.
WS 2019/2020 Spring School: Moravia 2020, organized by Urban Lab Medellin Berlin. Funded by German Academic Exchange Service DAAD.
WS 2019/2020 Design Studio: Makerspace(s) Redesigning TU Berlin's Campus Charlottenburg as a citizen science laboratory; MA Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, TU Berlin
WS 2018/2019 Seminar: Atlas of Digital Fragments; MA Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, TU Berlin.
WS 2018/2019 Methods + Tools: Block 1 Mapping; MA Urban Design, TU Berlin.
SS 2018 Design Studio: Die Große Transformation; MA Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, TU Berlin / Floating University Berlin.
WS 2017/2018 Methods + Tools: Block 1 Mapping; MA Urban Design, TU Berlin.
WS 2017/2018 Design Studio: Urban Lab Medellín Berlin: Co-producing housing; MA Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, TU Berlin.
WS 2016/2017 Workshops: URBAN LAB MEDELLIN | BERLIN, Collaborative mapping-workshop, master's course, Habitat Unit, TU Berlin.
WS 2017/2018 Methods + Tools: Block 1 Mapping; MA Urban Design, TU Berlin.
WS 2016/2017 Workshops: Diagrammatik, Prof. Bernd Kniess, HCU Hamburg
SS 2016 Seminar: Mapping Google Maps, with Hanny Oldendorf, HFBK Hamburg
2013 - 2015 Workshop »Urban Interventions« as part of the research project »Urbane Interventionen«,
Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Hamburg
2011 - 2012 Workshop-series »experimental urban research«, Universität der Künste
Berlin, Faculty of Architecture, together with Christoph T. Herrmann
Lectures (selected
examples)
2021 (upcoming) ›Hacking Google Maps‹, Platform Urbanism – Towards a technocapitalist transformation of European cities?; University of Graz, Austria
2020 ›Hacking Google Maps‹, Desktop Documentary / Video Essay by Simon Weckert and Moritz Ahlert, RC3 – Remote Chaos Communication Congress
2020 ›Urban Coding‹ - Moravia Manifiesto
– KU Leuven
2020 ›Urban Coding Strategies for the Informal Neighborhoods of Moravia, Medellín (Colombia)‹, CFP, Latin
American Urban Research in Dialogue, Conference, HS Bremen
2020 ›Hybrid Futures. Zwischen Kunst und Wissenschaft. Spekulationen von Helgard Haug, Jan Kampshoff und
Moritz Ahlert‹, organized by Hybrid Plattform (a project platform of the UdK Berlin and TU Berlin) and Futurium
2020 Keynote at Conference ›Space Interweavings: Ethos - Social Practices - Architecture, Aristotle University
of Thessaloniki (Postponed due to Covid-19)
2020 Summer school Witwatersrand-University, Johannesburg, South-Africa (Cancelled due to
COVID-19)
2019 ›The Power of Participation:
Akteursbasierte Stadtplanung‹, 36th Chaos Communication Congress, Leipzig
2018 ›Power of Digital Maps‹, Goethe Institute Barcelona
2018 ›Mapping it out! The territorial ambitions of digital maps.‹, Brown Bag Lecture, TU Berlin
2017 ›Mapping: Space and Action‹, TRIALOG’s annual meeting 2017, KH Weißensee
2017 ›Mapping Moravia‹, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín
2016 ›The order of digital maps‹, Graduate Conference ›Digital ‹Dis›Orders‹, Cluster of Excellence, the
Formation of Normative Orders at Frankfurt University
2016 Symposium ›Praktiken medialer Transformation‹ – Uni Hamburg, Topic: ›Praktiken der Kritik - Kritische Kartografie‹
2015 GSD Theory Lecture – Harvard University, Graduate School of Design – Cambridge /
Boston, Topic: ›Critical Mapping 2.0 – Ten Years of Google Maps‹
2015 Architektur/Sommer Leipzig, HTWK Leipzig – Topic: ›Urban Interventions‹
2015 Designdebatte - Topic ›Diagrams‹, HFBK Hamburg
2010 IBA Sachsen-Anhalt 2010 (The IBA Urban Redevelopment Saxony-Anhalt 2010) – Topic: ›Green Urbanism‹
2010 UN Decade's Round Table ›Education for Sustainable Development‹, Hamburg – Topic: ›Green Urbanism‹
Experience in Planning Projects (selected
examples)
2010 -
2012 Internationale Gartenausstellung 2017 – Development of the International Garden Show at Tempelhofer
Feld, the former airfield in the innercity of Berlin (Client IGA GmbH Berlin). [Responsible for project coordination for Projektbüro Friedrich von
Borries.]
2009 -
2012 Urban Landscape Strategy. Berlin: urban landscape development 2030 – 2050 (Client: The Senate
Department for Urban Development, Berlin). [Responsible for project coordination for Projektbüro Friedrich von Borries.]
2009 - 2012 Frankfurt GrünGürtel (GreenBelt), Urban concepts for the future, thematizing »green« living and space for the city of Frankfurt a.
M..
Experience in exhibition design and curatorial
praxis (selected examples)
2016 ›Show You Have Words‹ art - das Kunstmagazin - ART COLOGNE 2016
2013 ›Die Berliner Weltverbesserungsmaschine‹ (machine to improve the world), Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin, in
cooperation with Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums). [Responsible for design and practical realization.]
2013 ›RLF‹ - Exhibition in St. Agnes. [Responsible for design and practical realization.]
2011 ›Urban Mobility‹- Überlebenskunstfestival (design, concept). [Responsible for project coordination for Projektbüro Friedrich von
Borries.]
2008 ›Updating Germany – Projects for a Better Future‹ - German Contribution to
the 11th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2008. The exhibit was supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban
Affairs. [Responsible for research.]
2008 ›My Public Space‹, NAi, Rotterdam 2008 [Responsible for
design and research.]
Publishing Design (selected examples)
2016 23. Witzenhäuser Konferenz – »Frohes Schaffen!? – Arbeit in der Landwirtschaft«, kassel university press [Cover]
2014 ›RLF. There is no right life in the wrong one?‹, Distanz Verlag Berlin
2013 ›RLF‹, Suhrkamp Berlin [Cover]
2012 ›Jugend bewegt Stadt‹, Federal
Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development. [Cover & Comic]
2012 ›Urban Landscape Strategy‹.
Berlin: Urban landscape development 2030 – 2050 (Client: The Senate Department for Urban Development, Berlin). [Publishing Design +
Illustrations]
2011 Mikael Mikael ›WHITE OUT‹, Merve, Berlin [Publishing
Design]
2011 ›Berliner Atlas paradoxaler Mobilität‹. Merve, Berlin [Publishing Design +
Illustrations]
2009 ›Heimatcontainer. Deutsche
Fertighäuser in Israel‹. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp [Illustrations]
Exhibitions
2019 ›Nocturnal City Walks‹, Making Future (Night) School, Haus der Statistik Berlin, together with Gözde Şarlak-Krämer (HCU
Hamburg)
2018 ›Psychographic Mapping of Mobility‹, Goethe Institute Barcelona
2017 ›Aesthetics of the Virtual‹, Sammlung Falckenberg, Hamburg, curated by Elena Agudio, SAVVY
Contemporary, Berlin.
2017 ›Subjektiver Transformationsatlas Leipzig‹, FestivalSTADTTFINDEN, Glasfabrik L., together with Alsino
Skowronnek
2017 ›Mexibility-Mapability‹, Solo-exhibition in Metro Polanco – Mexiko City, in cooperation with Goethe
Institute Mexico.
2017 ›Mexibility. Estamos en la ciudad, no podemos salir de ella‹, Casa de Lago, Mexico City [Co-curated,
Design and Mapping].
2017 ›Gorgeous Geobrowsing‹, Group exhibition with Katja Aufleger, Bureau d‘Études, Emily Eifler, Jenny
Odell, Hanny Oldendorf, Alsino Skowronnek. Galerie Wiensowski & Harbord, Berlin.
2012 ›InsideOut‹, Galerie M, Berlin, www.a-u-a.net/
2009 ›WSF Gloria‹ Weißenfels [together with Robert Friebe] in Cooperation with the Municipality Weißenfels und the Gallery
„Brand-Sanierung“.