Heide Barrenechea studied art history, sociology and psychology at the Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the University of Heidelberg and was a scholarship holder at the DFG Graduate Program “Das Wissen der Künste” (Berlin University of the Arts). She served as commercial project manager of “lab.Bode. Initiative for Strengthening Outreach Work in Museums” (a joint program of the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) and was most recently responsible for the “Volkswagen Art4All” program at Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart as well as an emergency aid program funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs (BKM).

Heide Barrenechea is Head of the Humboldt Lab since March 2023. In close exchange with the team, the professorship “Theorie und Praxis der Kuration” and the Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik, she coordinates the operational support of the inaugural exhibition as well as related programs and activities and is responsible for the further development of the exhibition and event venue as well as for networking between HU stakeholders and partners at the Humboldt Forum.

Dr. Anna-Lisa Dieter studied literature at universities in Germany, France and the USA, specialising in French literature. She received her doctorate with a thesis on the writer Stendhal and has taught literature at the universities of München and Konstanz, among others.

In 2018 she started working at the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum in Dresden. From 2019 to 2023, she was a curator at BIOTOPIA, the new natural history museum in München. She writes regularly for various newspapers, magazines and publishing houses. Her latest book Susan Sontag. 100 Seiten was published by Reclam in 2022.

Since January 2024, Anna-Lisa Dieter has been a curator at the Humboldt Labor at the Humboldt-Universität and is preparing an exhibition cycle on the “Elements”. It begins with an exhibition on “Water”, which is planned for autumn 2025.

Bastian Herbst studied modern and contemporary history, political science, and public law at the Universities of Freiburg, Rennes and Basel, earning an M.A. in 2009. He was a researcher of the DFG-funded researchers’ group „The Military and the Media during the 20th century“. His research led him to various research institutions and archives, particularly in the United Kingdom and France.

From 2019-21 he worked at the German Historical Museum, Berlin, as a research assistant in the department of education. There, he developed didactic programmes and formats for numerous temporary exhibitions, with a focus on intercultural, participatory and inclusive approaches. Additionally, Bastian Herbst developed new digital concepts, including virtual tours through the museum and online workshops for students.

Since November, 2021, Bastian Herbst is a Curator for Outreach at the Humboldt LAB. His responsibilities include the development of the LAB’s educational programmes as well as events and new cooperations.

Office: Humboldt Forum, Schloßplatz, Room: O1.066.B3

Max Illner studied Philosophy, Historiy and Art History at the Freie Universität and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Since many years he is working freelance in the field of exhibition techniques and project production. From 2019 to 2021 he worked as an exhibition technician at the Futurium.

Since October 2021 he is working as a technical curator for the Humboldt Lab.

Caspar Pichner has been working internationally for ten years as an independent scenographer, exhibition technician and project manager. Since April 2019 he is working in exhibition design and operation at the Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik, where he is primarily responsible for exhibitions and events at the Tieranatomisches Theater.

Anja Walther studied museology and has since worked for several national scientific and cultural institutions. She was, for instance, research associate for the DFG-research project „Universitätssammlungen in Deutschland: Untersuchungen zu Bestand und Geschichte” at the Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, later she became head of the image archive of the Museen der Stadt Dresden. Her focus of activity lies at the interface between exhibition organization and digital as well as analogue collection and information management.

Sylvana Brauer studies German literature and philosophy at the Humboldt University in Berlin and worked as a working student at the De Gruyter Brill. Previously, she worked as an intern at the Verbrecher Verlag and Matthes & Seitz Berlin.

She has been working at the HZK and the Humboldt Labor since May 13, 2024.

Office: Humboldt Forum, Schloßplatz, Room: O1.067.B3
and Philippstr. 13, house 3, Room: 015/EG

Roksolana Ludyn studied cultural sciences at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy University. In Ukraine, she worked in the fields of education and event organisation after completing her studies.

After the war began, Roksolana Ludyn moved to Berlin. She worked as a freelance educator in children’s museums, the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art. Here, among other things, she organised outreach projects to involve the Ukrainian refugee community in the museums.

Since October 2023, Roksolana Ludyn has been working as Assistant Curator for Outreach at the Humboldt Lab, providing support in the planning and organisation of events and outreach formats, among other things.

Office: Humboldt Forum, Schloßplatz, Room: O1.066.B3