Helmholtz Munich 2025

On the shoulders of giants

Conference center at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich

This interaction between humans and the environment, a key research focus of the Helmholtz Center Munich, is symbolized by a centrally suspended sphere in the former radiation tower. This form, which in its appearance seems to oscillate between an "atomic" body and a globe, consists of 812 different transparent color filters.

The names are a subjective selection of philosophers and scientists of the past—who primarily grappled with humanity or its place in the world, or whose work laid the foundations for today's research. According to an analogy by Bernard of Chartres (later quoted by Newton), these figures can be seen as giants, on whose shoulders one can see more and farther despite one's own dwarfish stature.

In the conference center of the Helmholtz Center Munich, a diverse range of scientists—"today's dwarfs"—meet to find paths and solutions for the benefit of humanity through shared exchange.

Here, a collective giant of the future is growing...

• Glass sphere ø 470 cm
• 812 dichroic filter discs, 15 x 15 cm, White print
• 7 DMX spotlights, light control

Heike Weber und Walter Eul 2025