Autonomy – KLUB7 & Julia Schleicher at the Leopoldina
Art Meets Science
For the first time, the annual meeting of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina will be enriched by artistic interventions. In cooperation with the Saxony-Anhalt Art Foundation, art and science will engage in a productive dialogue—linked by this year’s Leopoldina theme: Autonomy. A concept that lies between freedom and limitation, between self-determination and social, technological, and ethical constraints.
At the “White House,” the Leopoldina’s headquarters on Jägerberg in Halle (Saale), two artistic installations are on display: Sculptor Julia Schleicher’s installation “The Autonomy of the Puppet” transforms the interior spaces with over thirty large-scale cocoons and insect pupae—symbols of transformation and self-realization. Outside, the art collective KLUB7 has created the three-part installation “Collective Autonomy”: colorfully treated building materials, collaged into large-scale spatial arrangements featuring light and sound elements.
The Saxony-Anhalt Art Foundation and the Leopoldina cordially invite you to the opening of the installations on August 21, 2026:
- Starting at 5:00 p.m. – Welcome reception in the garden with a welcome drink
- 6:00 p.m. – Opening ceremony in the ballroom:
Opening Remarks by Prof. Dr. Bettina Rockenbach, President of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Remarks by Rainer Robra, Minister of State and Minister of Culture of the State of Saxony-Anhalt
Panel discussion on the topic of “Autonomy” and the artworks, moderated by Prof. Dr. Charlotte Klonk (Professor of Art and New Media, Humboldt University of Berlin), with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Hommel (Leopoldina), Manon Bursian (Director of the Saxony-Anhalt Art Foundation), Mike Okay and Ingo Albrecht (KLUB7), and Julia Schleicher
Musical accompaniment by the Hallenser Madrigalisten e.V. chamber choir
- Starting at 7:00 p.m. – Reception in the garden with food and drinks, as well as guided tours led by the artists
- 7:30 p.m. – Live music followed by a DJ set by Loy Bonheur
Visit the installations from August 24 to October 11, 2026, during the following hours:
Garden with the Klub7 installation at
, open Mon–Fri from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Garden featuring the Klub7 installation and an exhibition by Julia Schleicher in the building at
; open on Sundays, August 30, September 27, and October 11 from 1:00–5:00 p.m.
and on Open Monument Day, September 13, from 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
as well as during public events
Admission is free.