Almost a tradition already: the second Hybrid Retreat
Because of the positive response the previous year, the Hybrid Plattform organized another retreat in February 2013. This retreat offered a number of “traditions” but also innovations.
As it was the previous time, the retreat was managed by Prof. Marc Alexa and Prof. Christoph Gengnagel. And again like the last time, the number of themes was large and truly broad: They ranged from the medieval use of maps by way of drapery in Baroque paintings, the construction of the gigantic Metropol Parasol to provide shade in Seville, and choreography in the Lebanese mountains to the coupled quanta systems of atoms and their cross-section-like significance for many scientific fields.
The site for the event was also new: Ziethen Castle. Located fifty kilometers northwest of Berlin, the distance is almost ideal: not too far away but not close enough that the participants would drive home again at night. Moreover, the castle offers a wonderful atmosphere, and the surroundings were inviting for an excursion after the retreat.
Once again, the discussions were very lively, and there were questions from the audience that would never have been asked by an audience composed entirely of specialists. For example, an art historian asked about the reasons for blocking out interference in imaging processes—what constitutes interference, and why isn’t it desirable in some cases?—or the designers and artists discussed the imaging methods used by a physicist that claim to make atoms visible.
From a brief questionnaire afterward we received a great deal of positive feedback, which reinforced our intention to offer the same format again next year.