OUT OF THE BOX – NATURE AND NIGHT

Whilst animals and plants are adapted to darkness, humans have transformed the night through artificial light and the increasingly constant availability of work, communication and entertainment.

A discussion with the speakers

• Sophia Kimmig, wildlife biologist and author
• Jan van Zeeuw, sleep researcher, chronobiologist and neuroscientist
• Katharina Wolf, cultural manager and sustainability consultant for Berlin’s club scene
• Moderated by Maike Weißpflug

The second edition of OUT OF THE BOX is dedicated to the theme of Nature & Night.

The focus is on the question of what significance the night holds for us – as a natural rhythm, as a cultural space and as a place of special experiences.

For the night is not merely the absence of daylight, but a habitat in its own right:

Whilst we sleep or party, bats hunt, insects flit through the darkness, night-blooming plants flourish, and connections are formed that remain invisible by day.

Whilst nature has been shaped by the alternation between day and night for millions of years, humankind has increasingly pushed back the darkness.

The city that never sleeps:

Artificial light makes the night accessible.

Work, communication and entertainment no longer have fixed boundaries.

Yet nature knows no such thing as permanent availability:

Many animals orient themselves by the darkness, plants follow their own cycles, and the human body, too, bears the traces of this ancient rhythm.

And yet, people have always been drawn to the night.

Is nightlife a rebellion against natural rhythms, or perhaps a form of them in its own right?

Why do some people experience the night as a space of freedom and belonging, whilst others encounter it with a sense of unease or loneliness?

Who does the night actually belong to?

To those who party, those who work, those who sleep, the animals, or those who cannot find a place elsewhere?

Particularly in a city like Berlin, which is known worldwide for its unique nightlife, these questions go beyond the topic of leisure.

They reveal something about how we shape community, how we handle freedom, and what spaces we create for people to come together.

The night reveals what often

remains hidden:

our need for connection, for experiences that push the boundaries, and for moments in which we become part of something greater.

Further information

• The event is free of charge
• Registration is required at

(Language: German)