HfK goes space

In early October 2026, Germany will be celebrating German Unity Day in Bremen – and we’ll be joining in the celebrations! The city will be transformed into a festival venue – from Domshof to the Weserstadion – and at the University of the Arts Bremen, you can also enjoy a varied programme organised by the departments of Art and Design and Music.

On Friday, 2 October 2026, the theme on the MS Dauerwelle, the HfK Bremen’s ship, will be ‘Reaching for the stars together’. From 3.30 pm, you can look forward to exhibitions, talks and a panel discussion on the topic of science and art in space travel.

On Saturday, 3 October 2026, from 12.00 to 19.00, you can view the regular exhibition as well as the results of the closed workshops for school classes.

A collaboration with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) Bremen and the DLR_School_Lab

In addition, on Saturday 3 October 2026, the Department of Music will also be opening its doors at its city centre location at Dechanatstraße 13–15. Under the motto “HfK Open House. From Brass to Wood”, the various degree programmes – Fine Art, Digital Media, Integrated Design and Music – will present themselves through a range of exhibitions and concerts.

The full programme of events organised by the City of Bremen to mark German Unity Day can be found here.

Reaching for the stars together – German Unity Day 2026 in Bremen

How are unknown worlds in space explored? What challenges must be overcome to translate designs and mission concepts from Earth into space? These questions are at the heart of a unique event taking place on Friday, 2 October 2026, at the Schlachte in Bremen on board the MS Dauerwelle. The German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the University of the Arts Bremen (HfK) are jointly inviting participants to set off on an imaginary journey into space aboard the ship.

In the morning, Year 7 pupils will have the opportunity to develop their own concepts for exploring the Solar System together with DLR department head and scientist Tra Mi Ho (Institute of Space Systems). They will work out designs and solutions to meet the requirements for various exploration missions, discuss their ideas directly with the expert, and prepare the results for the exhibition in the afternoon. The highlight will be the unveiling of the Idefix Rover, which was built and tested in Bremen as the result of a multinational collaboration and will in future explore Phobos, one of Mars’ moons.

The afternoon is aimed at interested adult visitors (approx. 50 places) and features specialist talks by Prof. Dr Tanja Diezmann (HfK Bremen) and aerospace engineer Jan Thimo Grundmann (DLR), as well as a panel discussion on the intersections between space exploration and art, in which Tra Mi Ho will once again take part. Together with the audience, the technical, creative and ethical aspects of future space missions will be explored. The event aims to demonstrate that the path to the stars is driven not only by technology, but above all by creativity, team spirit and a shared commitment to unity.