During the the upcoming month of December, the Villach-based science collective Biotop will be installing an advent calendar of a different kind in the city center of Villach.
The group, consisting of 30 young scientists and designers, has been active for over two years now. They strive to open up the world of science and make it accessible to the wider public, and they also want to create a space for research and tinkering. Biotop first appeared in public in Villach last year in December with the exhibition “See the invisible”. Around 600 visitors had the chance to gain insight into current research fields, discuss with young scientists and even make the invisible visible.
This Christmas, Biotop will transform the shop window of the Pleamle pop-up shop in Gerbergasse into an advent calendar. On each day, another aspect of Christmas will be used to explain science and design in an exciting and entertaining way. One will be able to discover what makes snowflakes scientifically exciting, why earworms such as “Last Christmas” drill so deep into our brains, what archaeologists find fascinating about gingerbread, and how architects approach gift-wrapping. In addition to the installation at Gerbergasse, all content will be be made available online in German and English on the website http://biotop.co/.