Organizer Information
Museum Haus des Papiers is a Berlin institution dedicated exclusively to sculptural fine paper art, distinguishing itself as the world's first museum focused on art made of paper rather than art on paper. The museum opened to the public in May 2021 as a joint initiative of the Berlin fine-art print manufacturer d'mage, together with Hahnemühle and Canon Deutschland, with the aim of raising the profile of paper as an artistic material. Operating as a non-profit (HdP Haus des Papiers gGmbH), it shows works from its own collection alongside pieces by "Paper Residency!" fellows and Paper Art Award winners on roughly 170 square metres of exhibition space at Seydelstraße 30 in Berlin-Mitte. The museum also runs the ongoing Paper Future Lab and Fiber Future Lab initiatives, through which it develops promising material ideas over the longer term.
Title & Description
DENKMASCHINE – Papier: Ideas for the Materials of Tomorrow
DENKMASCHINE – Papier is an open call from Museum Haus des Papiers inviting artists, designers, architects, materials researchers, engineers, students, school classes, and curious individuals of any background to explore paper as a starting point for the materials of the future. The call is explicitly not limited to finished objects — it seeks concepts, sketches, material experiments, and research approaches investigating paper, paper waste, or regional fibre plants as a basis for new material systems, whether these might lead to lightweight composites, flexible structures, load-bearing constructions, textile applications, or something else entirely. Pure basic research without a defined application is expressly welcome. Around 20 to 40 selected submissions, depending on their size and format, will be presented in the special exhibition "DENKMASCHINE" at Museum Haus des Papiers, opening December 11, 2026.
Theme
Paper, paper waste, and regional fibre plants as a starting point for future materials — submissions are framed around open-ended "What if…?" material questions rather than a fixed application.
Categories
- Papermaking
- Paper-based
- Research
- Design
- Craft
- Architecture
- Technology
Eligibility
- Open to individuals, teams, school classes, university courses, workshops, research groups, and entire grade cohorts
- No stated restriction on nationality, age, or professional background
- Interdisciplinary approaches are expressly welcomed
- Submissions must be the applicant's own development or idea
Program Benefits & Awards
- Selected submissions (approximately 20–40 items) are exhibited in the special exhibition "DENKMASCHINE" at Museum Haus des Papiers, opening December 11, 2026
- Particularly original ideas may be further developed and presented to a broad public through the museum's permanent special shows, Paper Future Lab and Fiber Future Lab
- Free access to a new "space for material experience" in Berlin, opened on several dates before the exhibition for experimentation, exchange, and further thinking (for those in Berlin and the surrounding area)
- Authorship of submitted ideas remains unrestricted with the submitters, and all submitted ideas are treated confidentially
- Not yet finalized: an annual research fellowship is being planned, envisioned as a six-month development scholarship with total funding of €9,000 for particularly promising ideas
Application Fee
A processing fee of €5 is charged for participation in the Open Call.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 27 September 2026
- Results Published: October 2
- Exhibition Opening: 11 December 2026
Location
Museum Haus des Papiers, Berlin, Germany
Additional Details
- The jury selects roughly 20 to 40 items for the exhibition, depending on their size and format
- Results are announced on Instagram and on the organizer's website on October 2
- The submitted concept must not necessarily point to a concrete application — pure basic research is explicitly accepted
- A separate, not-yet-finalized annual research fellowship (six-month, €9,000) is in planning as a longer-term extension of the project