Delight is often the catalyst for human action. It arises from an attraction to the Other—whether people, ideas, objects, materials, or processes—and sets in motion a sensuous engagement that momentarily dissolves the boundaries between subject and object. Unlike duty or external obligation, this impulse springs from encounters with that which feels different, complementary, and enriching to everyday existence.
Far from being an end in itself, such delight fosters presence, connection, and vitality. In reaching toward the Other, living relationships to the world emerge through touch, interaction, and transformation. The lecture series opens a space to rethink and experience the possibilities of acting and making with delight at their core.
The Studium Generale lecture series is presented within the framework of Idar-Obersteiner FormDiskurs, a cultural programme dedicated to fostering dialogue between academia, the arts, and the wider public. Organized and hosted by the Campus Gemstones and Jewellery of Trier University of Applied Sciences, the programme provides a platform where scholarly perspectives, artistic practices, and societal issues intersect in meaningful exchange. The programme also includes two exhibition openings (at the Gemstone and Jewellery Campus and at Villa Bengel).
Studium Generale is made possible through the generous support of the City of Idar-Oberstein and the County of Birkenfeld, and realised in close cooperation with the Jakob Bengel Foundation, FormDiskurs underscores the region’s strong commitment to education, culture, and heritage. Together, these partnerships enable a vibrant and enduring forum that enriches both the university community and the cultural life of the region.
The lectures will be held in English and participation is free of charge.
Location: Campus Gemstone and Jewellery, Saarstraße 2, 55743 Idar-Oberstein
Concept and organisation: Julia Wild
Speakers and Dates:
09.10.2025 Prof. em. Dr. Wolfgang Rother, Universität Zürich: „Pleasure and Freedom. Aspects of Epicurean Art of Living”
16.10.2025 lambert M.A. & M.F.A., Artist in Residence Jakob Bengel Foundation, Idar-Oberstein: “A Pleasure Cruise”
30.10.2025 Prof. Christoph Zellweger, Hochschule Luzern – Design Film Kunst: „Embracing Resistance” (& The Extranalities Collective)
30.10.2025 um 18:30 Uhr: Exhibition Opening at Campus Gemstone and Jewellery: Christoph Zellweger: „Cabinet of Risks & Chances“
31.10.2025 um 18:30 Uhr: Exhibition Opening at Villa Bengel: Extranalities N°16: „The First, the Worst, the Best & the Rest“
20.11.2025 Prof. Simon Maris, Transdisziplinäre Professur für Künstliche Intelligenz – Design and Sustainability, Campus Gestaltung, Hochschule Trier: “Open Endings: The Art of Not-Knowing What You’re Looking For”
11.12.2025 Dr. Martin Repohl, Projektkoordinator UNESCO Chair on Global Understanding for Sustainability, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena: „In Search of Resonance in a Precarious World: On Materiality in Times of Transformation”
22.01.2026 Dr. Susanne Huber, Institut für Kunstwissenschaft, Universität Bremen: „Objects of Desire and Embodied Pleasures. Rethinking the Fetish After Modernity”
Further information can be found on our website and in the flyer.
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