Award ceremony in the photo competition “Create!”

What does creativity mean at the University of Freiburg? Students, scientists and staff from administration and technology addressed this question in the “Connecting Creative Minds” photo competition. At the “Create!” evening event, the jury honored the winners: Chemistry student Philipp Gaiser received the first prize, endowed with 500 euros, for his picture “Nächtlicher Lernraum” (“Nocturnal Study Space”). 2nd place and 250 Euros went to Uwe Nüssle, staff member at the Media Centre of the University Library, and his picture “Mit Kreativität Grenzen überwinden” (“Overcoming Limits with Creativity”). Third place went to PhD student Björn Gerdes from the Department of Microsystems Engineering at the University of Freiburg with the photo “Vollgas für die Energiewende” (“Full throttle for the energy revolution”). He received 100 euros in prize money. The audience was also able to vote for their favorite in an online vote and chose the picture “Lever Du Jour” by lecturer Christina Plötze from the Department of Sport and Sport Science. She won 150 Euro for her entry.

The winning photo „Nächtlicher Lernraum“ (“Nocturnal Study Space”) from Philipp Gaiser.

1. Place – Philipp Gaiser – “Nächtlicher Lernraum” (“Nocturnal Study Space”)

I see creativity at the university, for example, in the participation of student representatives. Succeeding the decision for the University Library to close at night, the search for study space became more and more difficult, which is why we had to create it ourselves. I was supported by Lorenz Bier-Schorr and Florian Tönnies, who took the photo, for the technical implementation. In order to create an authentic study space, we provided old reading lamps, a beer tent set and other props. By the way, the clock shows the real time: just before one o'clock at night! We would like to use the prize money to subsidize the purchase of a camera for the Chemistry Student Council in order to be able to document our work even more professionally in the future.

Photo: Thomas Kunz

2. Place – Uwe Nüssle – “Mit Kreativität Grenzen überwinden” (“Overcoming Limits with Creativity”)

In my daily work in the Media Centre I always develop new picture ideas. I find the topic of the competition exciting and difficult, which ultimately motivated me to participate. Creativity does not arise in a vacuum, but on the basis of knowledge. It is a recombination of what is already known, applied and experienced; that's what I wanted to present in my contribution.

Photo: Thomas Kunz

3. Place – Björn Gerdes – “Vollgas für die Energiewende” (“Full throttle for the energy revolution”)

Creativity can also take place in the laboratory! With this photo I wanted to show a typical scene from our everyday life at IMTEK, where people with very different scientific backgrounds cavort. Interdisciplinarity is for me the core of creative work at the university: No one in the photo has studied the same thing, but we can unite our knowledge and experience and therefore always find new and unusual solutions for complex problems.

Photo: Thomas Kunz

People’s Choice Award – Christina Plötze – “Lever du Jour” (Daybreak)

As a choreographer, I immediately jumped on this topic; after all, I have to work creatively every day in my profession. Such a creative process has always been a part of my life. I didn't have to reinvent the idea for the picture because the picture already existed. It's a snapshot of a sample from the advanced gymnastics/dance course at the Department of Sport and Sport Science. For me, creativity means freedom, time, crossing borders and community. The exchange with others is much more enriching than being alone. I will use the prize money to take the advanced course to the World Gymnaestrada in Dornbirn, Austria. It is the largest popular sports festival in the world, in which we will perform as part of the German delegation.

Foto: Thomas Kunz

All photos from the exhibit