Mira Müller: Feeling Gender, 2023
Type: Semester Project Degree Programme: Product Design Professorship: Emerging Technologies and Design Advisor: Jr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Pearce, Timm Burkhardt, William Victor Camilleri

‘Feeling Gender’ challenges the persistent gender bias that affects both design and archaeology. Prehistorian Marylène Patou-Mathis speaks of a ‘Female Invisibility’ that arises from the fact that Prehistory is a relatively new scientific field that emerged in the mid-19th century. The gender roles attributed in the early texts of this discipline are more reflective of the era they were written in rather than the reality of prehistoric individuals. Today, advancements in technology, such as DNA analysis, continue to debunk false gender assumptions in archaeological discoveries. The provocative seating objects presented in this project can be viewed as ‘tools’ used by both male and female archaeologists during excavations or in their workplaces. The objects serve as a reminder for users to not only change their physical position but also their mental perspective.

Product Design
Emerging Technologies and Design
Jr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Pearce
Timm Burkhardt
William Victor Camilleri
Mira Müller