- Professor of Design Anthropology
- Chair of Standing Committee on Research
- Head of metaLAB (at) Basel
Aylin Yildirim Tschoepe (Ph.D. Anthropology, Doctor of Design, Dipl.-Ing. Architecture, MSc in Universal Design) is professor of Design Anthropology at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW, where she connects her experience as an architect, designer, anthropologist, gender and urban studies scholar.
Tschoepe is Chair of the Standing Committee on Research (https://www.fhnw.ch/de/forschung-und-dienstleistungen/gestaltung-kunst/forschung). As head of research in designXsciences, she fosters and participates in collaborative research that brings together design, technology, life sciences, and social sciences. In recent years, her work has engaged with “urban engendering”, “migratory homescapes,” “agents of urban change,” “dirtscapes,” “an:archives,” “posthuman collaboration,” “care matters in entangled commons.” She explores these phenomena from a design-anthropological perspective which she explores through multimodal approaches including urban, design and sensory ethnography, expanded scenography, and feminist spatial practice. With the metaLAB (at) Basel, she is currently involved in “Spatial Affairs. Extended Reality Experiences” (with HEK and iart in Basel 2024 – 2026).
As co-founder and head of metaLAB (at) Basel and together with metaLAB (at) Harvard and metaLAB (at) Berlin, she contributes to the international metaLAB community, an idea foundry, knowledge-design lab, and production studio experimenting in the networked arts and humanities (https://mlml.io/about/).
Aylin Yildirim Tschoepe is involved in and contributes to teaching programmes and advising on BA, MA and PhD level at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW. Hereby, she is interested in critical pedagogical approaches, as well as discourses on spatial, social and ecological transformations with a focus on diversity, sustainable ways of knowing, and societal changes.
She has previously taught theory, methods, and studio courses at Harvard University, Technical University Darmstadt, Boston Architectural College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boğaziçi University, University of Basel. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed volumes and journals, her collaborative work was part of exhibitions in Berlin and Basel.
As Berghahn series editor of "Urban Anthropology Unbound," she fosters unconventional perspectives in ethnographic knowledge, exploratory and multimodal work.
2022- 2024
- Initialization Project
- «Design Anthropologie. Neue Wissens – und Forschungslandschaften.»
- FTRS PhD Program, Research Projects, Lab Formats
Since 2024
- metaLAB (at) Basel
https://mlml.io
2023
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y., Marion Schulze. 2023. A Near-Future Herbarium: Field Guide and Posthuman Collaboration. NiCHE. Digital Natural History (12). https://niche-canada.org
2021
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. 2021. «Sozio-sonische Poetik: die Stadt mit geschlossenen Augen sehen.» In Zeiträume Basel. Festivalmagazin, edited by Bernhard Günther, Anja Wernicke.
- Genz, Carolin, Yildirim Tschoepe, Aylin. 2021. “Ethnographie als Methodologie zur Erforschung von Räumen und Raumpraktiken.” In Methoden der qualitativen Raumforschung. Ein interdisziplinäres Handbuch, edited by Anna Juliane Heinrich, Séverine Marguin, Angela Million, Jörg Stollmann. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag.
- Stefano Portelli, Tschoepe, Aylin Y. 2021. “Special Issue: On Activist*scholarship,” Radical Housing Journal, 2021. https://radicalhousingjournal.org/2021/editorial-5/
2020
- Yildirim Tschoepe, Aylin, Susanne Käser. 2020. “Imagin(eer)ing Basel: Praktiken, Bilder und Communities in urbanen Partizipationsprozessen.” In Die Postwachstumsstadt. Konturen einer solidarischen Stadtpolitik, edited by Frank Eckardt, Anton Brokow-Loga. München: Oekom Verlag. https://postwachstumsstadt.de
- Stefano Portelli, Tschoepe, Aylin Y. 2020. “Activist*scholar collaborations in times of crisis, and beyond. reflections on `Urban Activism: Staking Claims in the 21st Century City.`” Radical Housing Journal, Fall 2020. https://radicalhousingjournal.org/2020/activistscholar-collaborations-in-times-of-crisis-and-beyond/
2019
- Yildirim Tschoepe, Aylin. 2019. “Dirtscapes: Contest over Value and Garbage in Istanbul.” In Ethnographies of Brokenness and Repair, edited by Francisco Martinez, Patrick Laviolette. New York: Berghahn. https://www.academia.edu/44837609/Dirtscapes_Contest_over_Value_Garbage_and_Belonging_in_Istanbul
2018
- Genz, Carolin, Yildirim Tschoepe, Aylin. 2018. Beyond Urban Transformation. Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Urban Everyday Life. https://www.academia.edu/40012484
- Yildirim Tschoepe, Aylin. 2016. TimeLayers: Urbane Erinnerung und Zukunft. [The City as Immersive Exhibition of Past and Future]. museums.ch, 11/2016. https://www.museums.ch/assets/files/dossiers_d/Publikationen/Revue/museums_n11.pdf
- Kıyman, Faruk, Gülsum Baran, Aylin Yildirim Tschoepe. 2016. “Antropologlar Fikirtepe’de. (Anthropologists in Fikirtepe)” In Fikirtepe: Projeyi Yeniden Düşünmek [Fikirtepe: Rethinking the Project], edited by Faruk Göksu, Sıla Akalp (Eds.), 212- 295. Istanbul: Kentsel Strateji. https://kentselstrateji.com/proje/fikirtepe-projeyi-yeniden-dusunmek/
- Yildirim Tschoepe, Aylin. 2016. “Locating the German-Turks: Transnational Migration to Turkey and Constructions of Identity and Space.” In Contemporary Turkey at a Glance II Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Transformation of Power, History, and Culture, edited by Esra Özyürek, Meltem Ersöy, 113- 130. Wiesbaden: Springer.
2024
- European Association for the Study of Science and Technology EASST-4S 2024 Conference: Making & Doing Transformations
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. and Arzu Cöltekin. 2024. Care Matters in Digital Health: Expanding Assistive Spaces. https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/paper/86402
2023
- Swiss Association for the Study of Science, Technology, and Society
- Science, Expertise, and other Modes of Knowledge: Trends, Patterns, and Prospects
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. and Marion Schulze: Collaborating with Matter: Explorations of new feminist materialism in near-future lifeworlds.
2022
- Swiss Design Network Research Summit (Zurich). Counterparts: Exploring Design Beyond the Human
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. and Marion Schulze. 2022. New Materialism Design.
- EASA 2022 Conference (European Association of Social Anthropology): Transformation, Hope, and the Commons
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. and Carolin Genz. Entangled Commons. Shifting Infrastructures of Sociality Toward Visionary Lifeworlds.
- FHNW 6. Internationale Tagung Soziale Arbeit und Stadtentwicklung
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. Multispezies-Zukünfte als konkrete räumliche Utopien (Multi-species Futures as Concrete Spatial Utopia)
2021
- DGSKA Tagung 2021. Welten. Zonen. Atmosphären. Seismographien des Anthropozäns.
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y and Carolin Genz, Valerie Haensch, Paula Ivanov, Workshop and Co-Lab on Urban Lifeworlds and Aesthetic Activism.
- 5th CH-STS Conference: Swiss Association for the Study of Science, Technology, and Society
- Multiple Matters
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. Infrastructures of Sociality. Leisure and Labor in Times of Confinement and Contagion
2020
- EASA 2020 Conference (European Association of Social Anthropology)
- New Anthropological Horizons in and Beyond Europe
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. and Carolin Genz. Urban Co–Lab: Out of the Box 2.0
2019
- Bauhaus University, Conference POSTWACHSTUMSSTADT: Perspektiven des sozial-ökologischen Wandels der Stadtgesellschaft
- Tschoepe, Aylin Y. and Susanne Käser. Imagin(eer)ing Basel: Urbane Transformation, Angewandte Bildforschung,
2017
- American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, “Anthropology Matters”
- Yildirim Tschoepe, Aylin. Strategies, Tactics, Power Play: Contesting Actors in the Production of Ecological Urban Space.
2024 – 2026
- Pro Helvetia Synergies: Spatial Affairs. Extended Reality Experiences.
- Collaboration HEK (House of Electronic Arts), iart, metaLAB (at) Basel, Tabakalera, MAP, TEKNIKER
2018 – 2021
- Swiss National Science Foundation
- Post doctoral Researcher SNF Project: Visuelle Kommunikation in partizipativen Stadtplanungsprozessen.
- Cooperation Visual Communication HGK FHNW and Kulturwissenschaften und Europäische Ethnologie University of Basel
2014 – 2016
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions/ TUBITAK/ co-funded Brain Circulation Scheme
- Postdoctoral Researcher, PI (Boğaziçi University, Kadir Has University, Istanbul)
- Crafting Identities and Homes: The Landscape of Urban Transformation and Contest.
metaLAB (at) Harvard, metaLAB (at) Berlin, metaLAB (at) Basel
Harvard University, Cambridge/ MA
https://mlml.io
Cluster of Excellence “Matters of Activity”
Humboldt University Berlin
https://www.matters-of-activity.de/en/
Graduate School of Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Sciences
University of Basel
https://dgw.philhist.unibas.ch/de/doktorat/g3s/
HEK House of Electronic Arts
https://hek.ch
Open House Basel – Architektur für alle
https://openhouse-basel.org
Assoziierte Wissenschaftlerin
Promotionskolleg für Intersektionalitätsstudien, Universität Bayreuth
https://www.intersektionalitaetsstudien.uni-bayreuth.de/de/team/Assoziierte-Wissenschaftler_innen/index.html
2021- ongoing
Workshop Co-Organizer: Soul kitchen. Food for thoughts.
Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
2018- ongoing
Workshop Organizer: Urban, Sensory, Design Ethnography: Multimodal Methods and Critical Mapping.
Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
Workshop Organizer Kritische Flânerie als Räumliche Praxis, DOCK Basel (mit Klub Digestif)
- Von Insel zu Insel: Mehrdeutigkeit, Veränderungen, Zwischenräume
https://dock-basel.ch/kunstraum#von-insel-zu-insel
Basel/ Switzerland, Apr 2021
SNF-Project Workshops, Digital participatory image-making
- Participatory Imagin(eer)ing 2.0, digital workshop with local participants in Basel
- Participatory Imagin(eer)ing 2.0, test workshop with sample group
- Collaboration and social negotiation in virtual space
- Real-time collective digital image-making toward inclusive urban visions
- Visual Communication as tool to foster dialogue between physically distant groups
Switzerland/ online, Apr 2020 - Jun 2020
Walkshop “Out of the Box”, Zeit Stiftung Beyond Borders Alumni Conference
- Crossing Boundaries, Interdisciplinary Methods, Visual Communication
- Seminar, Walk, and Mapping Workshop in Berlin-Wedding
Berlin/ Germany, May 2019
SNF-Project Workshop, FHNW Academy for Art and Design
- Participatory Imagin(eer)ing II, with trade and crafts people, activists
- Mapping/Collage-techniques, Image-making toward inclusive urban visions
- Visual Communication as tool to foster dialogue between groups
Basel/ Switzerland, May 2019
SNF-Project Workshop in collaboration with Stadtlabor Basel
- Participatory Imagin(eer)ing II, with local initiatives
- Mapping/Collage-techniques, Image-making toward inclusive urban visions
Basel/ Switzerland, Mar 2019
Walkshop “In/Visible Labors, Bodies, Spaces” for International Womxn’s Week
- hosted by Queers in Design and Womxn in Design, Harvard GSD
Cambridge/ USA, Mar 2019
SNF-Project Workshop in collaboration with Zukunft.Klybeck
- Participatory Imagin(eer)ing II, with local activists
- Mapping/Collage-techniques, Image-making toward inclusive urban visions
Basel/ Switzerland, December 2018
SNF-Project Workshop, HGK Zukunftstag
- Participatory Imagin(eer)ing III, with students (age group: 10-13 years)
- Co-Organizer
- Stencils, Image-making toward inclusive urban visions
Basel/ Switzerland, November 2018
SNF Project Workshop Phase I with international Experts, HGK Basel
- Lecture, Workshop, Mapping, Discussion
Basel/ Switzerland, September 2018
SNF Project Workshop Phase I Colloquium with colleagues, HGK Basel
- Beyond Urban Transformation: Interdisciplinary Perspectives.
Basel/ Switzerland, August 2018