Workshops
Research and Self-Experiment on Paper
Introduction
Paper Lab Berlin is a platform dedicated to research and self-experiment on paper.
Rooted in the concept of Self-Topography on Paper, our workshops explore paper as a medium for material investigation, self-documentation, experimentation, and form-making. Participants are invited to examine the relationship between material, memory, process, and personal experience through direct engagement with paper and paper-based practices.
A central aspect of our philosophy is the understanding of paper as skin. Like skin, paper carries traces, records experiences, reveals vulnerability, and becomes a surface upon which time, labor, memory, and use leave their marks.
We refer to this approach as a lab state of mind.
Rather than following fixed formulas or attempting to reproduce predetermined outcomes, participants are encouraged to observe, test, question, document, and learn directly from the behavior of materials themselves.
In this environment, mistakes become information, repetition becomes research, and every experiment becomes an opportunity to generate new knowledge.
Whether working with fibers, molds, threads, installations, plant materials, sculptural forms, or self-directed research projects, participants are invited to approach paper as a field of investigation—one that rewards curiosity, attention, experimentation, and sustained inquiry.
Available both as Live Online workshops and through our At Your Own Pace program, each workshop combines practical demonstrations, research-based learning, dedicated learning resources, and ongoing support.
More than a collection of workshops, Paper Lab Berlin is an environment for learning through making, where process becomes a tool for discovery and materials become partners in research.
How Our Workshops Work
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All workshops are available in two formats:
Live Online — Join a small international group through live sessions that combine demonstrations, discussions, questions, and guided experimentation.
At Your Own Pace — Access the same workshop through recordings, ebooks, demonstrations, presentations, and supporting resources, allowing you to study according to your own schedule and pace.
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To support participants from different regions of the world, workshops are offered in both Atlantic and Pacific time zones whenever possible.
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Paper Lab Berlin workshops are taught in English.
Live Zoom sessions support translated subtitles in multiple languages, allowing participants from different linguistic backgrounds to follow the workshop more comfortably. Participants may select their preferred subtitle language directly through Zoom during live sessions.
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Each workshop is accompanied by dedicated learning resources designed to support both the workshop experience and future independent research.
Depending on the workshop, resources may include ebooks, presentations, articles, demonstrations, technical guides, references, and additional supporting materials.
Together, these resources form a growing personal library that participants can continue to use long after the workshop has ended.
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All live sessions are recorded and made available to participants.
Workshop presentations, ebooks, demonstrations, articles, and supporting materials can be downloaded and kept for personal study and future reference.
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Learning does not end when a workshop concludes.
Participants are invited to continue their research through Paper Talk Pro, our free monthly support session for past and current participants.
Held once each month, Paper Talk Pro provides an opportunity to discuss projects, experiments, technical questions, and ongoing research within a supportive learning environment. Participants may share work, ask questions, receive guidance, and continue developing their practice beyond the workshop itself.
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Research and experimentation often continue long after a workshop has ended.
For this reason, participants may join the same workshop once more, either live online or through the At Your Own Pace format, at no additional cost within six months of their original participation, subject to available places.
This allows participants to revisit the material, deepen their understanding, continue unfinished experiments, and engage with the workshop from a new perspective as their practice evolves.
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Unless otherwise specified, workshops are designed to welcome both beginners and experienced practitioners.
No previous experience in paper making is required.
What's the Difference Between Workshops and Members Platform Masterclasses?
While both are rooted in Paper Lab Berlin's philosophy of research and self-experiment on paper, they serve different purposes.
Workshops are structured learning programs dedicated to a specific theme or field of practice. They typically unfold over multiple sessions and combine demonstrations, theory, experimentation, and practical work. Workshops are designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of a particular subject while building confidence, skills, and independent research strategies.
Members Platform Masterclasses are part of the Paper Lab'ers membership program and introduce a new topic each month. These sessions may take the form of lectures, demonstrations, artist talks, material research, historical overviews, technical introductions, or guided experiments. Rather than focusing on one subject over several weeks, masterclasses offer ongoing opportunities to expand knowledge, discover new perspectives, and explore different areas of paper-based practice.
In simple terms:
Workshops provide depth.
Masterclasses provide breadth.
Many participants choose to combine both, using workshops to develop specific skills and knowledge while using the Members Platform to continue expanding their research throughout the year.
Members receive a 15% discount on all workshops.
Why paper?
Paper is one of humanity's oldest and most versatile mediums.
For centuries, it has served as a carrier of knowledge, memory, communication, and creative expression.
Yet paper is far more than the familiar sheet we encounter in everyday life. It is a medium that continues to evolve, adapt, and reveal new possibilities.
At Paper Lab Berlin, we are interested in paper not only for what it is, but for what it can become.
Paper can be made from countless sources. Plant fibers, bark, grasses, agricultural waste, recycled papers, fabrics, and contemporary materials each produce unique surfaces, structures, behaviors, and possibilities. Every fiber tells a different story, and every sheet carries the characteristics of its origin.
A recurring idea within our research is the understanding of paper as skin. Like skin, paper carries traces. It records pressure, movement, time, labor, memory, and change. It can protect, reveal, conceal, age, and transform. Through making, manipulating, and observing paper, we become more aware of the relationship between medium and experience.
For us, paper is also a concept. It exists at the intersection of art, craft, design, science, history, and nature. It can function as a surface, a structure, a document, a sculpture, a vessel, a map, or a space for experimentation.
This perspective connects many of our areas of research—from paper making, casting, mold making, fibers, plants, and installations to self-documentation and contemporary artistic practice.
By studying paper, we are also studying observation, labor, memory, structure, and the ways in which we leave traces in the world around us.
Our Workshops
Each workshop explores a different area of paper-based practice while remaining rooted in Paper Lab Berlin's philosophy of research, experimentation, and self-directed learning.
Some workshops focus on paper making and form-making, others on installations, fibers, threads, mold making, plants, or material research. Together, they form a growing ecosystem of learning opportunities that can be explored individually or combined over time according to your interests and goals.
All workshops are available both Live Online and through our At Your Own Pace program.
We are always happy to hear from you. If you have any questions, ideas, or thoughts you would like to share, please feel free to reach out. You are also warmly invited to join our monthly Paper Talk – Introduction to Paper Lab Berlin, a live online session where you can meet us, ask questions, and engage directly with our community and activities.
Our Foundations Workshop is our most popular and pioneering program, introducing participants to the core principles of sculptural paper form-making—perfect for starting or deepening your paper journey.
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4 sessions
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Live Online & At Your Own Pace
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Atlantic & Pacific groups
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All Levels
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€ 180
Includes: one free revisit within 6 months, all session recordings, downloadable materials, dedicated eBook, and ongoing support (Paper Talk Pro).
The sewing machine lab
An in-depth exploration of how thread, pressure, perforation, and repetition can transform paper into structure, texture, and topography.
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2 sessions
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Live Online & At Your Own Pace
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Atlantic & Pacific groups
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All Levels
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€ 120
Includes: one free revisit within 6 months, all session recordings, downloadable materials, dedicated eBook, and ongoing support (Paper Talk Pro).
Mold Making
from Advanced Materials
This six-session workshop is dedicated to exploring contemporary and experimental approaches to mold making using advanced materials. We will work across a range of systems including silicone, urethane rubber, wax, transparent resin, and paper-based casting, with a strong emphasis on method, philosophy, and application.
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6 sessions
120 minutes each
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Live Online & At Your Own Pace
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Atlantic & Pacific groups
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All Levels
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€ 240
Includes: one free revisit within 6 months, all session recordings, downloadable materials, dedicated eBook, and ongoing support (Paper Talk Pro).
Papier-Mâché:
From Fragment to Form
Papier-mâché is one of the most accessible and versatile sculptural techniques, transforming simple paper into strong, expressive forms. In this upcoming workshop, we will explore traditional and contemporary approaches to papier-mâché, focusing on structure, surface, form, and experimentation through hands-on making.
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6 sessions
120 minutes each
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Live Online
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Atlantic & Pacific groups
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All level
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€180
30 Days on paper
A Month of Self-Documentation on paper
A Journey of Creative Self-Documentation on paper.
30 Days on Paper is a month-long self-directed project dedicated to creative self-documentation through paper. Open to past and current participants of Paper Lab Berlin, it invites participants to develop a daily practice of observation, making, and reflection, using paper as a space to document fragments of memory, thought, experience, and personal topography over the course of thirty days.
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2 sessions
120 minutes each
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Live Online
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Atlantic & Pacific groups
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Open to All Past and Current Participants of the Paper Lab Berlin
Exploring the Rich Connection between Paper and Skin.
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Free