dieDAS’s very first fellows were carefully chosen by a selection committee composed of members of our founding team: Founding Director Arne Cornelius Wasmuth, Artistic Director Maurizio Montalti, and Director of Program & Development Tatjana Sprick.
Arne Cornelius Wasmuth is a historical restoration and preservation expert whose career has spanned work in television, radio, and film production. He is also a published author and lecturer on cultural heritage and related topics. Born in Hamburg and raised in Seoul and Lagos , he earned a B.A. from Columbia University, an M.Sc in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and an M.A. in Strategies for European Cultural Heritage and Preservation from the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder. In 2017, together with collector and patron Egidio Marzona, Wasmuth conceived dieDAS.
Maurizio Montalti is an Italian-born, Amsterdam-based designer, researcher, educator and entrepreneur. Working at the intersection of design and biotech, he is a recognized pioneer in material culture discourse and development, with a specialty in natural biomaterials. He holds an M.A. in Conceptual Design in Context from Design Academy Eindhoven and an M.A. in Engineering and Industrial Management from The University of Bologna.
In addition to serving as dieDAS’s inaugural artistic director 2020-2022, Montalti heads up the multidisciplinary practice Officina Corpuscoli and is also Cofounder, Designer, and R&D Director of Mogu, a design-innovation company dedicated to high-performance biomaterials and finished products deriving from fungi. His work has been exhibited at renowned institutions such as the MoMA (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris), Design Museum (London), and MAXXI (Rome), among others.
"Today, it is evermore important to realise about the pivotal role of the Design and Creative practices as catalysts for triggering effective change, at both societal and eco-systemic levels. Conscious of such urgencies, the role of organisations such as dieDAS is absolutely key. Functioning as a thoroughly inclusive platform, supporting talented creatives in investigating complex contemporary subjects, while fostering deep critical discussions, positive collisions, and unorthodox manifestation by means of unique collective learning experiences, dieDAS paves the way to new models, challenging the status quo through the introduction of effective paradigm shifts, as driven by intuition, empathy, creativity, and competence."
A consummate connector with an incredible eye, Berlin-based Tatjana Sprick has been navigating the boundaries between the creative disciplines for years, facilitating exciting collaborations and new ventures along the way. She began her career as a dressmaker for the Haute Couture before going on to become a set designer in the film industry, and has since expanded her focus to include fashion, design, craft, and more. Sprick has helped brands and institutions across the creative spectrum—and the globe—develop meaningful products, relationships, and experiences. She was responsible for initiating the design website L’ArcoBaleno and has advised and collaborated with clients such as the Fashion Council Germany, Yohji Yamamoto, Bikini Berlin, Dr Hauschka, Elitis, The DO School, as well as the multipurpose co-retail space ALHAMBRA BERLIN. As dieDAS's founding Director of Program and Development, she is responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of dieDAS programs, including the fellowship program and walk + talk Symposium, as well as helping the institution to build strong networks of collaborators, mentors, and supporters.