Tesseræ is a platform connecting critical multidisciplinary research, education, art, media, and activism. Our organisation provides consultancy, training, design, facilitation, communication and project development. We develop a range of innovative tools and methods for intervening in diverse urban contexts and social milieux. Based in Berlin and Firenze, Tesseræ works with local communities, independent and non-for profit organisations, local, national and European institutions.
Tesserae means mosaic tile in Latin, but the term was also used to refer to a token indicating a right to vote. In Italian, the verb tessere means to weave. Our essential objective is to connect different perspectives and views by merging tiny contributions into greater pictures, amplifying the voices of the unheard, and connecting different struggles. Drawing on our members’ diverse backgrounds, we position ourselves as fluidifiers of spatial transformation and social innovation processes, translating expert and disciplinary languages into accessible and visual formulations. Tesserae is a connecting entity, positioned as a node in a network of organizations, programs, experiences, and ideas working toward a more sustainable and just urban world.
Tesseræ was initially formed to provide studies for the EU’s DGRegio and other European projects on sustainable integrated urban development, as well as expertise for the transfer of best practices between cities. In a second phase, as a partner in a number of Erasmus+ projects, we developed a set of tools for participatory practice, such as urban reconnaissance, collaborative mapping, digital storytelling, and co-design, and used them to train practitioners and researchers on new skills needed in contemporary urban practice. A recent involvement in Horizon and other EU initiatives broadened our scope of activity, allowing us to put novel tools and ideas into reality in specific projects while also having tangible impacts on territories.
Our Team