The Rat Poison-FREE University FUturist grant project at the Freie Universität Berlin aims to find alternatives to the environmentally harmful, expensive, and unethical use of rat poison on the university campus. Part of the project focuses on researching cultural perceptions of rats and exploring healthier ways of coexisting with rats (and other synanthropic neighbours). At the 2026 Berlin Long Night of Sciences, visitors shared their own creative expressions engaging with rats from new perspectives, considering their place in cities, labs, and homes. This zine, curated by Jess Nash and Florian Ruland, collects poems, stories, drawings, and questions produced at the event.
(English translations in alt text. Click any page to view as slideshow. Cover image: Metropolitan Museum of Art.)
(English translations in alt text. Click any page to view as slideshow. Cover image: Metropolitan Museum of Art.)