30 Years of Curiosity about the Future

Dear visitors,

important events shaped the year 1989: the fall of the Berlin Wall opened almost insurmountable borders, the first web server on the net marked the beginning of the boundary-bridging Internet age.

And 1989 is also the year in which Karlsruhe citizens realized an ambitious vision with the founding of the ZKM: An institution that should be up to the challenges of the 21^st century – a center that entangles artistic concepts with forward-looking technologies. 

30 years later, the ZKM continues to show which new paths art and society can pursue and promotes what began as a bold utopia. From the very beginning, it has accompanied technological change and addressed its consequences for society and the individual. In prophetic perceptiveness, it has cultivated, researched and experimented, developing a rare feeling for scientific issues. Always with the aim of providing you, dear visitors, insights into the connections of new media and offering you a platform to question and critically discuss them – always looking towards the future: 30 Years Ahead of the Curve in Art, as the New York Times entitled it in October.

The anniversary year 2019 is coming to an end, but we will take our courage, our curiosity and our pleasure in experimenting with us into the next 30 years. During our anniversary year, Karlsruhe was named a UNESCO City of Media Arts. This makes us proud and clearly shows that Karlsruhe already knew earlier than other cities that the new media would determine the future of society. We will show: Media art permeates the entire city. Be prepared for the fact that in 2020 you will unexpectedly encounter works of arts – works of arts that will delight you!

Yours

Peter Weibel