BBBank Award Makes Three New Shows Possible
In the Weinbrenner Year 2026, marking the 200th anniversary of the death of Karlsruhe architect and master builder Friedrich Weinbrenner, the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe will focus on the themes of architecture and urban space. Under the motto Lightyard Stories: Visions of Urban Living Spaces, the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe celebrate the outstanding architecture of the UNESCO City of Media Arts Karlsruhe and the life and culture it generates. Organized by KME Karlsruhe Marketing und Event GmbH, the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe have captivated nearly three million visitors in front of Karlsruhe Palace over ten seasons since the city’s anniversary in 2015. In 2026, they will once again shine far beyond the city and state borders as one of Baden-Württemberg’s leading artistic summer highlights.
“Architecture is not only the construction of buildings, but also the spaces in between: the streets, parks, squares, and courtyards,” says Alistair Hudson, Scientific and Artistic Director of the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe and member of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe advisory board. “These are the spaces of encounter where we meet friends and strangers alike, and where different cultures and ways of life intermingle. This is the essence of a thriving city. In this spirit, we gather in front of the palace and the visions of these artists to celebrate the joy of urban life,” Hudson continues.
The first three shows to be presented at Karlsruhe Palace in summer 2026 have already been selected. They are the works of the winners of the BBBank Award for Projection Mapping, which was announced for the sixth time. From a total of 118 concepts submitted by artists from around the world, the BBBank Award jury selected three works from the Czech Republic, Singapore, and India. These projects will now be realized by summer with the support of the prize money. The winners are Henry Hu (Singapore) with MIRΔGE, Studio Moebius X Three Oscillators (India) with RE:STRUCT, and Metanoia (Czech Republic) with Metabolism.
“The tremendous response of 118 submissions to the BBBank Award deeply impressed me,” says Oliver Lüsch, Chairman of the Board of Management of BBBank eG. “The award-winning entries from the Czech Republic, Singapore, and India exemplify the extraordinary artistic level that projection mapping has reached. I am very much looking forward to experiencing these atmospheric works at the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe in summer 2026,” Lüsch adds.
On the premiere evening, August 13, visitors will once again have the opportunity to vote for the winner of the BBBank Public Award, endowed with €5,000, from among the three prize-winning entries.
Studio Moebius X Three Oscillators: RE:STRUCT
For Nikunj Patel and Brij Dalvia from Mumbai, the palace embodies history, permanence, and memory. Their mapping RE:STRUCT renders the façade both monumental and richly detailed. They combine inorganic material textures such as concrete, glass, stone, and metal with colors associated with construction sites, symbolizing transformation. RE:STRUCT deconstructs architecture and explores a city’s capacity to adapt flexibly.
Metanoia: METABOLISM
Can light, structure, and movement be understood as a reflection of urban society? This is the question explored by the Czech duo METANOIA (Jakub Nosek and Julie Tampierová) in their work METABOLISM. Metabolism is a radical futuristic architectural philosophy that emerged in postwar Japan, viewing the city as an organic, flexible system.
Henry Hu: MIRΔGE
A city breathes, reshapes itself, and reinvents itself. In MIRΔGE, Singapore-based artist Henry Hu plays with iconic urban forms, transforming the palace into a living illusion in which architecture melts, fractures, and reforms. Urban space flows and oscillates between structure and dream, order and imagination.
All three winning concepts, which demonstrate the diversity of projection mapping through their distinct visual worlds, will receive the BBBank Award along with €15,000 in prize money each to realize their ideas as shows for the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe 2026. The projections will be shown nightly on the façade of Karlsruhe Palace from August 13 to September 13, 2026.