From Thursday, August 13, to Sunday, September 13, 2026, the city of Karlsruhe once again transforms into a stage for contemporary media art: the UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts Karlsruhe presents the exhibition Media art is here, stretching from the Marktplatz across the Alter Flugplatz to the Alb river. The exhibition runs parallel to the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Light Festival.
Fifteen international and local artistic positions reveal new connections between urban space, nature, and social togetherness. Using digital technologies and tools, abstract phenomena are made tangible – the works engage with ecological challenges, trace historical military remnants, and draw attention to moments that easily go unnoticed in the hustle and bustle of city life.
“Media art is here makes visible what defines the UNESCO Creative Cities Network: the lively exchange between creative minds worldwide. Positions from other Creative Cities meet local contributions here in Karlsruhe, making tangible in the midst of our city’s everyday life what often remains abstract elsewhere. International cultural exchange you can touch, right on your own doorstep,” says Karlsruhe’s Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Mentrup.
Complementing the exhibition, free guided bike tours will once again be offered, providing deeper insight into the background as well as the technical and artistic approaches behind the works.
New in 2026 is the Media Art Lunch Break, a 45-minute program. All registration information can be found here.
Participating artists: Antoine Bertin, Tom Biddulph, Vera Gärtner, IRIS-A-MAZ, Desiree Kabis and Eveline Vervliet, Isabelle Konrad, Lehel Lajos and Daniela Vargas, Yulia Mashkova and Grisha Mumrikov, Isabel Motz, Nis Petersen and Josefine Pilar Scheu, SangDoo Nam, Norina Quinte and Andreas Hölldorfer (ato) with VOLNA, Lucile Schwörer-Merz, Karolina Sobel, Natia Chikvaidze and Davit Khorbaladze, Kento Tomiyoshi and Nikolaus Völzow.