From August 16, Karlsruhe Palace is once again illuminated in exciting projection mappings of international artists and collectives. SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe start their ninth season, accompanied by numerous media and light artworks throughout the city centre. Led by the motto “Hoffnungshorizonte. Dawn of Devices“, chosen by Peter Weibel, who died in march, seven new, colourful and spectacular shows are on view – alongside outstanding artworks from past years.
With the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE light festival, Karlsruhe as city of media art is once again in the global spotlight. Among others the winner of the 1st place of the BBBank-Award, The Fox, The Folks from Indonesia, expands the horizon of Kalrsruhe as UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts with their artwork „Bhinneka Express“. Cluster Kollektiv was awarded third place at the BBBank-Award with their show „For headlights crave hindsight too“. Their artwork poses the question of how a future can be designed in which people and algorithms share spaces. The attempt at an answer is given from the perspective of a self-driving car. Combining the aesthetics of LIDAR sensors, glitch art, and an electronic soundtrack this contribution reflects the beauty of error and malfunction.
In addition, six new shows can be seen on the façade of the palace. On the one hand, “80s Flash” by Maxin10sity pays tribute to the 80s, which fittingly complements the exhibition „The 80s – Back again!“ in the Badisches Landesmuseum, and on the other hand, artworks by other winners of the BBBank-Award are on display. In memory of Peter Weibel, his music video „Wir sind Daten” is adapted as large-scale projection by Nikolaus Völzow as an additonal show.
As a special event, cult classic band Kraftwerk performs on August 12 in their only concert in Germany, which they hold simultaneously in analogue and digital form, as a live concert and transmitted as projection mapping. Parts of the concert are then on view during the regular programme of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE.
“connecting worlds” for the 50th anniversary of dm
To mark the 50th anniversary of dm-drogerie markt, the international call for entries for the dm Award “connecting worlds” will be launched from 2024 as part of the UNESCO City of Media Arts and in the context of the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe. In cooperation with the city of Karlsruhe, dm makes the new format possible which expands the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE into the urban space in the coming years. The call for proposals formulates a format that decidedly combines digital space (projection mapping on the palace façade) with analogue space (palace forecourt). As prototype of the new format, Karlsruhe media artist Jonas Denzel was commissioned to extend his popular show “Hands-on” onto the palace court for SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE 2023. The show thus connects the projection on the façade with the palace court. For the first time the sculptures on the palace court, which represent gods and heroes, are incorporated. The lighting concept stretches from the façade (palace roof) across the palace court up to the walls at the Karl-Friedrich-Denkmal and encloses the audience. Jonas Denzel combines his projection mapping with the space and creates a new experience at SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Karlsruhe.
„As UNESCO City of Media Arts, Karlsruhe once again brings art into public spaces in an interactive way. Media art is here enables impressive encounters and lived accessibility of media art for all people, like the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE Light Festival taking place at the same time.”, promises Dominika Szope, head of department of cultural affairs of Karlsruhe.
Further information under www.schlosslichtspiele.info