Karlsruhe UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts
In 2019, Karlsruhe was awarded the title of Creative City of Media Arts by UNESCO, the first and so far only city in Germany to receive this distinction, and was accepted into the international UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
Against this backdrop, the city of Karlsruhe, as an internationally networked UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts, promotes media art projects and artists and enables the presentation of contemporary digital, interactive and virtual media art in urban public spaces.
In addition to the world-renowned ZKM I Karlsruhe, cultural events such as the annual Media art is here exhibition in public spaces and the SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE open-air light art festival strengthen the connections between art, science, technology and society and attract a wide national and international audience every year.
The UNESCO title not only makes the city's creative potential visible. Cooperation at an international level also promotes the cultural and socio-economic development of the city.
UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts at art karlsruhe
Since 2022, the UNESCO City of Media Arts has been presenting itself at art karlsruhe with impressive installations that showcase a diverse spectrum of artistic creation in Karlsruhe and beyond. From light art to large-format video works and interactive video and augmented reality installations, the works on display reflect the diverse possibilities of media art and build bridges between art, science and technology.
Kunstrauschen
Every year as part of art karlsruhe, the UNESCO City of Media Arts Karlsruhe and the City of Karlsruhe's Cultural Office organise Kunstrauschen – the Long Night of Project Spaces. Numerous off-spaces and project spaces in Karlsruhe open their doors and offer insights into the diversity of contemporary art. Kunstrauschen guides visitors free of charge through a lively art scene that offers vibrant creativity far away from established institutions and forms a mosaic of painting, sculpture, installation, performance and media art.
Open Call
Since 2024, the works presented have been selected through a public call for entries: the UNESCO City of Media Arts office invites artists and groups to submit project proposals for a media art work to be displayed centrally in the exhibition space during art karlsruhe. Each edition is dedicated to a new thematic focus, such as questions about the sustainable design of our future (The Future is Today) or the role of architecture in interaction with media art and digital technologies (The Shape of Tomorrow). In the future, changing thematic areas will continue to provide impetus for artistic reflection on current social, technological and cultural issues.