The winning project will be presented as part of Media art is here and the Schlosslichtspiele
Overlapping Studio impressed the jury with its innovative project Particles Ensemble and beat numerous competitors to win the first dm-award connecting worlds. The award, which comes with a prize money of 10,000 euros, recognises outstanding achievements in connecting digital and analogue spaces. The project can be experienced from August 15 to September 15 at Karlsruhe Palace, at the tourist information on the market square and at the ZKM.
What was being sought?
Since 2015, the Schlosslichtspiele have been attracting artists who are breaking new ground in the field of projection mapping. We were looking for creative solutions that combine the digital space on the palace façade with the analogue space in front of the palace towards the city centre. The winning project was to take place outdoors, be open to the public and be shown during the Schlosslichtspiele Light Festival 2024.
The winning project
The selected project, Particles Ensemble, is an interactive media installation that attracts the audience through soundscapes and uses infrared sensors to project the movements of the audience into abstract visuals on the castle façade. The intensity of the projected images corresponds to the activity of the audience, creating a dynamic fusion of digital and analogue spaces.
‘What can we create if we stay united? What really unites people? What connects worlds?’ These questions are at the heart of the concept of Particles Ensemble, which emphasises the synergy between music, human warmth and new interactive technologies to create a unique experience.
Dr Dominika Szope, Head of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Karlsruhe and chair of the jury, describes the winning project:
“The project ‘Particles Ensemble’ demonstrates in an impressive way how the intersection of art and technology has the power to inspire communities and create sustainable, collective experiences. This innovative synergy opens up new horizons for interactive art and urban togetherness.“
Christoph Werner, CEO of dm-drogerie markt, explains why dm sees the award as a signal to society:
“The basic idea of ‘connecting worlds’, linking the digital world projected onto the palace façade with the real world, the urban space, addresses the issue of integrating worlds in the service of people. At dm, we are also addressing this issue by combining the real world of the dm stores with the digital world of our dm app and our online shop in such a way that shopping fits better into customers’ lives.“
Media art in the urban area
In addition to the realisation on the palace façade and the palace forecourt, there will be two so-called satellites of this project in the city area, which will enable people to experience Particles Ensemble during the day – independently of the projection mappings. The two ‘totems’ will be set up at the tourist information on the market place and at the ZKM | Centre for Art and Media for the entire duration of the Schlosslichtspiele. In this way, passers-by will be able to interact with each other in a direct and decentralised way similar to the way they do on the palace façade. These stations complement the media artworks that will be shown around the city at the same time as part of Media art is here.
‘Both the main projection and the satellite totems work to produce an immersive, day-and-night experience where an audience actively shapes the artwork, connecting the social and urban fabric of Karlsruhe and beyond.’ – Simone Serlenga, Overlapping Studio
The award
The dm-award connecting worlds is endowed with 10,000 euros in prize money. The production is subsidised with up to 20,000 euros. The awarding partner of the city of Karlsruhe is dm-drogerie markt in cooperation with the UNESCO City of Media Arts office, the ZKM | Zentrum für Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe and KME Karlsruhe Marketing und Event GmbH as the organiser of the Schlosslichtspiele Light Festival. dm has been supporting social, ecological and artistic initiatives throughout Germany for many years. At the company headquarters in Karlsruhe, dm has been a co-operation partner of the city of Karlsruhe at DAS FEST for two decades and supports the city’s own trade fair and congress company to establish attractive events and trade fairs in Karlsruhe
Overlapping Studio
Overlapping Studio, which is currently involved in the exhibition (AI) tell you – you tell me at the ZKM, has established itself as a pioneer in media scenography and large-scale projections. Particles Ensemble is another example of his innovative work. The installation embodies the vision of the dm-award connecting worlds by combining digital and analogue spaces and creating an immersive experience that actively involves the audience.
UNESCO City of Media Arts
In 2019, Karlsruhe became the first and so far only city in Germany to be awarded the title ‘Creative City of Media Arts’ by UNESCO and to be included in the international UNESCO Creative Cities network. In Karlsruhe, a network of over 40 organisations from the arts, culture, science, creative industries, the digital scene, municipal companies and departments have committed themselves to building a sustainable urban society with a special focus on creativity and culture.
