Writing the History of the Future: ZKM's Two-Part Exhibition on Art and Technology

The ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und Medien) in Karlsruhe, Germany, launched a two-part exhibition titled Writing the History of the Future. The ZKM Collection, coinciding with its 30th anniversary. Founded in 1989 and directed by Peter Weibel, the museum is one of the few globally dedicated to art and technology. Its permanent collection of about 8,000 works is fully cataloged online. The first section, opened in February 2019, focuses on participatory art processes, early digitalization, experimental literature, visual poetry, Op Art, and early computer art. The second section, newly inaugurated, covers video art history, recent new media art, holograms, and sound art. The exhibition features around 500 works across over 6,000 square meters and runs until March 2021. A rich program of events, workshops, and seminars complements the project, emphasizing its educational and research nature. The show traces the history of art and technology from photography's invention, which revolutionized imagery, through cinema, television, computers, and the internet, highlighting how each technology transformed society and identity, often anticipated by artists.