LETS GET DIGITAL
Closed museums, postponed exhibitions, artists in isolation. During the corona crisis, Düsseldorf's art businesses upgraded digitally and took art online – and vice versa. Moving towards the future.
Closed museums, postponed exhibitions, artists in isolation. During the corona crisis, Düsseldorf's art businesses upgraded digitally and took art online – and vice versa. Moving towards the future.
With just one click you can step into a museum. View art historical masterpieces from the comfort of your own sofa on a virtual tour. The corona pandemic has accelerated the development of digital formats in almost all cultural institutions. Museums are experimenting with digital collections, immersive experiences and virtual backgrounds. And they are using digital tools to guide visitors optimally on site.
“Our focus is still on exhibitions in analogue space, but we are in the process of expanding these spaces more and more into the digital realm.”
The Düsseldorf Kunstpalast was one of the first museums in Germany to be listed on Google Arts & Culture, a platform on which over 2,000 museums worldwide present their works online, even before the corona crisis. Digitalisation also plays an increasing role in the artistic works themselves. The NRW Forum, headed by Alain Bieber, collaborates particularly extensively with digital art forms. The experimental digital pioneer among Düsseldorf’s curators shows VR works through virtual reality glasses, room-sized AR works and video art as online screening or video projection. “Our focus is still on exhibitions in analogue space, but we are in the process of expanding these spaces more and more into the digital realm,” explains the managing director and artistic director. For the future, Bieber intends to increasingly focus on hybrid event formats consisting of local on-site events and worldwide live streaming. He and his team also like to experiment in terms of delivery: from live workshops via video conferencing to artist talks on Instagram and online art on their own website. Of particular note is that NRW Forum has just launched its own platform, www.nextmuseum.io, where artists, curators and interested parties can work together to design a museum of the future. Bieber himself curates upcoming exhibition projects such as ‘Willkommen im Paradies’ (‘Welcome to Paradise’), for which almost 400 suggestions have been collected. “With this platform, we are also researching new technological possibilities in the exhibition business, e.g. an AI curator or digital exhibition signs,” explains Bieber, and is also presenting the next innovative project already: a cultural laboratory for artificial intelligence. In autumn 2021, contemporary artists will create new augmented reality art works for Düsseldorf as part of the world’s first digital sculpture biennale.
The NRW Forum engages intensively with digital art, AI and new technologies. In “One of them is a Human”, the Finnish artist Majia Tammi photographed three robots and one human. It’s part of the exhibition “Cute”.
The more traditional Kunstsammlung NRW with its museums K20 and K21 also observes the increasing interweaving of artistic production and the latest technical and experimental possibilities. “Artists such as Hito Steyerl and Simon Denny, whose exhibitions will be on display at K21 from September 2020, use digital media for art production and as well as for audience involvement,” explains Anne Fischer, Head of Marketing and Digital at the Kunstsammlung NRW. Simon Denny, for example, has transferred his exhibition - parallel to the real museum space - to the gaming platform ‘Minecraft’. Hito Steyerl’s works are partly based on augmented reality components, which expand the exhibition visit aesthetically and in terms of content via iPad or mobile phone. Preparation and follow-up of the museum visit is also increasingly taking place on digital channels. Both, demand and expectations for online content are rising. The Kunstsammlung responds to this with expanded online formats such as exhibition tours or artist talks. “We are increasingly striving to produce more complex formats that give users deeper insights into the content,” says Fischer. These include moving image series for Instagram as well as podcast series. The presentation of the collection online and app-based visitor guidance on site will be upgraded to the latest standard of technology.
“WE ARE INSPIRED BY THE STRAIGHTFORWARD PROCESSES OF STREAMING SERVICES.”
“Art Düsseldorf”: In the future, this new art fair will present its program and exhibited works on an especially developed digital platform.
Galleries and art fairs are also conquering digital space. Art Düsseldorf has created its own platform to redefine the presentation of art and the sales process in the digital world. “Here we are rather more inspired by the straightforward processes of streaming services than by the digital showrooms or 3D solutions that have existed up to now,” explains managing director Walter Gehlen. His prognosis: Digital platforms will open up showrooms and, in reverse, fairs and galleries will increasingly expand their content online. In addition, the share of digitally sold art will continue to rise. During the lockdown, several digital initiatives helped artists in need, such as the Instagram livestream exhibition Empty Space by the Düsseldorf creative community Weird Space. The collective auctioned over 140 artworks and divided all proceeds equally among artists. Donations and visibility for the art were also raised by the Rosy DX digital studio. On the especially created online platform ‘Art Will Save Us’, the collective organised 23 performances in April with contemporary artists from all over the world. One of the founders of Rosy DX: Alain Bieber. •
artwillsaveus.club
www.nextmuseum.io
www.nrw-forum.de
www.art-dus.de
www.kunstsammlung.de
artsandculture.google.com
WHAT’S NEXT ALAIN BIEBER?
Three questions for the artistic director of NRW-Forum Düsseldorf
How will the experience of recent months and the digital development shift the way art is viewed?
I think that many people have noticed that enjoyment of art also works well outside traditional, analogue cultural institutions. That also helps the online art scene, for example. And, of course, the digital changes are not only shifting reception, but also art itself. After all, art often addresses precisely this digital development. This disruption was also a real shock - but I am convinced that this will lead to great new works of art again.
How often do visitors use the digital offerings?
Our digital formats were all immediately fully booked during lockdown. Once again, we were able to reach completely new target groups. But of course, you also notice that the digital competition and the expectations of the visitors have increased. They are looking for really good quality formats. Museums are suddenly competing with players like Netflix, YouTube and TikTok.
What does the Museum of the Future look like?
Transparent, diverse, open, tailor-made, international, experimental, surprising, inspiring, entertaining, digital, educational, barrier-free, courageous - just the way good museums look like today. And of course, the latest digital technologies will play an even greater role, such as algorithms in visitor research or machine learning in the preparation of digital collections. •
Words: Karolina Landowski
Pictures: PR
MERCEDES-BENZ MADE IN DÜSSELDORF
Mercedes-Benz has been making vans at the Sprinter-Factory for almost 60 years. It is Mercedes-Benz AG’s largest van producing plant worldwide – more than 4.7 million vehicles have been manufactured here to date. Now the corporation is entering a new era with the eSprinter – and thereby showing true commitment to Düsseldorf as its industrial location.
Mercedes-Benz has been making vans at the Sprinter-Factory for almost 60 years. It is Mercedes-Benz AG’s largest van producing plant worldwide – more than 4.7 million vehicles have been manufactured here to date. Now the corporation is entering a new era with the eSprinter – and thereby showing true commitment to Düsseldorf as its industrial location.
On the 1st of April 1962, more than 58 years ago, the first Mercedes Sprinter L319 rolled off the production line in Düsseldorf. A lot has happened since then. In order to reduce transport energy, major changes are in full swing. Particularly the car industry is faced with big challenges. Mercedes is meeting these with the electric version of one of its best-selling models; the automobile group commenced series production of the Mercedes eSprinter last December, which is not only another move towards the future by the factory, but also for the manufacturer as a whole.
Mercedes-Benz is convinced that electric drive systems are the ‘key technology for the transport of the future.’ The decision to base the manufacture of the eSprinter at the plant in Düsseldorf was fully intentional. The car manufacturer produces all driving system models of the Sprinter in one plant and one production line, which enables it to respond to customers’ wishes and requirements in a flexible manner. “We have modernised the plant extensively in order to integrate the eSprinter production. We have converted the site within one year and invested millions of Euros – clearly showing our commitment to this manufacturing location,” explains Dr Armin Willy, head of the Mercedes-Benz plant Düsseldorf.
In order to be able to build all the Sprinter's drive systems at one plant and on one production line, Mercedes-Benz has extensively modernized the Sprinter plant and invested several million euros.
“WE HAVE MODERNISED THE PLANT EXTENSIVELY IN ORDER TO INTEGRATE THE E-SPRINTER PRODUCTION.”
Mercedes-Benz regards its commitment to sustainability as one of the key elements of the corporation’s business strategy. This includes the increase of e-vehicles in the product portfolio, the reduction of manufacturing waste and for all plants to be changed to green energy as soon as possible.
E-powered transport is not only an important consideration for corporations, but for society in general. eSprinters are aimed to contribute to a reduction in Co2 emissions in cities by meeting a large range of urban transport needs. Mercedes-Benz sees potential customers in areas like trade, the building industry, passenger transport and of course courier services. E-powered vans are especially well suited to the transport requirements in an urban environment where shorter journeys and particularly those that can be planned ahead require less range.
The shorter range of electric cars is a big issue in the e-car manufacturing industry; according to a study by the DLR (German Centre for Aviation and Space), it is one of the main reasons potential first-time e-drivers choose an automobile with a combustion engine after all. The thought that one might run out of electricity during a journey with no charging station in the vicinity usually weighs against the decision for an electric car. Yet the actual number of charging stations is looking good; more than 12,000 have been registered with the German Federal Network Agency. But the fact remains that electric cars run out of power quicker than petrol or diesel cars with a full tank - and this looks unlikely to change in the near future.
Dr. Armin Willy, Head of the Mercedes-Benz Plant and responsible for the site.
Before you buy a car or van, it makes sense to have a good think about how many miles you really do per day – fact is, that it is often less than you would assume.Mercedes-Benz offers comprehensive advice on which of the two battery packs is the most suitable for each customer’s individual requirements. The eSprinter is available with either a battery capacity totalling 35 kWh with a maximum payload of 1.045 kg – or a battery pack with a total capacity of 47 kWh with a maximum payload of 891 kg. It has a range of 120 km to 168 km.
The transition to electric powered engines will affect demands on workers and their skills within the corporation. Even though the value chain of the manufacturing of electric vans entails less production stages, no professions will disappear for the time being. But tasks and employment profiles will change and shift. To this end, the new technologies also offer new fields of activity, in particular in the areas of development and research.
Mercedes has initiated comprehensive training programmes some time ago in order to prepare its staff for the impending change. The Düsseldorf Sprinter plant has already trained more than 2,300 employees in the use and assembly of high-voltage drive technologies, and more training is planned. For the Daimler AG, the electric car segment is a promising part of the business portfolio. “The changeover of our products and manufacturing processes is essential for us as a car manufacturer. By doing this we have strengthened our plants and by investing into our business we are creating the basis for continuing success, even in economically challenging times,” assures Dr Armin Willy.
“The first half of 2020 was also marked by the COVID 19 pandemic at our Mercedes-Benz plant in Düsseldorf and it had a major impact on our production. Thanks to a comprehensive safety concept, which we drew up together with the works council and occupational safety department, we were able to restart production quickly and safely. We are confident that in the coming weeks and months we will be able to supply customers with our Sprinters and eSprinters from Düsseldorf in the required quantities, quality and flexibility. I would like to thank the team for their flexibility, commitment and responsibility in what is a difficult time for everyone”.•
Mercedes-Benz Werk Düsseldorf
Rather Str. 5
40468 Düsseldorf
Germany
FACTS AND FIGURES
• The Sprinter plant in Düsseldorf is the largest van plant of Daimler AG worldwide with around 6.600 Employees
• 4,7 million vehicles have been produced here. That equals 700 vehicles per working day.
Words: Katja Vaders
Pictures: PR