Castle lights illuminate Karlsruhe: Science meets art in August!

Castle lights illuminate Karlsruhe: Science meets art in August!

The first evening event of the Schlosslichtspiele started in Karlsruhe on August 18, 2025. On this special evening, creative minds presented scientific topics that illuminate the impact of science on our physical and digital world. The event attracted numerous guests, including important personalities from the region and the scientific sector.

The participants in the opening event included Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President for Transfer and International Affairs at KIT, and Dr. Albert Käuflein, the mayor of Karlsruhe. Also Dominika Szope, the head of the cultural office, and Alistair Hudson, the scientific and artistic director of the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, were present. Professor Oliver Kraft, Vice President for Research, Teaching and Academic Affairs at KIT, completed the illustrious podium.

A festival full of light and science

The castle light shows, which take place every evening until September 14, 2025, are organized this year under the motto “The Shining Lights of Science”. This celebrates the 200th anniversary of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The baroque facade of Karlsruhe Palace becomes a canvas for impressive media art that captivates the audience. Artists from various disciplines present their projects, which are financed by various KIT centers, including research on energy, climate, health technologies and mobility systems.

An additional attraction is the introduction of the “Time³” summer school, which will take place from August 25th to September 7th. Installations, videos and performances will also be on display in the city center as part of the “Media Art is Here” exhibition.

Prizes and awards

A special highlight are the prizes that are awarded as part of the Schlosslichtspiele. The BBBank Award in the field of projection mapping is endowed with 15,000 euros for three winning projects. The first three places were won this year thanks to the outstanding work of:

• Ari Dykier aus Warschau mit „Reflexion in Technik“
• SKG+ aus Shenzhen mit „The Tao. The Flow of the Universe“
• V.P.M. aus Barcelona mit „λ (Waves of Matters)“

In addition, there is an audience prize of 5,000 euros, which will be awarded through live voting on the opening day. The art group Los Romeras will also present a special show called “Science for Impact,” which deals with KIT’s central research fields. From September 6th, a video mapping work will also be shown in collaboration with ruestungsschmie.de, accompanied by a soundtrack by the composer Anton Kossjanenko.

In addition, the artist Benjamin Jantzen will receive the dm “connecting worlds” award with 10,000 euros for his installation “le taxi pour l’avenir heureux”. The walk-in installation “Stellar Sanctuary” by Maxin10sity can be viewed in the Evangelical City Church.

Extensive accompanying program

The accompanying program of the Schlosslichtspiele includes several notable events. On September 1st, “OneVoice” will be held for Anti-War Day, which will include a live link to Ukraine. Sound art and projections will be presented on the evenings of September 8th and 9th. Finally, there will be a wine tasting on the Schlossplatz from September 12th to 14th.

This event is supported by the Friends of the Schlosslichtspiele Karlsruhe e.V., which was founded to promote and raise donations. The playing times on the days of the event are designed to attract the largest possible number of spectators. Performances begin August 14 at 9:15 p.m., followed by a series of adjustments throughout the month.

For more information and the full program, please visit the official Schlosslichtspiele website at www.schlosslichtspiele.info.

For further details about the event and its scientific background refer to KIT, City of Media Arts and Art portal BW to comprehensive information.