On December 7, 2024, 6 p.m., an exhibition with five artistic perspectives on artificial photosynthesis opens at Kunstverein Ulm. Plants, algae and certain bacteria generate their vital energy on the surface, from light, water and carbon dioxide. In doing so, they release oxygen - which is what made our planet habitable for us in the first place. We as humans consume a lot of fossil energy and urgently need new ways to produce energy from sun, water and wind. At three German and one Austrian university, the Collaborative Research Center CataLight is working on a technology mimicking photosynthesis to produce hydrogen instead of sugar as an energy carrier. Artists from Berlin, Dresden, Vienna and Boulder (US) have collaborated with scientists from CataLight. Their artworks focus on dyes that, similarly to the molecule »chlorophyll«, capture light and make it usable. And they explore our relationships with the creatures that feed themselves through photosynthesis. The exhibition is situated at the intersection of the natural and the synthetic and features material studies, gaming approaches, 3D techniques and handmade pieces. It also incorporates the results of three workshops with youths and children in Ulm. A place within the historical exhibition space offers materials for a personal, experimental exploration of the themes.

The exhibition is open until January 26, 2025.
Opening hours and vernissage program at: www.kunstverein-ulm.de, www.kuenstlerische-tatsachen.de