ZKM Center for Arts and Media - Karlsruhe, Germany

Art Galleries and museums can often be rather repetitive and once you have been to one you often feel you have seen it all, but what if we told you in the heart of Karlsruhe there was an art gallery and museum like no other you have seen before? A cool place where silence is unheard of and touching items is actually encouraged? Located on Lorenzstraße 19 is the Center for Arts and Media ZKM, this arts center is one of the first of its kind as it contains exhibits that are interactive, yes that is right interactive! Gone are the days when standard canvas paintings and clay sculptures line the floors and walls, instead video games, movies and internet applications can be found inside, which we are sure you will agree is a pretty cool new concept and not boring at all.
The center is split into three sections, the first is the Media Museum, the second The Museum of Contemporary Art and the third is for Special Exhibitions. Individual tickets need to be purchased to enter each section and these cost a reasonable 5 Euros each, however you can save money if you want to visit more than one museum by getting a combination ticket which allows you to enter the two museums for 8 Euros or you can buy a combination ticket for all 3 museums for 13 Euros. If you are going with a group of friends a handy tip is to check the website for discounted rates as booking a group ticket works out even cheaper leaving plenty of change to relax in the center's bar area with a nice cold beer or glass of wine.
Here is an overview of what you can expect in each section of the ZKM:
Museum of Contemporary Art
This museum is located within the main building, when you arrive go inside look out for signs for Atira 1 and 2 as this is where the contemporary art section is based. This ground floor museum features many exhibitions many of which change on a frequent basis so whilst you are exploring be sure to pick up a schedule from the information desk of upcoming exhibits. The aim of this specific museum is to show both classic and contemporary art that reflects the changes in media development. To give you an idea of what you may see here past exhibitions include 'Light Art from Artificial Light' this was a really awesome exhibition and set the tone and unique reputation of the museum. The exhibition featured sculptures made from many lights such as fluorescent tubes which were then put together in weird and wonderful shapes. The museum's main lights on this floor were turned off so the sculptures could really shine and light the ground floor. Other exhibits have been just as impressive such as 'Imagination Becomes Reality' this exhibition featured several unique art works such as paintings on aluminum, video projections and DVDs.
Media Museum
This museum is really special as it is the world's first museum that features 100% interactive art. For those unsure of what interactive arts actually means it is basically art that is portrayed through alternative methods to the standard canvas paintings, instead art is shown in video games, slide shows, videos and much more. There is no need to worry in this museum about touching things and making noise as there often is in a standard museum, as interaction is thoroughly encouraged. For example, when you climb the stairs to the first floor you will notice an array of bubbles, the closer your hand gets to the bubbles the smaller they get and eventually they will pop and gradually re-appear.
Special Exhibitions
Special Exhibitions are situated on the ground floor of the center and are exciting as they are based around media and new technology, for instance starting in August 2010 is the Robert Wilson Exhibition which features video portraits of important and well known personalities such as Helene Rochas. Again these exhibitions change frequently so be sure to check the schedule on the ZKM website for upcoming events. Facilities within the center are excellent and any ticket, whether for one museum entry or all three allows access to these so there no need to worry about having to pay extra to explore these areas.
Facilities
These facilities include the Museum Gift shop where modern, unique and funky gifts and gadgets can be purchased. If you get hungry, require refreshments or simply want to relax then there is even a restaurant on-site named Zet KaeM, it is bright and fresh and sits up to 200 people. Prices are reasonable whether you just fancy a quick coffee, lunch at the weekend with friends or even a fine dining meal in the evening.
Getting There
Getting to the ZKM is easy too as it is located pretty centrally. If you use public transport there are several tram stations nearby, with the closet being ZKM and Lessingstaße both of which connect to many towns nearby. If however you are driving the ZKM is nearby major roads such as Kriegsstraße and Brauerstraße and is clearly signposted. Once you arrive there are plenty of spaces to park your car whilst you enjoy your day at ZKM.
Additional Information
Address: Lorenzstraße 19, 76135 Karlsruhe
Telephone: 072181000
Website: http://www.zkm.de/
Price: 5 Euro per museum entry, 8 Euro for access to 2 museums and 13 Euro for all access
Opening Times: Monday to Tuesday closed, Wednesday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Weekends 11am to 6pm
Currency Accepted: Euro
English Spoken: Yes
Audience: All including children

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