Digital Art Mediation in Beuys Exhibition
How can historical and artistic themes be communicated in a contemporary and digital way? This question was explored by students from the Faculty of Communication and Environment at HSRW as part of a collaborative project with Museum Schloss Moyland. The results of this partnership will be featured in the exhibition "Joseph Beuys and National Socialism – A Laboratory," which will open on March 30, 2025.
The project is part of the "Research Volunteering in Art Museums NRW" initiative, funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, and focuses on the biography of artist Joseph Beuys (1921–1986). It examines his involvement with National Socialism, his time as a soldier during the Second World War, and his later stance on National Socialist ideology.
Rhein-Waal University supported the concept and development with its expertise in digital mediation.As part of an interdisciplinary Summer School in June 2024, students from the Media Communication and Computer Science, Information and Communication Design, as well as Design and Interaction programmes alongside students from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and museum staff, developed innovative digital concepts.
Under the guidance of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ido Iurgel, interactive formats such as a tablet app, a video kiosk, and a digital chat were developed, enhancing the exhibition's laboratory space and providing new ways for visitors to engage with the subject matter. Prof. Christian Stindl played an essential role in supporting the project, particularly in terms of exhibition and media design. Lukas Holländer, a Media Communication and Computer Science student, contributed significantly to the programming work.
In the "Laboratory Space", documents, interviews, literature, and artworks related to "Beuys and National Socialism" will be made accessible to the public. At its centre is his design for a memorial at the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp from 1957/58. Through the targeted use of digital media, visitors are invited to engage deeply with these aspects of his work and persona.
By participating in this project and in close collaboration with Museum Schloss Moyland and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, the Hochschule was able to demonstrate its expertise in the innovative mediation of historical and artistic content.
