eCulture CONVENTION 2026
THE CONVENTION IS A PLATFORM FOR EXPERTS FROM THE CULTURE AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES TO DISCUSS NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN ART, CULTURE AND ECONOMY
Format
Panels with multidisciplinary experts and stakeholder to introduce strategic concepts and mission for the current Research and Innovation ecosystem and the overall society – 45 min.
Register
Registration for the eCulture Convention is mandatory.
Date
18-22 may, 2026
Location
HLRS | Stuttgart
This professional event promotes debate, discussion and reflection on the challenges and opportunities in the confluence of art, science, technology and society as a key driver to face and envision the future. Leading international figures from disciplines such as science, artificial intelligence, creative economy, quantum computing, the humanities and art will participate in the event, proposing meeting points between disciplines.
FORMATS
Panels with multidisciplinary experts and stakeholder to introduce strategic concepts and mission for the current Research and Innovation ecosystem and the overall society – 45 min.
Interactive and participatory Messy Studios – format with tables and one moderator, continue the discussion about the topic, create momentum, connections and take decisions between people and organisations about the role of multidisciplinary art, science, technology and society R+D+I ecosystems, in shaping the future of Europe.
PROGRAMME
Welcome to theGATE
15:00 – Doors Open
16:00 – Welcome Speeches
Moderated by Andrea Seehusen, IAM Art Advisor
Prof. Dr. Michael Resch, Director HLRS
Matthias Hauser, Head of the Department Culture & Creative Industries HLRS, CCO MSC
16:15 – Keynote: „The Universe is Computing“
Prof. Dr. Michael Resch, Director HLRS
16:45 – Keynote: „HPC and AI Factory HammerHAI“
Dr. Ing. Bastian Koller, CEO HLRS
17:15 – Keynote: “Quantum phenomena/Art and Quantum”
Prof. Dr. Tommaso Calarco, Director, Institute for Quantum Control PGI-8
18:00 – 21:00
Optional: Guided tour of the Supercomputing Room + Immersive CAVE System
19:00 – Dance Lab
The Stuttgart Ballet’s Dance Lab Choreographed by Carlos Strasser
Shaping the digital humanities: Computational cultures in transition
10:00 – Keynote: “Threads & Rifts – Making Sense of Computational Culture”
Peter Friess, Senior official of the European Commission at DG CONNECT and the STARTS
11:00 – Messy Studio: “Threads & Rifts: Making Sense of Computational Culture”
Moderated by Peter Friess, with input from:
- Michael Resch, HLRS
- Alistair Hudson, ZKM Karlsruhe
- Fco. Javier Iglesias Garcia, Fundacion Epica La Fura Dels Baus
- Alexander Mankowsky
- Denise Lanzieri, Sony CSL
12:30 – Lunch
14:00 – 14:45 – Keynote:“Art and Algorithm: Research Summary (2021–2024)“
Marcos Cuzziol, University São Paulo
14:45- 15:45 – Panel:“AI or IC? Artificial intelligence or intelligent culture? Exploring the significance and interconnections of digital and cultural sovereignty“
- Sven Meyer, State Theatre Stuttgart
- Matthias Pfeffer, Council for European Public Space
- Markus Korselt, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra
16:00 – 16:30 – Keynote:“Theatre in Public Spaces“
Lokstoff Stuttgart Theatre Group in Public Spaces
16:30 – 17:15 – Panel: “Performance Art & Technology & Research and Society”
Moderated by: Sven Meyer, State Theatre Stuttgart. Panelists:
- Mauricio Valdés, PiNA / HEKA Lab
- Alessandro Londei, Sony CSL
- Fco. Javier Iglesias Garcia, Fundacion Epica La Fura Dels Baus
17:15 – Keynote:“Stuttgart Moving Image Center“
Lars Henrik Gass, SMIC (f.k.a. House of Film & Media)
18:00 – 21:00
AR2B – ARTISTIC RESEARCH TO BUSINESS
AR2B – Artistic Research to Business aims to bridge the gap between artistic inquiry and real-world innovation – turning research-driven creativity into future business applications. By connecting artists, researchers, creative intermediaries, and AI pioneers across Europe, AR2B invites innovation leaders to experience how artistic research can create social and economic value and to discover how artistic intelligence is reshaping the future of AI infrastructure – in showcases, high-level panels, and hands-on exchange.
More info (PDF)
10:00 – Impulse & Exchange: “Meet the EIT Culture & Creativity”
- Anette Schäfer (CEO, EIT Culture & Creativity)
- Alexander Diesenreiter (Business Development Manager, EIT Culture & Creativity)
- Rolf Hughes (Education Director, EIT Culture & Creativity)
11:30 – Panel: “Building the Ground for AR2B: Creative Innovation Alliances with MSC – Media Solution Center and ICE Germany – Innovation by Creative Economy” (DE)
Moderated by Anna Christmann (SAI Europe)
- Andreas Wierse, MSC/ SICOS
- Egbert Rühl, ICE/ Kreativgesellschaft Hamburg
- Jens Krzywinski, ICE/ TU Dresden
- Lina Longhitano, MSC/ HLRS
- Michael Zyder, NXTGN
12:30 – Lunch
14:00 – Panel: “Advantage Europe: How Artistic Research Shapes Next-Gen AI Infrastructure”
Moderated by: Claudia Jericho (MSC) & Rolf Hughes (Education Director, EIT Culture & Creativity)
- Ali Hossaini, King’s College London / IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Anette Schäfer, EIT Culture & Creativity
- David Crombie, University of the Arts Utrecht
- Michael Schwab, SAR – Society for Artistic Research / JAR – Journal for Artistic Research
- Soenke Zehle, xm:lab / K8 Institut für strategische Ästhetik / Deutsches Forschungszentrum für KI
15:45 – Keynote: “How Ars Electronica drives AR2B”
Veronika Liebl, Ars Electronica
16:15 – Presentations & Exchange: “From AR to AI: Artistic Intelligence in Practice”
Moderated by: Rolf Hughes (Education Director, EIT Culture & Creativity) & Claudia Jericho (MSC)
- Franco Ripa di Meana, Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma
- Gwendolin Kremer, TUD Dresden University of Technology
- Johanna Bruckner, Lucerne University of Design, Film & Art / University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg
- Matthias Stroezel, SSC Services GmbH
18:00 – 21:00
theGATE Festival Exhibition
When the Invisible Speaks: Art, Science & the Frontiers of the Real
Reality is microscopic. Human perception is not. In aproaching this central tension posed by quantum physics we should not (always) trust common sense. The panel will explore how art, science, and technology can approach this tension.
10:00 – Setting the Stage:
Ralph Dum, How can physics inspire art? How can art inspire physics?
The Lab as Studio — The Studio as Lab: How do you visualise phenomena that are, by definition, impossible to see — phenomena that contradict our very understanding of the world?
- Eveline Domnitch, Dmitry Gelfand, and Robert Loew present works — among them Camera Lucida and Force Field — that don’t simply lllustrate physics, but make it a sensory experience. They show how the interior life of a laboratory can become an artistic atelier.
- Karl Jansen follows with a scientist’s perspective on the deep links between research and artistic practice at DESY, one of Europe’s leading particle physics centres.
- Institutional perspectives 1
- Giulia Bini is sharing how CERN is actively embedding artistic practice into hard science environments.
11:15 – Break
11:30 – Institutional perspectives 2
- Bettina Kames (LAS Foundation) presents how quantum phenomena have become a central theme in LAS installations over the past years.
- Martin Rauchbauer (Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) introduces a pioneering ministry initiative ‘creative entanglement’ connecting artistic residencies with quantum research.
Panel : All speakers join a closing panel moderated by Ralph Dum How can art and science engage in genuine dialogue — and to what end? What type of instruments are best suited to move such a dialogue forward?
12:30 – Lunch
14:00 – Panel: “Technological and political sovereignty”
Moderated by Prof. Dr. Andreas Kaminski
- Prof. Dr. Marcus Düwell, TU Darmstadt
- Pam Dixon, World Privacy Forum
- Srđan Prodanović, Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory
- Zeljko Radinkovic, Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory
16:00 – “AI – African Intelligence”
- Welcome & Diagnostic
- Ralph Dum
- The Artistic POV
- Hadassa Ngamba, Artist
- Dr. Uwe Wössner, HLRS
- The Philosophical & Technical POV
- Vittorio Loreto, Sony CSL
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Kaminski, TU Darmstadt
- The Politics of Access: Towards Digital Sovereignty
- Darius Bamwene Solo, Université Joseph Kasa-Vubu, Boma, DRC
- Martin Rauchbauer, Austrian Foreign Ministry
18:00 – 21:00
Including a special performance: “African Intelligence” by Hadassa Ngamba
theGATE 2027-2028
theGATE 2027 – ALL IN
In conversation with Matthias Hauser, Michael Resch and Bastian Koller
theGATE Festival Exhibition