With FACING NEW CHALLENGES, we explore the possibilities of the moving image beyond classic narrative cinema and focus on new tendencies along the border where film meets other media and art forms.
FACING NEW CHALLENGES
With "FACING NEW CHALLENGES," we explore the possibilities of moving images beyond traditional narrative cinema, focusing on emerging trends at the intersection of film and other media or art forms. Consequently, we venture into new spaces where film meets other artistic disciplines, presenting video art outside the confines of the cinema screen.
This year, the section features the exhibition *Solarceptors*, which will be on display at the Kunsthalle Mannheim from September 2 to November 22.
As part of the anniversary campaign "Imagine Futures!", the STUDIO at the Kunsthalle Mannheim—in collaboration with the 75th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg—presents the immersive exhibition *Solarceptors* by the artist duo Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits. As co-founders of RIXC, the Center for Art and Science in Riga, the duo creates work that operates at the intersection of art, science, and technology.
Inspired by Charles Darwin’s "abominable mystery"—his term for the sudden emergence and diversity of flowering plants, which is difficult to explain from an evolutionary perspective—*Solarceptors* explores how flowering plants perceive and respond to light. The exhibition invites visitors to view plants not as passive organisms, but as living bodies shaped by light, offering a new perspective on their world. Further details can be found here.
Opening: Sept 2
Duration: From Sept 2 - Nov 22
Location: Kunsthalle Mannheim, Friederichsplatz 4, 68165 Mannheim
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; first Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (MVV Art Evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.)
Admission: Free admission to the STUDIO
Website: www.kuma.art