From June 7th, 2026 to January 31st, 2027 in the exhibition building: "A Step Ahead / Einen Schritt voraus"

To mark the 125th anniversary of the first exhibition by the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony at Mathildenhöhe, the Institut Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt is exploring, through the exhibition “A Step Ahead / Einen Schritt voraus”, how design, architecture and art shape social developments: then as now.

Four visionary building exhibitions between 1901 and 1914 gave Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt its current appearance and led to its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The historic artists’ colony always understood design as a holistic concept for improving everyday life. This progressive approach continues to have an impact to this day and forms the starting point of the exhibition.

In four thematically organised halls, “A Step Ahead / Einen Schritt voraus” examines the four historic building exhibitions of 1901, 1904, 1908 and 1914. Original works of applied and fine art enter into a dialogue with contemporary international perspectives from the worlds of design and art. Each hall serves as a space for reflection on central themes such as visions of the world, community and individuality, identity and social issues, as well as introspection and new beginnings.

Historical design approaches from the artists’ colony are linked to contemporary issues: new methods of production, innovative materials, participatory processes and the use of artificial intelligence open up perspectives on future living environments. Walk-through installations, interactive architectural features and evolving exhibition structures invite the public to become part of this exploration themselves.

There is a particular focus on exhibition architecture: using contemporary AI technologies, the first and last historical building exhibitions are reconstructed in a colourful 3D visualisation and integrated into the exhibition on a large scale. In this way, Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt can once again be experienced as a venue for experimental spatial art.