“Elektron”, Emma Cadwallader-Guild Frankfurt, 1895
The Ohio-born sculptress Emma Cadwallader-Guild (1843 – 1911), who had been working in Germany since 1887, was one of the few women who were successful as artists at the end of the 19th century. Her statue of Electron is based on the seated Mercury of Herculaneum, a classical Greek sculpture by Lysippos (340-300 BC). The messenger of the gods, Mercury, who operates a Morse key becomes an allegory of telegraphy as electron.
“The eavesdropper”, unknown artist Beelitz, 1960s
This bronze sculpture stood in the courtyard of the Beelitz radio reception centre, which was closed in 1991. The “overseas reception station” in Beelitz was built in 1928 to receive radio telegrams from the USA, South America and Southeast Asia. Distributed over the several-kilometre site More than 30 large antennas with heights of up to 75 metres Beelitz was therefore considered to be the German “ear to the world” . The sculpture of the eavesdropper adopts the idea of Beelitz as an “ear to the world”. It was created for a new building in the 1960s. Unfortunately, the artist is not documented.
“Hermes”, Willy Meller Cologne, 1929
This figure of the messenger god Hermes stood above the entrance portal of the parcel post office built between 1927 and 1929 in Stolkgasse, a 67-metre-long four-storey building in the centre of Cologne. When the building was demolished in 1984/85 to make way for a new building, the statue was salvaged by Ulrich Kleine-Rüschkamp of Deutsche Post Bauen GmbH, who donated it to the museum in 2021.
An argument A rapproachment
October 6th, 2023 until August 27th, 2024
“I don’t want to argue.” We have all heard or said this sentence at one time or another. But arguing is part of human communication. We encounter it every day: in the media, in political or social debates, in the family or in relationships. Arguing is important: it gives us the chance to understand each other, to exchange ideas and to get closer.
The exhibition “STREIT. Eine Annäherung“ opens with around 150 “controversial” objects, photographs, media and artistic positions. It shows not only from a historical, communicative and political perspective, but also from a personal one, which challenges arise in the dispute – and which solutions are possible.
Expotizer
Discover the contents of the exhibition on our Expotizer.
Follow us on a journey through the past, present and future of communication: on the basis of groundbreaking inventions, curious events and unusual fates, the permanent exhibition spans 2500 square metres from the cuneiform tablet to the data glasses.
44 thematic islands demonstrate the development on the basis of four central phenomena:
(c) Anselm Buder/ MSPT
ACCELERATION – Our everyday life is characterised by stress and time pressure. We want to experience more, accomplish more and feel more in the time we have. This intensification speeds us up further. Digitization and mobility are contributing to and shaping the history of communication. Time has become the world’s scarcest resource – how do we deal with this development?
(c) Anselm Buder/ MSPT
NETWORKING – Global networking began with shipping, railroads and telegraphy. Today, we network with people, information and things – mobile and in real time. The boundary to the digital world has become blurred. Does increased networking bring us closer together?
CONTROL – Almost everything is available online and smart devices enable access anytime, anywhere. Digitization offers limitless opportunities, but in the process we leave our mark: our data is becoming a sought-after commodity for companies and states. How can we take advantage of this digital world without giving up control of our personal data?
(c) Anselm Buder/ MSPT
PARTICIPATION – Newspapers, radio and television keep us informed about world events. Through the Internet and smartphones, we can now become an active part of digital communities: we share our opinions, experiences and news. Theoretically – because not everyone can or wants to participate. Global togetherness or digital exclusion?
There is no set itinerary. You can surf through the permanent exhibition in a similar way to the WWW and create your own personal links. At many interactive stations you can learn in a playful way, leave us your opinion, check your user behaviour or take away tips. In the art area, highlights of the collection and temporary exhibitions related to the phenomena of communication history await you
Art Spaces
Highlights of the art collection and temporary exhibitions
Within the art section, we show highlights of the collection and temporary exhibitions related to the phenomena of the history of communication.
Permanent exhibition in the art spaces
The Museum Foundation’s art collection includes works of art from the 17th to the 21st century: Sculptures, objects and multiples through to the present day, photographic art and media art. These include outstanding works by artists such as Carl Spitzweg, Max Ernst, Franz Radziwill, Salvador Dalí and Joseph Beuys.
A small selection of the art collection is on display at the Museum of Communication in the Art Spaces area. At present, they include the well-known ‘Aphrodisiac Telephone’ by Salvador Dalí, often referred to as the lobster telephone, a piece by Joseph Beuys, a piece by Christo, and a sculpture by Markus Lüpertz, which recently entered the collection as a donation from Deutsche Post AG, as well as a piece by the Austrian artist Brigitte Kowanz.
Brigitte Kowanz, Information-Transformation/Transformation-Information, light installation, 2000. The Austrian artist’s diptych encodes its message via Morse code, and when viewed, the information is encoded yet again, as the fluorescent light is constantly changing. The words and sentences that Kowanz writes and in turn transforms into a mysterious glow in her work are also about light.
Art in the museum
A permanent feature of the art presentation in Frankfurt House is also the work ‘Tribute’ by Jean-Luc Cornec. Originally created at a time when cables and tangled cords were as much a part of everyday telephony as dials, intercoms and earpieces, the curly wool of the sheep is quite simply art for younger viewers.
The media sculpture ‘Pre-Bell-Man’ is considered a symbol of the Frankfurt museum. The delicate work was extensively restored in 2019 and since then welcomes visitors again. A comprehensive publication, which you can purchase in our museum shop, has been produced for the re-creation of the work.
History of the art collection
The Museum Foundation’s art collection was founded almost 150 years ago; it consisted for a long time primarily of works with a direct subject matter related to postal operations and their history: paintings depicting stagecoaches, postal stations or letter delivery. In the 1980s, the collection was enriched by carefully selected purchases of high-quality works. By the time of the new museum building in 1990, the museum had turned away from documentary collecting and the presentation of works for communication became more important. With the establishment of the Museum Foundation in 1995, the reorientation of the museums became the broader range of topics. Communication now became the determining factor for all collections as well as exhibitions.
Changing exhibitions in the Art Spaces.
Parallel to the permanent presentations, the museum shows artistic and media-cultural positions in the Art Spaces, in which the phenomena of the permanent exhibition – such as acceleration, participation, networking and control – are reflected.
New perspectives on communication in the 21st century
Will we have to buy privacy in the future? How will a child communicate in 30 years? How is the body used as an interface? In the Museum of Communication’s permanent exhibition, 21 personalities from business, science, civil society and politics present their perspectives on communication in the 21st century and the influence of digitalisation for discussion.
These experts will present their views on the possible trends of tomorrow’s communication in video statements and interviews.
How will a child communicate in 30 years?
Sound collage with answers from: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Pörsken, Thomas Arend, Peter Zoche, Yvonne Hochstetter, Dr. Barbara Hans and Prof. Dr. Regina Anmicht Quinn.
Are we losing control of our data in the digital world?
Answer by Yvonne Hoftstetter, lawyer and managing director of Teramark Technologies GmbH.
What distinguishes smart machines from conventional machines?
Answer by Prof. Sabina Jeschke, IT in Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.
Will we have to buy privacy in the future?
Response from Prof. Dr. Thomas Schildhauer of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society.
Do we have enough resources for the digital future?
Response from Prof. Dr. Harald Welzer, Futurzwei. Foundation for Sustainability.(c) MSPT
Leben & Lernen X.0
The information and networking forum on the digital transformation!
The digital transformation is already rapidly changing our lives. This makes it all the more important to understand and help shape the opportunities and consequences of digitalisation. With Leben & Lernen X.0, the Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt offers a forum for dialogue and the teaching of media skills with a focus on the topics of digital education, the future of democracy and the future of work.
The information and networking forum Leben & Lernen X.0 thinks about the present and future of communication with the museum’s visitors. Does Big Data threaten our privacy? What skills do we need in the age of strategically deployed fake news? Will artificial intelligences soon take over our work? What is digital education?
Diskutieren Sie mit uns den digitalen Wandel!
All Frankfurt residents are invited to discuss the effects of the digital transformation together with experts in workshops, citizens’ forums and with artistic perspectives, and to formulate their questions, demands and expectations. If you are interested in our events, write an email to lebenundlernen@mspt.de or visit our website: www.lebenx0.de
DelightfulGarden Online: Virtual Exhibition Tour
Tauchen Sie ein in die 3D-Ausstellungswelt des “Gartens der Lüste” von Hieronymus Bosch
Das Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt hat gemeinsam mit der Frankfurter Agentur TimeLeapVR den virtuellen Ausstellungsraum „DelightfulGarden Online“ gelauncht. Über fünf Monate war es möglich, die VR Experience im Museum zu erleben und mehr über den Virtual Reality-Produktionsprozess in Form einer Ausstellung zu erfahren. Um das virtuelle Erlebnis auch nach dem Ende der Ausstellung erlebbar zu machen, haben die Entwickler:innen von TimeLeapVR und das Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt einen Mozilla-Hub-Raum gestaltet.
Wählen Sie einen Avatar (aus der Bildwelt des Gemäldes von Hieronymus Bosch) und bewegen Sie sich durch die wundersame Welt des Gartens der Lüste!
In hubs finden Sie viele Hintergrundinformationen zur Virtual Reality Erfahrung DelightfulGarden und können sich auch in der Welt von Hieronymus Bosch bewegen.
Bedienung mit einem Desktop-Computer oder Notebook
Mit den Tasten W A S D auf Ihrer Tastatur bewegen Sie sich in der 3D-Welt. Sie können bequem mit der linken Hand auf der Tastatur steuern. Der Mittelfinger bedient die Tasten W und S. Ringfinger liegt auf A und Zeigefinger auf D.
Mit W und S bewegen Sie sich vor und zurück. A und D schiebt Sie nach links oder rechts – der Blick bleibt dabei geradeaus nach vorn gerichtet.
Die Tasten Q und E drehen Sie um die eigene Achse – ohne sich dabei weiter nach vorne zu bewegen. Der Blick folgt der Drehung.
Q dreht Sie schrittweise (45°) nach links (im Gegen-Uhrzeigersinn). E dreht Sie nach rechts (im Uhrzeigersinn).
Sich umschauen und Ihre Blickrichtung ändern können Sie mit gedrückter (und gehaltener) linker Mouse-Taste. Mouse-Bewegung nach oben = Blick nach oben. Mouse-Bewegung nach rechts = Blick nach rechts…
Stehen Sie in der Nähe eines Videos, startet der Film und Sie hören den Ton. Bewegen Sie sich weg vom Video wird der Ton leiser und verschwindet.
Besucherstimmen aus der Ausstellung
„Wow! Was für ein tolles Erlebnis, für alle Sinne. Mehr davon!“
„Wir hätten gerne die Erdbeere auch gegessen. Hat großen Spaß gemacht!“
„Großartig, unvergesslich! Danke für die Hilfe. Ich glaube, ich werde süchtig danach. Mehr, mehr!“
