
In today’s fast-paced world, it often feels like time is accelerating — that the future isn’t just approaching, but already here. After all, Christmas seemed like yesterday, and suddenly, it’s the end of January. The month, notorious for moving the slowest, always concludes with Berlin’s transmediale, arguably the city’s most future-oriented art festival. Now in its 38th edition, transmediale is dedicated to media art and digital culture, and has evolved into a globally recognized platform at the intersection of art, science and politics — a connection that grows more relevant with each passing year. This year’s festival, titled (near) near but – far, runs until 02.02.2025. It focuses on algorithms and the sense of proximity they create. In a world where digital closeness often coincides with physical distance, the festival poses critical questions: How do algorithms bring us into unexpected connections? What new forms of intimacy emerge through machine interactions? How can technology help us build relationships that reflect the complexity of our individual and collective experiences? These questions are explored without falling into simplistic binaries and, as always, Haus der Kulturen der Welt and silent green Kulturquartier will transform into creative playgrounds for artists, thinkers and the curious.
One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s program is the way public spaces within the festival venues will be activated by artists whose works explore the shifting dynamics of proximity and distance. Hana Yoo, Felicity Hammond and Hamishi Farah will present their installations at HKW. While Ali Akbar Mehta will showcase an interactive installation and cyber performance, purgatory EDIT, at transmediale Studio. As with every year, transmediale is more than just a festival, it is an open invitation to embrace curiosity and embark on an experiment in rethinking our relationships with technology and one another. Perhaps it will help us reflect on how close we truly are, or could be, in the digital world. And maybe, just maybe, it will make us wonder: Is the future already here? Or is it still waiting for us, just beyond tomorrow?
Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Bernd Brundert & Brandon Bowen / Still: Johannes Binotto
We are giving away 3×2 day passes for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! To enter, email win@ceecee.cc with your name, contact details, and preferred day to attend with your +1.
transmediale 2025, you can find the program and tickets here.
30.01–02.02.2025, various venues including:
Haus der Kulturen der Welt
John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
silent green Kulturquartier
Gerichtstr.35, 13347 Berlin–Wedding; map
@hkw_berlin
@silent.green