When does STUDIO: Rasa Smite & Raitis Smits take place?

The event takes place on November 3, 2026, starting at 10 AM in the Kunsthalle Mannheim.

Where is the exhibition taking place?

The venue is the Kunsthalle Mannheim at Friedrichsplatz 4 in 68165 Mannheim.

What can visitors expect?

On display is Solarceptors, an immersive virtual reality installation with accompanying projection about plant perception, light, and ecological future.

Who curated the exhibition?

The curator is Julia-Katharina Thiemann. The curatorial assistant is Alessia Tardivo.

Is the event free of charge?

A verified ticket price could not be determined.

Are there any details on tours or workshops?

No verified information on tours or workshops is available for this event.

Solarceptors in Mannheim: When Plants Tell New Stories about Light, Future, and Perception

Name: STUDIO: Rasa Smite & Raitis Smits
Start: 2026-11-03T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-03T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Kunsthalle Mannheim

Solarceptors: When Plants Become Perceptive

How do flowers perceive light? And what visions of the future arise when humans view the world from the perspective of plants? In the STUDIO of the Kunsthalle Mannheim, Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits transform scientific research into an immersive art experience that blends Virtual Reality, projection, and ecological reflection.

A New Perspective on Plant Intelligence

At the center is Solarceptors, a virtual reality installation accompanied by projection. The work invites visitors into a sensually condensed world where plants do not appear as passive natural backdrops, but as sensitive beings with their own perception. Light, reaction, and planetary rhythms become fundamental elements of an aesthetic experience that shifts familiar boundaries between humans, the environment, and technology.

Art, Science, and Immersive Media

Since the 1990s, Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits have worked at the intersection of art, science, and new media technologies. As co-founders of the RIXC Center for New Media Culture in Riga, they have shaped an international platform for media art, artistic research, and ecological issues. Their works combine installation, digital imagery, sound, scientific data, and experimental forms of perception.

The artist duo has received several awards, including the Prix Ars Electronica and the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough Award. Works such as Talk to Me, Biotricity, and Atmospheric Forest address human-plant communication, renewable energy, climate, and techno-ecological relationships.

The Exhibition Atmosphere in the STUDIO

The experience of the works unfolds as a physical and mental movement through light, projection, and virtual spaces. The boundaries between painting, installation, and digital sculpture dissolve in favor of an open, multisensory spatial impact. Visitors do not merely experience a representation of botanical processes but are invited to understand perception itself as a cultural and ecological practice.

Part of the Festival Imagine Futures!

The exhibition is created in cooperation with the 75th International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg and is part of the anniversary program Imagine Futures!. The curatorial supervision is undertaken by Julia-Katharina Thiemann with Alessia Tardivo as curatorial assistant. Thus, the STUDIO connects current media art with cultural education and the question of how the future can be conceived beyond purely technological visions.

Conclusion: An Artistic Experience for New Perceptions

STUDIO: Rasa Smite & Raitis Smits opens an unusual access to plants, technology, and planetary responsibility. The exhibition promises an intense aesthetic experience that translates scientific knowledge into visual, spatial, and imaginative forms. Those who want to experience contemporary media art live and view the future from a surprisingly different perspective should not miss this art experience at the Kunsthalle Mannheim.