180 Ideas for Saxony

An Outreach Programme of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

Flying cars, swarms of drones, space colonies, cryonics and cryptocurrency – utopia, vision or present-day reality? The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD) held the exhibition devoted to the broad-ranging topic of “the future” under the title Inventing the Future(10.05.—03.11.2019) at the Japanisches Palais in Dresden. In the various sections on time, the limits of growth, the environment, as well as war and values, the exhibition not only illustrated potential future developments, but also considered the power of art to question existing discourses and systems and to open up new perspectives on the past and present. The concept underlying the exhibition was drawn up on the basis of a Saxony-wide survey among 15 to 35-year-olds, in which they were asked about their subjective perceptions of the present and their concerns, desires and expectations regarding the future.

In connection with the exhibition, the SKD is launching an extensive programme throughout the region: “180 Ideas for Saxony”. These “180 Ideas” refer to models, designs or alternative concepts for the near future. The driving force in this outreach programme is both interaction between country and city and self-critical scrutiny of the role of museums: What will the museum of the future look like? Especially against the background of rapidly advancing digitisation and increasingly tight-knit global networking, does the museum of the future not have to take a more decentralized and interactive approach?

On the basis of the Saxon spirit of invention and the historical potential of the SKD’s collections, new, positively charged visions of society and democracy are to be developed and presented in direct collaboration with the citizens of Saxony. Influential inventions that originated in Saxony include, for example, the first daily newspaper in Leipzig in 1650, the first European porcelain in Meissen in 1708, the coffee filter (1908) and the tea bag (1929). The “180” new ideas and blueprints for the future will emerge in the form of workshops, lectures, discussions, artistic interventions and small exhibitions, as well as in courses and other formats. It is hoped that by cooperating with regional partners it will be possible to reach those for whom accessing the SKD’s museums is made difficult by either perceived or actual obstacles. The programme is deliberately designed to be open and flexible in order to be able to respond to the wishes of the partners in the region. It will bring together people’s voices and provide them with a platform.

Digital symposium hosted by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Germany

Inside out – Museums and In-/Outreach

At the digital symposium on 19 and 20 August 2021, international and national experts will be exchanging views on various strategies, approaches, and conditions for participatory in- and outreach programs. 

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funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation

[Translate to English:] Kulturstiftung

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