A Step Ahead / Einen Schritt voraus
To mark the 125th anniversary of the first exhibition held by the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony on the Mathildenhöhe, the Institut Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt is presenting “A Step Ahead / Einen Schritt voraus” — an exhibition exploring how design, architecture and art shape social developments: then and now.
Four visionary building exhibitions held between 1901 and 1914 gave the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt its distinctive character and ultimately led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The historic artists’ colony always understood design as a holistic concept for improving everyday life — a progressive approach that continues to resonate today and forms the starting point of the exhibition.
Structured across four thematic halls, “A Step Ahead” examines each of the four historic building exhibitions of 1901, 1904, 1908 and 1914. Original works of applied and fine art enter into dialogue with contemporary international positions in design and art. Each hall serves as a resonance space for key themes including visions of the world, community and individuality, identity and the social, as well as introspection and new beginnings.
Historic design approaches from the artists’ colony are brought into conversation with current questions: new modes of production, innovative materials, participatory processes and the use of artificial intelligence open up perspectives on future ways of living. Walk-in installations, interactive architectures and evolving exhibition structures invite visitors to become active participants in the dialogue.
A particular highlight is the exhibition architecture itself: using contemporary AI technology, the first and last historic building exhibitions will be reconstructed as colourful 3D visualisations and integrated into the show on a large scale — making the Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt once again an experience of experimental spatial art.
“A Step Ahead” is part of the “World Design Capital 2026 Frankfurt-Rhein Main” programme, reinforcing Darmstadt’s international significance as an early “capital of design”. The exhibition positions itself as a bridge between cultural heritage and contemporary social challenges — an invitation to understand design as an active, responsible process that is always one step ahead of its time.
Curator: Dr. Philipp Gutbrod, Cultural Officer of the City of Science Darmstadt / Director of the Institut Mathildenhöhe
