With clear political and social messages, as well as realistic, concrete experiences and reflections, the 3D projection for this year’s Museum Night was arguably one of the most compelling and powerful that kiU has produced to date.
In the past, the storyLab kiU has also incorporated political messages into its projections (“mappings”) on the facade of the Dortmunder U: in support of Europe and climate protection, against war and division, and in favor of love and understanding. With “What Is Wisdom?,” kiU’s messages and images were even more unambiguous for the audience at Museum Night 2026.
The Doubts of Our Time
The apparent dissolution of the facade at the beginning of the 13-minute projection is familiar from earlier mappings, but it has lost none of its beauty: The stones of the walls separate from one another, pulsate back and forth, and eventually form a question mark. A voice (“I am the Dortmunder U”) recites the worries and doubts of our time: “Will I still have a job tomorrow? Why do the few have more and more, while the many have less and less? On what day do I have to call in sick?”
“These questions,” says the U, “leave the house with you every morning. They sit in your pockets among your keys and smartphones. They ride with you in elevators, stand in line at cash registers, and remain silent with you in waiting rooms. They aren’t small just because they’re asked every day.”
"I never want to see that again"
Then the U looks back on its own 100 years of existence in Dortmund, reflecting on the history of mining as well as “the dark times” of the Third Reich. And how it overcame them: “You have built sentences greater than buildings,” and the words “Human dignity is inviolable” appear on the facade. The U gets specific: “We stand up against contempt for humanity, against hate, against any rhetoric that turns neighbors into enemies and diversity into a threat. I’ve seen it. I never want to see it again.”
The kiU combines these serious reflections with historical footage and video clips from demonstrations for equality and against the far right. Pop-culture references to Jean-Luc Picard from *Star Trek*, Pac-Man, and trash TV add satirical touches. And then there’s a gigantic whale swimming through space around a brown Earth, reminding us once again that a mapping like this is, above all, simply a visually spectacular show.
"Never again"—when is that?
“If you want, I’ll be your refuge. Come to me with your questions,” the U offers, reminding us: “Democracy isn’t just something that exists. It’s a space that must be inhabited, nurtured, and defended.” The U turns black, and the phrase “Never again is now” appears several times in huge white letters. And once more: “Human dignity is inviolable.”
The Dortmunder U: A place of freedom, community, art, spectacle, democracy, and a clear stance. “I am what you make of me,” kiU Director Harald Opel and his team have the U declare, and they sign this year’s installation with “Siamo tutti antifascisti.”