Paolo Loeffler is Managing Director of the Kunstkraftwerk digital art center in Leipzig, Germany. In recent years, he has been involved in the development of numerous digital and immersive exhibition projects. Antoine Roland recently spoke to him about his career, his various projects and the next edition of NUMIX LAB, of which he is a partner. On November 27, he will welcome us to discover Saxony’s creative and digital ecosystem, and share his thoughts on the launch of an international network of independent immersive theaters.
AR – First of all, could you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?
PL – I started my career as an engineer. I worked in France, Germany and China, in IT companies, start-ups and the automotive industry (notably Mercedes), developing digital projects and offerings. These early experiences of digital innovation were fundamental to my approach to the creative and production challenges inherent in any project. These skills are now essential to the operation and development of a cultural venue such as Kunstkraftwerk. In parallel with these different projects, I discovered visual art by initiating a personal collection and collaborating in the production of artistic and cultural experiences. So it was gradually and naturally that I became involved full-time in the artistic and cultural sector, joining Kunstkraftwerk a few years ago. I am now the venue’s general manager.
AR – Could you tell us about Kunstkraftwerk and its various projects?
PL – The Kunstkraftwerk is a beautiful place, a former factory now dedicated to digital art and creativity. Purchased in 2012, it took 2-3 years of work to transform this former GDR factory into a cultural venue. Right from the start, we wanted to offer our visitors (from Berlin and the surrounding region, but also from all over Germany) a cultural experience that would make them want to get to know museums better, while at the same time creating emotion, and digital immersion contributes to this.
After producing a number of exhibitions, we quickly made the choice, back in 2016, to host digital and immersive cultural productions such as exhibitions produced on Van Gogh, Hunderwasser or Bansky, and this was before the market had developed. At that time, only TeamLab and the Carrières des Lumières in Les Baux-de-Provence existed.
In contact with a wide range of players on the immersive scene, our editorial line is not fixed to one artistic field, as we collaborate with many artists as well as with other partners from both the entertrainment (as for Alice in Wonderland in 2023 / 2024) and museum sectors (following the example of a production with the Panorama Museum and Art Centrica, a leading specialist in the digitization of paintings, based in Florence).
For each exhibition, we aim to find new paths between a highly scientific approach and an artistic and technological one. These new formats encourage highly flexible uses: in addition to exhibitions, we also host ballets, performances and concerts.
Some exhibitions are produced in-house, while others are offered in association with artists such as digital artist Gianfranco Lannuzzi (who has worked on Culturespeaces immersive exhibitions since 2010), or via licensing agreements with other immersive venues or creative studios. This is the case, for example, of theDali exhibition currently on offer with Layers of Reality.
In addition to these projects, we work a great deal with the Bright Festival digital art festival, making our spaces available and participating in the event’s production. It’s an essential collaboration that enables us to experiment with a wide range of formats and enter into direct dialogue with numerous artists.
AR – You are playing an active role in the organization of the5th edition of NUMIX LAB in Germany (November 25 to 29), hosting our delegation for a full day in Leipzig. What do you expect from NUMIX LAB?
PL – NUMIX LAB is very interesting for us, and we’re delighted to be hosting this event in Leipzig. It will be a good opportunity to showcase the dynamism of the new media sector in Germany, and also to demonstrate that Leipzig is a very active scene in this field. It will also be an opportunity to connect the various players in this international scene that is developing around immersive media. In Europe, we’re not as federated as in Quebec, and setting up collaborations is particularly essential for us. You’ve succeeded in creating an itinerant event, bringing together and mixing very interesting participants from both the cultural and audiovisual sectors. It’s from this mix that innovation is created.
NUMIX LAB will be hosted in Leipzig on Wednesday November 27, providing an opportunity to discover the city’s dynamism in terms of digital creativity, and to discuss the launch of a network of independent immersive cinemas (To see the full program and find out more about the NUMIX LAB). Many thanks to Paolo Loeffler for his time and availability!
Find out more in a second interview with Paolo Leoffler, conducted in partnership with Unframed Collection, who discusses the types of immersive formats presented at Kunstkraftwerk, the audiences they reach with their programs, and his take on the key challenges facing the industry. Find out more here.
