About MARS

mars - media Arts Research Studies

netzspannung.org is being developed at the MARS-Exploratory Media Lab. MARS - Media Arts Research Studies is an experimental research laboratory, in which interdisciplinary teams of architects, artists, designers, computer scientists, art and media scientists are developing tools for the art of tomorrow, are concerned with life in a networked society (living in mixed realities), and are designing future models of networked knowledge and communication spaces. Their objective is to make artistic strategies for developing media technology productive and to promote media-technological skills in art, culture and education.
The lab's research projects, productions and products originate at the interface between interactivity, interface design and interface development, and investigate strategies for combining real and virtual space. A main focus of the lab's activities is on developing hardware and software within the context of artistic projects. The MARS exploratory media lab collaborates continually on interdisciplinary and international projects. The results of these projects are presented regularly to the public at conferences, exhibitions and workshops. In this way a wide audience gains access to advanced forms of art: interactive installations, mixed-reality systems and art on the Internet.
MARS was founded in 1997 by » Monika Fleischmann and » Wolfgang Strauss at the former GMD Information Technology Research Centre - today the » Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems (IAIS). With its focus on integrating IT research and media art, the » Media Arts & Research Studies - MARS research group is unique in Germany.

Further informations about the work of the MARS-Exploratory Media Lab is available under › projects or in a TV commentary by ARTE › [Real Media|9:37 min]