Pioneers of digital media art since the mid-1980s, Fleischmann and Strauss explore the paradoxical nature of digital culture. Their work spans artistic installations, research prototypes, architecture, and events at the intersection of art, science, and technology, developed within the research labs and institutes they founded.

Their joint journey began with the founding of ArtWork (1986) and the co‑founding of ART+COM (1987) [Link] in Berlin. In 1989, they established La Première Rue in Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Briey‑en‑Forêt, creating a space for collaboration with architects, artists, and philosophers. In 1992, they joined the VisWiz group at GMD, and in 1997, they founded the MARS Lab at the German National Research Center for Information Technology (GMD) in Sankt Augustin/Bonn. In 2006, they launched the eCulture Factory at Fraunhofer AI in Bremen.

WORKS | 1987 - 2026


Since the late 1980s, their installations have transformed data into lived experience: from Berlin Cyber City (1989), a virtual space for dialogue after the fall of the Wall [Link]; to Home of the Brain (1990), the world’s first VR installation with data glove and head-mounted display [Link]; to Liquid Views (1992), where the body becomes an interface and identity dissolves into reflection [Link]; and Energy Passages (2004), exploring language and presence as dynamic systems.

[New Media Arts—The Thinking Space for Digitality, 2023]


Among their most influential contributions are netzspannung.org [Link] (1997–2012), the patented contactless interface ECCO [Link] (2007), and the PointScreen kiosk. In 2010, the artists and the Fraunhofer MARS Lab donated the netzspannung.org platform to the ZKM | Center for Art and Media, where it continues to serve as a vital resource for research, teaching, and the preservation of media art.


In 2022, ZKM started reviewing the artists' extensive oeuvre, a long-term project supported by Peter Weibel. This overview of four decades aims to present selected projects across media art, architecture, and artistic research through texts, interviews, magazines, and video documents, but has stalled.


Short excerpts include:

– ORF documentary on Home of the Brain (Golden Nica, 1992)

– Derrick de Kerckhove on Liquid Views (2020)

– MARS Booklet 

– Project Videos

– Interview 2011 at Laznia Center, Gdańsk, PL (Art & Science Meeting, Video (2011)

MEDIA ART  |  ARCHITECTURE  |  PRODUCTION  |  VOLUNTARY

 

MEDIA ART

» » » 2023 Home of the Brain. Reconstruction plan with ZKM and KIT, Karlsruhe (ongoing) [


Link]

» 2023 Liquid Views (1992). Kiosk version: Remastering a masterpiece 31 years later. [Link]

» 2013-14 Urban Media. Visualizing the Hidden City: Making the City's Inhabitants Visible with their Moods and Emotions. Artistic Research Example: Energy-Passages.

» 1997-2012 netzspannung.org (online since 2001) eTeaching platform for media art & electronic culture with visualization tools for exploring the contents of the archive. Knowledge discovery tools such as Media Flow, Timeline or Semantic Map, are among the groundbreaking products of the 21st century. Press Release! netzspannung.org, eculturefactory.de/netzspannung-org / 

» 2008 Media Flow Browser. Audiovisual web interface for netzspannung.org, the platform and online archive for media art, science & electronic culture. http://medienfluss.netzspannung.org  

» 2008 Liquid Views (1992). Remastering a masterpiece 16 years later. www.eculturefactory.de/liquid-views

» 2007 Performing the Archive. Online Archive as a space to enter. www02.zkm.de/you/netzspannungorg-performing-the-archive

» 2007 Interactive Poster & Outdoor PointScreen. Display for interactive window shopping. (MA) www.eculturefactory.de/interaktives-plakat

» 2006/07 deine-story.de. Mobile gaming combined with urban screening. www.eculturefactory.de/deine-story

» 2006 Medienfluss Installation. Netzspannung.org archive representing images, texts, keywords. www.eculturefactory.de/medienfluss

» 2006 Digital Sparks Matrix & PointScreen. Gesture based Installation http://eculturefactory.de/digital-sparks-matrix

» 2006 Virtual Book. Digital augmentation of the classical book. http://www.eculturefactory.de/virtual-book
» 2006 Digital Sparks Matrix DVD. DVD Interface for the >digital sparks< database. http://netzspannung.org/digital-sparks/

» 2002-05 PointScreen 2002-2005. Patented Interface: Interaction without touch inspired by the Theremin. eculturefactory.de/pointscreen
» 2004 Energie_Passagen. Multi-user installation in public space energie-passagen.de, energie-passagen.de/webinstallation.htm

» 2002/04 Semantic Map (Vers 1/2). Tools for analysing semantic relations of data in documents. eculturefactory.de/semantic-map 

» 2002/03 Timeline (Vers 1/2). Tool for time-based structuring of information in context. eculturefactory.de/timeline 

» 2002 Mobile Unit. Mobile Streaming-Lab for recording and broadcasting. netzspannung.org/Mobile-Unit

» 2001 i2TV – Performance: Ottos Mops. Distributed, networked poetry play. netzspannung.org/OttosMops

» 1999 i2TV - interactive Conference Tool for Memoria Futura Symposium 1999. Tool for networked participation in public events netzspannung.org/i2TV-Konferenz, netzspannung.org/MemoriaFutura 

» 1999 eMUSE electronic Multi-User Stage, connecting digital and physical space as a Mixed Reality. netzspannung.org/eMuse 

» 1997-99 Murmuring Fields on a Mixed Reality interactive stage netzspannung.org/MurmuringFields

» 1998 MARS-Bags. Fashion interface inspired by the Theremin netzspannung.org/MARS-Bags

» 1995 Virtual Striptease (Video Only). Mixed Reality Performance live on TV-stage netzspannung.org/Virtual-Striptease

» 1995 Video Only. Interactive, distributed Virtual Studio TV production. netzspannung.org/Video-Only

» 1995 Virtual Balance. Interactive Interface & tool for navigation with the balance of the body. www.eculturefactory.de/virtual-balance, netzspannung.org/Virtual-Balance/

» 1994 Responsive Workbench. Collaborative 3D tool & workspace environment. netzspannung.org/Responsive-Workbench/

» 1993 Rigid Waves. The story of Narcissus & Echo as distance and approaching. netzspannung.org/Rigid-Waves

» 1992 Liquid Views. The interactive mirror of Narcissus as interactive realtime morphing. www.eculturefactory.de/Liquid-Views

» 1991 Home of the Brain. Virtual Reality Installation - media-theory as space to enter. Golden Nica for Interactive Art, Ars Electronica 1992. netzspannung.org/Home-of-the-Brain

» 1989 Berlin, Cyber City. Mixed Reality Installation about the Fall of the Berlin Wall. History tour into the future of Berlin.Cyber City Flight through Potsdamer Platz Architecture Competition. netzspannung.org/Cyber-City

» 1989 Between 0+1 1989. Folded 3D bodies for multiple perspectives: Implosion of Numbers. Text+Bilder.

"1989-91 Hewlett Packard Berlin Office. Research Project Electronic Model House and Participatory Office Design with VR. In: "Office with wings". Mensch & Büro 2/1991


ARCHITECTURE

» 2026/2022-23/2015-16 Datscha Low, redesign + extension, architecture + art project, Gnewikow, Ruppiner Lake, Brandenburg, Germany. PhotoDoc: How we started (Facebook) by Monika Fleischmann.Wolfgang Strauss

» 2025/2018-22/2002/ TownHouse at Lake Garda. Rebuilding of an 17th century TownHouse in Gargnano, Italy [Link]

» 2018 Apartment therapy for an apartment in Bonn, Germany

» 2014-17 Apartment Therapy for 4 apartments in Berlin, Germany

» 2013 Apartment therapy for an apartment at Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation de Briey, France

» 1990 Hidden Lines, Video about the building and design of the Hewlett Packard Headquarter Berlin by Fleischmann & Strauss, exhibited in the Werkbund-Gallery, Berlin.

» 1989 Hewlett-Packard Berlin Office 1989. Wolfgang Strauss & Monika Fleischmann. Participatory Office Design using VR as a simulation model and research on light and acoustics. In: "Büro mit Flügeln". Mensch & Büro 2/1991

» 1987-89 Two Small Houses - Extension of a House & Extension of the Schering Institutes' House for Visiting Scientists Library "Denkraum" in Berlin (Wolfgang Strauss)

» 1987 Foldup Thomas-Kirche. 1. Preis im Wettbewerb zur Umgestaltung der Thomas Kirche Berlin Kreuzberg. Senat Berlin (Wolfgang Strauss)

» 1985 Berlin Berlin. Stadtraum Collage Berlin - Gesamt Installation 1:5000, 600x150 cm. Berlin Bahnhof Zoo. (Wolfgang Strauss)


PRODUCTION OF TELE-LECTURES / VIDEO / CD-ROM / DVD / ONLINE
» 1989-2009 MFWS Projects - interactive indesign presentation => (PDF) .
» 2001-07 Digital Sparks Matrix webbased DVD-Installation 
» 2006 eCulture Factory in Bremen - showroom opening (Video)   
» 2005 netzspannung.org - Platform for Media Art and digital Culture, Video dt/en 
» 2004 Energie-Passagen - Video of the installation in public space: energie-passagen.de 
» 2004 Energie-Passagen - web installation & web-docu
» 2004 Hypermedia Tele-Lecture on »Sound und Vision« connected with MediaArtNet of ZKM, Karlsruhe  in coop. with Dieter Daniels, Hochschule fuer Grafik und Buchkunst, Leipzig. A new form of e-Teaching by connecting two online-archives in a thematic context.
» 1997-2004MARS – the Exploratory Media Lab «, Videodocumentation of works on DVD
2001/04 Tele-Lectures - video documentation of Hypermedia lectures & lecture series such as: Spiel mit dem Medium , Ohne Schnur,WissensKünste II , DRM und Alternativen , Mapping , Generative Tools , Present Continuous Past(s) , Migrating Images, Iconic Turn , BEM 03 , transmediale.03 , Online-Archive , Bildersturm & Bilderflut , Frames of Viewing  a.o.

» 2003 Media-Jukebox with Digital Sparks. Videos of award winning projects 2001-03 for the Jukebox
» 2002-03 Iconic Turn Lectures: Live-Streaming SS 02-WS 02/03. Partner: Burda - Akademie, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich (pdf)

» 1997-2002 MARS – the Exploratory Media Lab, Videodocumentation on CD-ROM
» 2001 Video-Trailer for CAST01 conference at GMD Schloss Birlinghoven
» 1992-2001 Fleischmann & Strauss, Videoclips of works on CD-ROM
» 2000 Ich sehe, was du hörst / I see, what you hear, Video of workshop with children on Mixed Reality Theremin Interfaces (Dieter-Baacke-Award)
» 1999 Murmuring Fields - Performance Setting, Fidena Festival Bochum, part II, Videodocu
» 1999 Murmuring Fields - Interactive Installation, Transmediale Berlin, part I,Video documentation
» 1998 Murmuring Fields - Interfacing Virtual Studio. Videodocumentation
» 1995 Video Only - Virtual Striptease. Interactive scenography, and video documentation of live TV from GMD's virtual studio via ATM 350 km to Baden-Baden. Twelve interactive virtual stage designs for the ZKM/WDR Media Art Award in cooperation with Wolfgang Strauss, Professor at the Hochschule der Künste, Saarbrücken.
» 1995 Skywriter - Virtual Balance, Video documentation
» 1993 A Vision of Virtuality, video about the exhibition, curated and produced by MFWS about the VisWiz research at GMD
» 1993 Rigid Waves - Echo and Narciss, Video documentation
» 1992 Liquid Views - the Virtual Well or Narcissus' Mirror, Video documentation  
» 1992 Visualization in an Environment of Massively Parallel Computers - Interactivity, Realtime, Virtual Reality. Video about the VisWiz research at GMD.
» 1990 Science Fiction? Science Fact!, First Video about Art+Com e.V.
» 1990 Berlin-Potsdamer Platz - Underground Study, Video in the Filmhaus Esplanade, Berlin


VOLUNTARY

» Growing Everywhere, 2014. Artboards skateboard for children's skate park, India. Skateboards with designs by Ai Weiwei,

 Ai Weiwei, Ashok, Children from Jodhpur, Ernst Handl, Joi Ito, Egon Zippel, Monika Fleischmann, Wolfgang Strauss, and others for the Artboards Skateboards AUCTION: March 20 - March 26, 2014. Ulrike Reinhard's we_school project. 

» Mapping People not Land - Concept for Benin, Africa 2012

MORE DOCUMENTATION 

»  netzspannung.org/about/mars/projects    » eculturefactory.de/produkte