Science meets art – exhibition opened at the BITC

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The Battery Innovation and Technology Center (BITC), Fraunhofer IKTS site in Arnstadt, presents works by national and international artists in an art exhibition. The current collection at the institute features works by a Russian artist and a painter from Thuringia on the theme of "Viewpoints".

© Fraunhofer IKTS
Klaus Reiß is engineer at BITC and is currently showing his paintings in the art exhibition at the institute.
© Fraunhofer IKTS
Art exhibition at BITC. In the foreground: a painting by the artist Svetlana Weiss.

Nearly 30 works are on display in the foyer and office corridors of the institute. They are the artworks by Klaus Reiß and Svetlana Weiss, both members of the Weiss Gallerie, a creative collective for national and international artists. The paintings of Svetlana Weiss show classical motifs of flowers, fruits and landscapes, painted with oil on canvas and cardboard. Klaus Reiss, himself an engineer at BITC, shows representational motifs in modern, partly surreal works in acrylic.

Dr. Roland Weidl, director of BITC, sees no contradiction in the interplay between art and science: “Both art and science interact with society, they should appeal to you on a personal level, offer something new and have a “signature”, i.e., a value of recognition. That is what the artists who exhibit with us fulfill, and that is what we strive for with our research as well.” In the future, the exhibition will show the works of different artists on a regular basis – regional artisans are also explicitly sought. The institute is not open to the public, but the exhibition will still not have to do without an audience, explains Weidl: “Through our research projects, we have regular visits from national and international partners. In addition, BITC will offer seminars and workshops in the field of Industry 4.0 for professionals in the region. Our guests will then be able to receive professional training at the institute as well as enjoy art.”

During their inaugural visit to BITC, Arnstadt's mayor Frank Spilling and Jörg Neumann, head of Arnstadt's economic development department, were among the first visitors to the art installation. They came to BITC to find out about the development of the institute ten months after its opening in July 2020. “Arnstadt is increasingly becoming the central high-tech location in the research and production of batteries and thus in e-mobility,” says Mayor Frank Spilling. “This means that one of the most important future industries has found its new home and center here. We support this through the city and with the help of our economic development department where we can.” In Arnstadt, he said, the central issues of the next decades are just being addressed: Clean and efficient mobility, climate protection and, at the same time, securing Germany as a location for technology and industry. “BITC, with its scientific expertise, is contributing decisively to this.”