Permanent from 12/11/2026

The Aesthetics of Technology A new exhibition space to mark 100 years of Die Neue Sammlung

About the exhibition

Industrialisation since the 19th century and the development of design have run in parallel. To this day, the design of machines and their specific technical aesthetic continue to fascinate. Mechanical devices and technical structures impress with their scientific context, the precision of their design and the craftsmanship of their makers.

Machines and devices serve a specific purpose, their functioning governed by complex rules and laws. Many technical objects vividly illustrate the processes and procedures associated with them. A clock is a prime example of the union of function and aesthetics, revealing beauty in its complexity. Clocks and measuring instruments symbolise the need to measure time and give it form.

Technical devices such as motors, theodolites, record players, drills, high-voltage circuit breakers, a model of a ground station, a microcomputer-controlled television camera, dental turbines, circuit boards, or AI-based algorithms for designing furniture or even façade cladding, are surprising examples of exhibits that are brought together here to form a journey through the history of design, as well as a philosophical reflection on technology, which acquires its very own beauty through design principles.