Art, technology and music came together in perfect harmony last Friday night at the DRIVE Volkswagen Group Forum – the automotive giant’s state-of-the-art exhibition space in the heart of Berlin. A multi-disciplinary event took place in the venue’s interactive Immersive Room, which is part of the ongoing ICONIC – A Timeless Journey of Culture, Society and Mobility exhibition and offers visitors a 3D audiovisual experience.
The evening began with an ART x TECH panel discussion organised by Volkswagen Group Culture and entitled “Navigating Immersive Space”. On the panel were Dr Kathrin Wilkens, Head of UX Technologies and Prototypes Volkswagen Group; pianist and Deutsche Grammophon artist Alice Sara Ott; Rainer Maillard, recording producer and managing director of Emil Berliner Studios; neuroscientist David Haslacher; and video artist Philipp Geist (Videogeist). Shaped by expert moderator AC Coppens from Berlin-based agency The Catalysts, the discussion explored the ways in which digital technologies can expand human perception and the potential impact of future immersive audiovisual developments.
The discussion featured a sneak preview of Alice Sara Ott’s latest music video – an extract from a 45‑minute film shot at the Munich-based virtual production house Hyperbowl as part of her latest album project: John Field · Complete Nocturnes, set for release on 7 February 2025.
Later in the evening Ott took to the stage to headline the latest DG Yellow Lounge classical club night. She entranced the packed house with her interpretations of four Beethoven sonatas and several of Field’s lyrical and expressive nocturnes, works that inspired his younger colleague Chopin to take the genre to even greater heights.
Also playing live on Friday night was Icelandic composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Snorri Hallgrímsson. He presented tracks from his debut DG EP Longer shadows, softer stones, released in October 2024. His poignant but uplifting solo piano lines created a subtly beautiful soundworld, underpinned by gently shifting string arrangements, performed by Grégoire Simon (violin), Viola Wasser (viola) and Cécile Lacharme (cello), and the ebb and flow of electronics. Both sets were accompanied by stunning visuals from Philipp Geist (Videogeist) and chilled DJ mixes from Clé.
The event as a whole reflected the shared aim of the partnership between Deutsche Grammophon and Volkswagen Group Culture – to inspire and encourage ever larger audiences worldwide by sharing artistic excellence and visionary creativity. The collaboration between the two organisations was launched in 2018 when, as part of DG’s 120th-anniversary celebrations, they worked closely together to introduce the Yellow Lounge format to Asia, staging concerts in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong.
L to R: Lars-Eric Schuldt, Volkswagen Group Communications, Dr Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon, Alice Sara Ott, Snorri Hallgrímsson, Kleopatra Sofroniou, DG General Manager Classics,
Tom Macpherson, Managing Director, Yes! Artists, Nanja Oedi, DG Director Marketing New Repertoire
Photos © Stefan Hoederath