12 powerful stories are being presented by MKD x nextcomic from March 18 to April 27, 2025, bringing a breath of fresh air to the city and to us at the Museum of the Future.
Strength comes in many forms – in questioning, in the courage to overcome old thought patterns, in letting go, starting over and in resisting hatred. In bright colors, clear lines or bold perspectives.
For Fortify, students from the nextcomic 2025 Master School for Communication Design Linz are transforming the Ars Electronica Center into a place of strength, using their work to tell stories of moments that empower. Augmented Reality brings these colorful worlds to life and gives them a new dimension.
Their strength lies in the space between digital communities and personal decisions. Between firm convictions and the openness to be shaped by new experiences. In the courage to stand up against injustice.
Square tiles form a mosaic out of the twelve contributions, in which each story stands on its own and is at the same time part of a larger whole. It is about challenges, turning points, successes, detours, wrong turns and new beginnings. And about what helps us all grow.
A small taste of what’s to come can be found here.
HERBERT by Anselma Tiefenböckis an allegorical tale that addresses social injustices, in particular discrimination, patriarchal structures and the consequences of suppressed emotions.
While the little wolf is playing, he is threatened by the old neighbor Herbert, who has no patience for a happy child singing. The she-wolf wants to rush to her child’s aid, but she is attacked. That’s because the old sheep feels threatened by the wolves, especially the female ones, and besides, they have no business being here in his home country!
„Hatred is everywhere in our patriarchal society. Hatred against women, foreigners and anything that doesn’t conform to a white, heterosexual, male sheep. These sheep don’t want to show any weakness and often eat up all their feelings until everything breaks out. The femicide rate and the suicide rate among men show who has to suffer the consequences of hatred.“
Anselma Tiefenböck
With her digital illustration Herbert, Anselma Tiefenböck wants toencourage people to think about existing injustices.
In Thriving Through Connection, Lea Böttinger describes the networking nature of the internet and highlights how digital bubbles – groups with similar interests and opinions – create their own realities on the one hand, but do not exist in complete isolation from one another.
“Every digital bubble is a separate reality, shaped by individual interests, opinions and experiences.”
Lea Böttinger
She presents an optimistic perspective on social media as a place for networking and creative exchange, where people share their knowledge, find inspiration and pass on their creativity. Where ideas, thoughts and perspectives transcend borders, creating a global network of collaboration.
Clara Sageder’s Paved Road alsoaddresses these invisible “bubbles” as comfort zones in which people move, emphasizing the importance of change and openness to new experiences.
“Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.”
Vincent van Gogh
It takes courage to leave the familiar path, but it is precisely in the unknown that the opportunity for change lies. Only when we are ready to leave our familiar surroundings do new possibilities open up. Those who are willing to have new experiences not only discover the world with different eyes, but also themselves anew. Life becomes all the more exciting the more we learn from the unknown and dare to try new things. Her motivational message invites us to look beyond the edge of our own bubble.
Redirect by Timon Virag uses the metaphor of digital redirects to describe life as a series of changes, challenges and learning processes.
In the digital world, we experience redirects every day without questioning them – because ultimately they get us to our destination.
“Like a dragonfly, seeking quick changes of direction from cloud to cloud, we move from one challenge to the next. Essential detours and lessons color our being in a unique way. We store all these experiences in our own little cloud, which makes us shine in all our many facets.”
Timon Virag
Find out more about MKD x nextcomic 2025 and the mysterious digital creatures that scurry across the glowing façade of the museum at night. Or take part in the Deep Space Experience on 26 March 2025 to discover Fortify together with the artists in Deep Space 8K.