Ars Electronica Center

The Ars Electronica Center is situated in Linz at the northern side of the Danube on the opposite side of the city hall of Linz. It has been built on the right side of the Nibelungenbrücke and is as well known as AEC- the abbreviation of Ars Electronica Center.

It is also called the "Museum of the future" and can be seen as one of the most important sights of Linz because the most modern techniques on the Technology sector are shown to the visitors of the museum. The museum has got six floors full of results of creative work from hi-tech freaks all over the world.

The top of the AEC is called the "Sky Media Loft" in which is mainly used as the coffee house or bar of the museum but it can also be rented for meetings or certain events. The bar has occasionally been used as the studio for the Newscast of the local TV branch of the Austrian national TV organization ORF[?]. The speciality of the "Sky Media Loft" is the marvellous view over the Nibelungenbrücke and the main place of Linz at the other side of the Danube which functions as background of the Newscasts.

The second Floor is also called the floor where people can "Get in Touch" with the exhibits. There are Musicbottles[?] filled with different sorts of music or Pingpongplus[?] which is a Ping-Pong game on a desk with virtual Water on its surface waiting for the visitor to be explored. The first floor offers the world that had been hidden from our eyes. In the "Hidden Worlds" various machines are translating our voice and our words into virtual symbols or colours and everyday life articles can be moved on a screen if they are touched.

The little room between the first and the ground floor one of the main attractions is offered. The flight simulator "Humphrey" allows to dive into a world only made up by Bytes. The goggle gives the user the right view of the flight and the person taking the trip is connected to the computer by cables fixed all over the body. It is possible to fly everywhere and to see the movements of the hands, feet and the landscape if the visitor raises the head or looks down.

The entrance or the so called "Login Gateway" of the museum is on the ground floor and leads the newcomer directly to the Telegarden where a robot is looking after a flower patch. Every ticket is provided with a bar code that gives information about the time the visitor stepped into the museum. After the visit the ticket can be put into a computer near the Exit and it gives statistic information about the things that happened in the world during the span of the stay in the AEC. The List that is printed out gives information about how many people died or were born during that time or how many accidents have been caused by drunken drivers.

The last floor is called "Virtual Reality" and it can be found in the basement of the building. The Cave is another very interesting attraction of the museum. The cube with 3 meters side length is used as a screen to project the virtual world. There are always groups of about 10 that dive into a world were no physically laws do not have any meaning. Additionally, the 3D eyeglasses give the impression of a bodyful environment.

For the ones that are frightened to be faced with a world to complex and confusing the so called "Infotainer" help through the whole exhibition. The "Infotainer" are not machines but humans who can answer all the questions immediately and show the visitor all of the 2000 square meter full of creative objects. The entrance is 6 Euros for adults and half price for children and other persons with reduction right. Get also more information on the Homepage of the Ars Electronice Center:

External Link

http://www.aec.at