Deutsche Telekom’s cultural sponsoring makes Guggenheim exhibition in Bonn possible

July 20, 2006

Over 200 works of art in the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany - German President Horst Köhler is patron - Cultural sponsoring is part of the social responsibility strategy - Multimedia tour guide for first time in Germany - US ambassador at opening.

Some 200 works of art ranging from classical modern to contemporary pieces will be on display in the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany from today until January 7, 2007 in Bonn. Highlights of modern architecture will also be on show between August 25 and November 7. “The Guggenheim” in Bonn has been made possible by Deutsche Telekom AG’s cultural sponsoring as part of its social responsibility strategy. The German President Horst Köhler is patron of the exhibition.

“Our company has a long tradition of cultural sponsoring. As a global telecommunications company, we want to encourage dialog between people across borders and from different cultures. We are convinced that the Guggenheim Exhibition will be a highlight and a major success with the public in the 2006 cultural calendar,” said Kai-Uwe Ricke, CEO of Deutsche Telekom AG.

US ambassador William R. Timken Jr. used the opening in Bonn to underline the significance of the exhibition in terms of German-American cooperation: “The global Guggenheim exhibition is without a doubt one of the highlights on the long list of events that marks the close cooperation between Germany and the US in the field of cultural and artistic exchange over the past fifty years. Artistic exchange - as in the exhibition - is one of the best means of creating and maintaining trust on which every stable international partnership between countries must be founded.”

The Guggenheim exhibition is one of the largest presentations to be staged at the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany to date. Deutsche Telekom’s support for this unique project in the form of material, labor and capital funding is a continuation of its successful cooperation with the Art and Exhibition Hall. The Tutankhamen exhibition staged jointly last year attracted a record number of almost 870,000 visitors.

The Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn is also treading new ground in terms of information and communications technology together with the T-Systems business area of Deutsche Telekom. It is the first museum in Germany to use the Personal Art Assistant (PAA) - a multimedia tour guide that explains the various pieces in the world-famous art collection using texts, audio sequences and films. Unlike standard audio guides, users choose their own route through the exhibition with the PAA and decide on the order or depth of information themselves. Visitors also have the chance to interact with the exhibition hall. The Personal Art Assistant receives the multimedia data wirelessly from the museum’s central computer. For this purpose, T-Systems constructed a fast wireless LAN (W-LAN) in the Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn that serves the entire 6,000 m² exhibition space.

The multimedia guide was developed by T-Systems Austria in collaboration with the Austrian knowledge management agency NOUS. The PAA is a step towards a new and exciting experience of art and culture. Visitors receive in-depth multimedia information in the form of audio recordings, images, videos and photos about the relevant artist and their work on a user-friendly screen. All information is available in several languages. The issue of unrestricted access was also considered during development. For example, all videos are also available in sign language.

The partnership between Deutsche Telekom and the Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn makes cultural highlights accessible to a broad public audience. The Group is aiming to offer what is considered an elite discipline to a broad social spectrum and is thus making the exhibition possible with its sponsoring. The company’s marketing expertise also ensures that the campaign will have a far-reaching marketing impact. Deutsche Telekom’s social contribution, under the motto “Responsibility for the Future,” is as diverse as the Group itself.

For more on the Guggenheim Collection, visit our special: www.telekom3.de/en-p/comp/7-sp/11-g/star/cc-startseite.html

Contact Information

Michael Lange

Vice President International Communications

Deutsche Telekom

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