Volkswagen Group supports next year’s headline exhibition, ‘The Future Starts Here’ at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

• Presentation of ‘The Future Starts Here’ at the London-based Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
• Digital technologies and their influence on future developments form the theme of the museum’s major exhibition in 2018
• Exhibition curators shared ideas with experts from the Volkswagen Group Future Center in Potsdam

The Volkswagen Group is the lead sponsor of ‘The Future Starts Here’ exhibition, which will be a major show in the 2018 programme at the internationally renowned Victoria and Albert Museum.

‘The Future Starts Here’ exhibition at the V&A is set to provide diverse views on tomorrow’s life, encouraging visitors to mindfully balance opportunities and risks of future developments. The show will feature creations from several international artists and designers, along with designated works from visionaries of the digital world, such as Miranda July, Kei Kreutler and the interaction design studios Stamen and Tellart. Visitors will also have the chance to see portraits of Chelsea Manning generated by her DNA and objects printed by the world’s first zero gravity printer.

As part of their preparations for the exhibition, V&A curators Rory Hyde and Mariana Pestana met with experts from the Volkswagen Group Future Center in Potsdam to discuss how digitisation influences future mobility.

“The V&A stands out with its commitment to look ahead and its dedication to echo various perspectives. This has led to a great collection of thoughts about the links between technological progress and future life, and we feel privileged to be able to foster this outstanding project. Our support will also allow for the inspiration of a wide audience with ideas about future life on a personal as well as on a social level”, explained Benita von Maltzahn, Head of Cultural and Social Engagement at Volkswagen Group Communications, during the presentation of the exhibition concept, today.

As lead sponsor of ‘The Future Starts Here’, the Volkswagen Group builds upon its support for the V&A which it partnered with for the Engineering Season, in May 2016. As well as its partnership with the V&A, Volkswagen Group also cultivates a multi-year partnership with Nationalgalerie-Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Volkswagen Group of America is a long-term partner of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the MoMA PS1 in New York, while Volkswagen Group China has launched a multifaceted cultural engagement programme in the world’s most populous country. This year, the Volkswagen Group is also partner of the cultural activities in the frame of the German Season in Qatar. Providing a large audience with access to arts and culture, all these initiatives underline the Group’s commitment to its worldwide social responsibility.