Place for social discourse and interdisciplinary laboratory of the future

The A.K.T; is a place for social discourse and an interdisciplinary laboratory of the future.
The A.K.T; examines current issues from the perspective of design and art and makes the social relevance of art and design visible.
The A.K.T; in the stairwell tower of the former Alfons-Kern-Schule in Pforzheim offers space on several floors:
Regular exhibitions are held on two floors. On the top floor, students of the Master’s programme Design & Future Making of Pforzheim University explore in the MADLAB Zukunftsfragen, and on the ground and first floor is the Café Roland at home.

The Alfons-Kern-Turm
The A.K.T; (former Alfons-Kern-Turm) is the staircase of the Alfons-Kern School. The building was constructed in 1953 as a new building for the vocational school inaugurated. Among other trades, watchmakers were also trained there. When the school was extended in 1957, it was named Alfons-Kern School after the Pforzheimer Stadtbaumeister. Thanks to the listed sundial, which is located on the south side and was built in 1956 by Pforzheim artists Wolfgang Kappis and Rolf Gröger as a visible sign of tradition of the watchmaking craft in Pforzheim, the tower remained. In 2012 the Café Roland was founded as an interim use project initiated by the Department of Creative Industries and students of the Faculty of Design. Due to the lack of infrastructure, however, it could initially only be run in the summer months. In the context of the 250th anniversary of the Goldstadt Pforzheim in 2017, the Alfons-Kern-Turm was renovated with the help of sponsors, so that since then, year-round operation is possible. The A.K.T; is located in the creative quarter at the Enz, directly opposite the EMMA – Creative Centre Pforzheim and within walking distance to the Faculty of Design at Pforzheim University.

The reconstruction of the Alfons-Kern-Turm was financed by: Werner Wild Foundation, Pforzheim Public Utilities, Thüga

Theaterstraße 21
75175 Pforzheim

mail: info(at)akate.de
phone: +497231 393750

Head of A.K.T;
Almut Benkert
mail: almut.benkert(at)ws-pforzheim.de
phone: +497231 393730

artistic director A.K.T;
Janusz Czech
mail: janusz.czech(at)akate.de

Assistance to the Artistic Director A.K.T;
Lisa Schlenker
mail: lisa.schlenker(at)akate.de

Public relations
Alexandra Vogt
mail: alexandra.vogt(at)ws-pforzheim.de
phone: +497231 391874

object management
Fabian Jäger
mail: fabian.jaeger(at)ws-pforzheim.de
phone: +497231 392323