The Nemesis Machine
16 May to 19 November 2023
HNF will display the Nemesis Machine, a spectacular art installation comprising thousands of circuit boards, monitors, chips and computer components that the London-based artist Stanza assembled into a pulsating, networked electronic world over several years, in the process creating a megacity of the future driven by big data.
Paper airplanes and Twister – hands-on computer science
3 October 2021 to 8 January 2023
The large hands-on exhibition provides a playful introduction to the world of computer science. Why can a computer store so many files and how is a film made? Visitors can solve tricky tasks at interactive stations and learn about the basics of information technology along the way.
Best of HNF - A stroll through 25 years
24 Oktober 2021 to 7 August 2022
The anniversary exhibition looks back – with a twinkle in its eye – at the 25-year history of the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum. Visitors experience a colourful tour through all the highlights, set up in the style of a fun fair.
#MyHNF – Photo exhibition
22 June 2021 to 24 April 2022
This photo exhibition presents original, artistic and special views of the HNF. The 50 photographs in this exhibition were submitted by visitors as part of a competition and selected by a jury. Each photo tells a story from the 25-year history of the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum. The exhibition includes snapshots and artistic image compositions, impressions from special exhibitions and events, spontaneous moments captured during museum visits and artistic images of exhibit objects.
Hello universe! The experience of space travel
5 april 2019 to 1 november 2020
Fifty years after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon, this major exhibition will take visitors on their very own journey into space.
An impressive display of darkness, planets and space vehicles will welcome visitors to the 800-square-metre exhibition, which offers extensive insights into mankind’s conquest of space.
Fifty years after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon, this major exhibition will take visitors on their very own journey into space.
An impressive display of darkness, planets and space vehicles will welcome visitors to the 800-square-metre exhibition, which offers extensive insights into mankind’s conquest of space.
One small step – The moon landing in 50 photographs
5 april 2019 to 1 november 2020
The exhibit will present legendary, relatively unknown and awe-inspiring photos of moon missions that highlight the technology that was used at the time. These photos will go on display in April 2019 and whet people's appetites for the major special exhibition "Hello universe! The experience of space travel".
The exhibit will present legendary, relatively unknown and awe-inspiring photos of moon missions that highlight the technology that was used at the time. These photos will go on display in April 2019 and whet people's appetites for the major special exhibition "Hello universe! The experience of space travel".
Inside Beethoven! The walk-in ensemble
From 26 February to 26 July 2020
The project “Inside Beethoven! The Walk-In Ensemble” by the Detmold University of Music will create a fascinating experience for your ears during the Beethoven anniversary year of 2020. The Septet in E-flat major Opus 20 will be played in the installation.
Bits ‘n’ Beats – Digital drumming for everyone
7 April to 5 August 2018
Historical objects from the early years of electronic percussion instruments and sound generation form part of the exhibition in the foyer. Interactive exhibits invite musicians, laymen, children and adults to join in the drumming. Today’s electronics do more than just imitate the sound of the drums, they also create new worlds of sound via computer – at volumes that won’t upset the neighbours.
Digging Deep – hidden treasures from the museum's warehouse
23 February to 5 August 2018
The HNF’s curators have embarked on a journey of discovery through the museum’s warehouse, unearthing a plethora of timeless treasures, odd rarities and previously largely neglected objects of IT history which will take centre stage in a new, artistically themed special exhibition.
Things come apart: The art of reordering things
25 August to 6 November 2017
Todd McLellan has a passion for taking apart everyday technical objects, ordering them and photographing them. The photos created as a result of this process are art works that impress the viewer with their soberness and their austere simplicity. The 34 photos on show at the HNF are being displayed for the first time in Europe.
Self-sufficient and secure in the digital world
2 March to 30 July 2017
The exhibition showcases exciting projects from the field of IT security research. How does IT security impact on our daily lives, what risks do we face and what do the researchers make of it all? Research institutes present their results using interactive exhibits.
Do It Yourself
12 January to 31 July 2016
More and more people are enjoying DIY and using videos to help them carry out car repairs and home improvements alike. The 100 funniest, weirdest and most wonderful video tutorials can be viewed in the foyer of the HNF.IT began with Ada. Women in computer history
2 September 2015 to 10 July 2016
Ada Lovelace has gone down in IT history as the first ever female computer programmer. 10 December 2015 marks her 200th anniversary. The Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum is commemorating the occasion with a big special exhibition acknowledging the importance of Ada Lovelace and celebrating the role of women in computer history from 2 September 2015 to 10 July 2016.Fashion Talks
9 November 2013 to 15 June 2014
What shall I wear? The clothes we put on are a decision we take every day about how and what we would like to be. Before we can say something, our clothes have already spoken. Every item we wear is a word. Every outfit forms a sentence. Fashion talks!Fashion exists everywhere. It is the freedom we play with and the benchmark we accept or rebel against. Fashion is exclusion and inclusion. It is fast, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet and is contantly moving back and forth between 'in' and 'out'.Interactive Mathematics
26 May to 13 October 2013
The intriguing and playful side of the world of numbers is on display to visitors over an area covering some 500 square metres, allowing them to indulge in dice games, crack codes and stack foam disks at around 50 hands-on exhibits.Max Planck Science Tunnel. Creating knowledge – Shaping the future
18 October 2012 to 24 February 2013
The Max Planck Science Tunnel addresses the megatrends of the 21st century. It takes you on a journey through the major issues of basic research, from the origins of space, the idiosyncrasies of the wonder that is the brain, to the vision of sustainable energy supplies. The new Max Planck Science Tunnel premieres at the HNF before beginning its journey around the world. Next stop: Moscow.Eminent & enigmatic - 10 aspects of Alan Turing
11 January to 16 December 2012
Germany’s Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn is to pay tribute to the achievements of this equally academic and awkward scientist with an ambitious exhibition entitled “Eminent & enigmatic - 10 aspects of Alan Turing”. Its aim is to present Alan Turing’s outstanding achievements to visitors in the form of original exhibits and innovative and artistic installations alike.Codes & Clowns. Claude Shannon - Jongleur der Wissenschaft
6 November 2009 to 25 April 2010
He was one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century, the father of the bit, and the pioneer of the information age in which we live. But Claude Shannon not only stood out by virtue of his perspicacity and ingenuity; he also possessed great humour and originality to boot. The founding father of information theory spent his spare time building juggling robots, chess computers and programmable tin mice. He was often seen riding a unicycle or juggling clubs in his office.The exhibition at the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn showcased a selection of his inventions, ranging from the highly practical to the downright useless. The presentation set Shannon’s inventions in the context of his biography and the history of information technology, shed light on the relevant scientific relationships and implications. The exhibits were on loan from the MIT Museum in Boston, the first time that they had been on show at a different location.
Computer.Sport - High tech in motion
18 January 2009 to 5 July 2009
The spectacular special exhibition demonstrated the significant role played by current computer-based high tech in today’s sporting world. More than 65,000 visitors were provided with a fascinating insight into state-of-the-art developments over 1,000 m² of floorspace. Many of the exhibits could be tested in hands-on fashion at 26 interactive and 12 media stations. Federal Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble was acting as patron for the project..Attention, please: Numbers! The fascinating world between zero and infinity
1 February to 20 July 2008
Visitors were able to experience a highly thrilling and always entertaining tour of the world of numbers covering 700 m² of floorspace. The focus in the ring of the Number Circus was firmly on a hands-on approach to arithmetic. The exhibition provided an insight into games of chance, revealed whether animals can perform calculations and explained how sums were done in earlier ages and by different peoples.The popular exhibition was not only appeal to school classes of all ages, but to everybody with an interest in numbers. It was be accessible to all and attractively designed. There were numerous opportunities to explore the fascination of numbers in hands-on fashion.
Computer.Medicine
24 October 2006 to 20 May 2007
The exhibition was designed to appeal to the interested layman as well as to employees in the healthcare sector. A range of spectacular exhibits demonstrated the computer’s uses and limitations in the field of medicine. Many of these exhibits were interactive in character, thus adding to the exhibition’s attraction. With 93,500 visitors it was the most successful exhibition of the HNF so far.Computer.Brain
24 October 2001 to 28 April 2002
The exhibition presented the current status of development in robotics and artificial intelligence, and compared this with the abilities of the human brain.It showcased the latest robots from international research laboratories and also gave an insight into the world of human senses. 80,500 people visited the exhibition.