Technisches
Museum Wien mit Österreichischer Mediathek (TMW) is a public institution with
a cultural mission. After several years of restoration, the historic building
re-opened on June 17, 1999. The re-opening accommodated a conceptual re-positioning.
At the dawn of the 21st century, TMW is determined to become a place of discourse
on the different views of technology in the course of history. It shows technological
change as a part of society's history, and technology itself as a complex cultural
phenomenon - the interchange of natural and technological facts, scientific
results, human desires and opposing economic and political interests. The museum
shows the tension between euphoric and negatory positions regarding technology
which involve everybody. The museum intends to be open to the future. It offers
rich experiences in technological development mechanisms and the latest trends,
inviting the visitor to become critical and conscious in their approach towards
technology.
The permanent exhibition "medien.welten" was the last area to be
opened at the museum. This gallery (opened in March 2003) occupy more than
2500 square meters on the second floor. Currently three exhibition areas are
planned: storage media, communication media, and audio-visual media. Storage
media is concerned with print, mechanical data processing, office automation,
humans and computers, data networks, and digital media. Communication media
contains postal services, optical and electrical telegraphs, telephone, radio,
and communication networks. Finally, audio-visual media embraces photo, film,
broadcast radio, television, and consumer media. An AV-experience room will
allow visitors to participate in professional radio, television, and movie
production. A VR-experience room offers the exploration of synthetic, stereoscopic
worlds. In cooperation with Telekom Austria, a public WLAN access point will
be integrated in the permanent exhibition area.
Partner in following EU-projects:
Virtual Showcase VS, IST-2000-28610
SCALEX, IST-2001-35103
Key person:
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Techn. Otmar Moritsch received a master's degree in
technical physics and a PhD from Vienna University of Technology. Employment
at Siemens Munich and Max Planck Institute of Extraterrestrian Physics in Garching
near Munich. Research assistant at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Vienna
University of Technology; scientific publications in several international
journals. Since 1997 head of the department of Information and Communication
Technology at TMW. Curator of the central hall in the museum and head of the
new exhibition "medien.welten".
