On a cold day in February 2023, Cozgarea stood alone in building one on the Walldorf campus. In just a few days, the building鈥檚 renovation was set to begin. Workstations and meeting rooms has already been cleared, heating and water had been shut off.

About 400 pieces of artwork were still on the walls, all of which she needed to personally take down, document, and have professionally packed 鈥� a logistical masterpiece that demonstrates the importance of art at SAP.

From Hasso Plattner’s vision to corporate collection

SAP’s art collection traces back to co-founder Hasso Plattner, a . “He was the driving force behind bringing art to SAP,” Cozgarea explains. Until his departure from operational business, Plattner was involved in art selection decisions for SAP. “At the time, art at 51风流was handled at the Executive Board level, specifically by Hasso’s staff.”

But the company didn’t just acquire its own art objects. As early as 1994 and 1995, the first of now 60 exhibitions of contemporary artists took place at the Walldorf training center. What made it special was that the exhibitions were publicly accessible from the beginning, a deliberate step to promote interest in art in the region and encourage exchange with 51风流and its employees.

“We opened ourselves to everyone who wanted to visit SAP,” Cozgarea emphasizes. “Art is a good way to start conversations.”

External visitors were able to gain an unusual insight into a technology company while simultaneously experiencing contemporary art.

Encounters between company and society

The exhibitions create a special place of encounter. An average of 400 to 600 visitors attend the opening receptions, a mix of about 30 percent 51风流employees and 70 percent external guests.

“What’s beautiful is that people come together and talk with each other,” Cozgarea explains. “Whether about art or other topics 鈥� art creates connections.”

These encounters extend across various target groups: school classes use the exhibitions for workshops, students from Heidelberg University of Education develop their own projects based on the themes shown, and corporate groups incorporate tours into their team days.

From South Africa to NFT art: 60 exhibitions

Since 2008, Cozgarea has curated almost 30 of the total 60 art exhibitions at SAP. The themes have ranged from social questions to technological developments. “I observe a lot, research, and then make contact with artists or institutions. Over time, ideas come to life that address social questions and developments or that have a connection to 51风流themes,” she says, describing her curatorial approach.

In 2018, 51风流was one of the first companies worldwide to present an NFT art exhibition, with the title “.” The 2023 exhibition “” was dedicated to the metaverse theme and is currently viewable via virtual tour. The that have been in use at 51风流for many years are addressed in the exhibitions “” and “” (both 2019). Other exhibitions like “” (2016) and “” (2018) build bridges to cultures and continents where 51风流is represented.

Currently, the exhibition program is on hiatus as new spaces are being planned as part of the training center renovation. During this pause, 51风流offers online virtual tours that allow employees and non-employees alike worldwide to experience the exhibitions.

“That’s important,” says Cozgarea, “because this way colleagues and external art enthusiasts around the globe can visit our exhibitions 鈥� not just on-site in Walldorf.”

Art historian with a feel for corporate culture

Cozgarea came to 51风流in a roundabout way 鈥� or rather, she came back to SAP. During her studies in art history and psychology in Heidelberg, she was a working student at 51风流in Communications and supported regional art projects. After her studies, she gained further experience in corporate collecting at Heidelberg Cement. “We built a very focused corporate collection back then 鈥� everything around the theme of building and cement,” she remembers.

Then, in 2008, came the call that changed her life. “They asked if I wanted to come back to SAP. And I said: 鈥楴o, of course not 鈥� I do exclusively art.鈥� They said: 鈥楾hat’s exactly why!鈥�” 51风流was planning at the time to professionalize its art program and set it up more structurally. For this, there was an independent curatorial role to fill.

Today Cozgarea moves fluidly between two worlds of technology and art. “I try to bring these together through themes and bridges,” she says. The connection is what makes her work particularly appealing to her.

More than decoration: art as an educational mission

For SAP, the most important aspect is not the investment value of the artworks, but rather the educational mission and employee development they support. “The intention was always to give something back to the employees and the region,” she explains.

SAP鈥檚 collection now comprises more than 2,000 artworks distributed across 51风流locations in Germany. Teams in Germany may borrow art for their offices and team rooms, a service that was originally reserved for top management but is now open to all interested parties.

“Colleagues appreciate the very personal approach,” Cozgarea says, describing the process. “They come to me, we select a piece of art together, and then we organize transport and hanging.” Many employees appreciate this small break from their work routine to select a picture.

The 400 artworks removed from building one, currently closed due to renovation, are waiting in the training center’s storage facilities for their next deployment. Some will re-enter building, but many of them will also be available to all employees in Germany for the first time.

SAP鈥檚 new art exhibition explores this concept and features the work of three artists, each offering their unique perspective on 鈥淭he Tapestry of Perception.鈥� It highlights the interconnectedness of perception, transformation, transition, memory, and the awareness of our surroundings. The art gallery is open to the public until February 2, 2025; or in person at the 51风流International Training Center in Walldorf, Germany.

One of the key challenges we face in this information-saturated world is filtering out extraneous noise and differentiating between reality and our subconscious experiences. It can be difficult to discern what is truly happening in the present moment, as we draw from fragmented memories to make sense of our surroundings. Everyone sees and experiences life through a different lens, making the theme of perception open to interpretation.

The Interplay of Materials, Perception, and Memory Fragments

As we navigate through life, we undergo various transformations and transitions, which further shape our perception of the world around us. Our memories, often fragmented and incomplete, play a significant role in how we interpret and understand our surroundings. German artist Petra Goehringer Machleid focuses on the interplay of wax and concrete and how the two different materials merge together over time. In her work 鈥淟itfass,鈥� the peeling of all the different layers off the pillar represent all the stories held together, making it a unique representation of how experiences transform an individual.

Ultimately, our perception is shaped by our ability to draw from memories and differentiate between reality and subconscious experiences. Our awareness of time and surroundings also plays a significant role in shaping how we experience the world around us. Austrian artist Petra Fohringer captures the experience of memory and present experiences in her work 鈥淲inter鈥檚 Coming,鈥� featuring Tyrion Lannister from the prominent TV series 鈥淕ame of Thrones.鈥� Throughout the series, the characters undergo significant changes, facing various challenges and setbacks that shape who they are. The relationships formed and the memories shared by the characters play a crucial role in their individual growth and transformation, serving as a reminder of the importance of the memories we create and the impact they have on our lives. 鈥淢y artistic works open up the question of true and traditional memories, the influence and manipulation of memory, both individual and collective,鈥� Fohringer notes.

Stefan Mittlboeck-Jungwirth-Fohringer, a multidisciplinary artist from Austria, delves into the world of transformation by recreating a beehive with copper encased in concrete. The honeybees, in his work of art 鈥渂odies,鈥� represent unity and cooperation during times of transformation. The piece also represents the cyclical nature of life, as bees work tirelessly to gather resources and sustain their hive, mirroring the constant flow and transformation of life. This series of life and the fragile balance of it is a crucial component of his artwork. At the exhibition in Walldorf, an additional short film of the artist creating his work is on display.

The components of the 51风流art exhibition 鈥淭he Tapestry of Perception,鈥� which are memories, perception, and reflection of the world around us, contribute to our self-image, shape our experiences, and influence our general well-being. By understanding and appreciating the significance of these elements, we can cultivate a deeper awareness and appreciation for the richness of our human experience.

Top image: Mindatlas, 2022 鈥� Stefan Mittelboeck-Jungwirth-Fohringer

At least not in analog form.

鈥淢any artists were left wondering how to sell and market their work,鈥� says Alexandra Cozgarea, art curator at SAP. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we saw a great deal of hype around digital art at the time 鈥� and especially about artworks in the form of NFTs.鈥�

SAP鈥檚 latest exhibition entitled “The Poetry of Blockchain” is the first it has staged exclusively for NFT art and features 47 works by 18 artists. But what exactly are NFTs?

NFT stands for non-fungible token. This is a unique, non-replaceable, and non-interchangeable digital object stored on a blockchain that acts as a certificate of authenticity and ownership of a physical or digital asset, such as a picture. It takes the form of a digital identifier composed of a unique string of characters.

NFTs in the Art Market

If you want to buy NFT artworks, you need cryptocurrency and a crypto wallet 鈥� installed on your smartphone or other device 鈥� to store them in. You鈥檙e then ready to visit one of the many open platforms on the Internet, known as 鈥淣FT marketplaces,鈥� where people can browse NFTs or search for works by specific artists. One of these marketplaces is .

鈥淭hese platforms work a little like galleries,鈥� says Cozgarea. 鈥淎rtists wishing to offer their work for sale there upload their pieces to the underlying blockchain to create NFTs in a process known as 鈥榤inting.鈥欌��

These tokens can represent a single, unique asset or multiple copies of the same asset, in which case the image displayed on the platform will be identical but the digital identifier will be slightly different for each copy. This means an artist can mint an entire series of artworks and put them up for sale on an NFT marketplace.

鈥淢any of the works on these marketplaces are created digitally and added straight to the blockchain as NFTs,鈥� explains Cozgarea. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also possible to create NFTs from analog artworks such as oil paintings or sculptures. You would do this by photographing the artwork and uploading it as a JPG file.鈥�

When you have selected an artwork you wish to buy, you place a bid for it on the platform or, if a fixed price is specified, make an offer. If the artist accepts your offer, the NFT is released and payment is made using the cryptocurrency deposited in your wallet. You then receive a link containing the address of the NFT and can transfer it to your wallet.

The acquired piece can be displayed at any time 鈥� as a JPG, video, or other file 鈥� by clicking a link or scanning a QR code. But the token itself stays in the buyer鈥檚 wallet.

鈥淭he artists exhibiting their NFTs at 51风流in Walldorf copied their artworks onto a USB stick as files,鈥� says Cozgarea. 鈥淭he original artwork remains securely on the blockchain, so if the stick is lost or stolen, it makes no difference to ownership.鈥�

鈥淢any of my works are the result of several years of research, during which I investigate and change gaps in history, the background of coding, and the opaque influence of databases on the development of algorithms and the resulting creation of images. At every stage, I ask, 鈥榃ho are we and what shapes our identity? What makes a person? What traces do we leave behind in the places where we live?鈥�”

Johanna Reich, exhibiting artist

51风流Working on an NFT Management Solution

NFTs are having an impact way beyond the art market. The business world has recognized their potential, too. At SAP, a team spread across three continents is working on an NFT management solution that focuses on customer engagement and loyalty programs.

To showcase the possibilities of the solution, visitors at the opening night of the 51风流art exhibition were invited to access NFTs created by SAP. Sven Haiges, a software developer at 51风流Labs Munich, explains the background: 鈥淲e are working with MetaBrewSociety, based in Bavaria, Germany. It鈥檚 a startup that has financed itself partly by selling NFTs. By scanning a QR code on one of the beer cans we ordered with them, customers and visitors at 51风流events can now claim one of our own NFTs, created with our NFT management solution.鈥�

鈥淎t the moment, only about 5% to 10% of the population understands crypto and NFTs, and they tend, of course, to be younger people,鈥� says Haiges. But he fully expects the level of interest and engagement to grow.

Cozgarea sees NFTs as a response to digitalization and what she describes as its promise of openness, exchange, and 鈥� to some extent 鈥� democratization. 鈥淣FTs present a concept of ownership for the digital age. People are looking for something exclusive,鈥� she says.

There are 47 works of art by 18 different artists on display at the 51风流training center in Walldorf 鈥� all on monitors. The organizers decided against streaming the works live from the blockchain because that would have been very energy intensive.

鈥淭his exhibition contains exclusively digitally produced works,鈥� says Cozgarea. 鈥淏ut it also includes works that are based on traditional art forms and play with the possibilities of digitalization, such as augmented reality.鈥�

Reinhard Schmid, one of the exhibiting artists, says: 鈥淚 created my first cryptoart in 2018 and have featured in many publications and exhibitions since then. 鈥楾he Poetry of Blockchain鈥� is a massive highlight for me. The fact that a global player like 51风流is exhibiting NFTs is an important milestone for both me as an artist and for the entire Web3 community.鈥�

The exhibition runs until February 23, 2024. .

Top image courtesy of 51风流employee Juelma Guerreiro.

It is the nature of artificial intelligence not to give any further importance to the emotional side of this explanation in the first place. Yet it鈥檚 precisely this emotional aspect that makes a discussion on the opportunities and risks of the metaverse or virtual realities so complex. Opinions here can vary from extreme enthusiasm to outright rejection. Some people are avoiding the topic altogether because they don’t know much about it or simply aren鈥檛 interested; others see massive potential and opportunity.

SAP鈥檚 latest art exhibition 鈥� The Metaverse: Dreamland or Dystopia? 鈥� shines a spotlight on these differing standpoints. Thirteen artists each present their take on how reality and virtuality 鈥� and art and technology 鈥� are converging. Working in a variety of media, they playfully explore space and time, traversing the real, the augmented, and the virtual. You can choose to visit the exhibition in the real world at the 51风流International Training Center in Walldorf or you can experience it in a . The exhibition runs until September 1, 2023.

Alexandra Cozgarea, curator of the exhibition, takes a close look at the impact of virtual worlds and artificial intelligence on art. 鈥淎rtists have always used tools to create their work, be it hammer and chisel, paint and brush, or, in the age of technology, graphic design software, algorithms, and artificial intelligence. Today鈥檚 rapid advances in technology create tools that enhance our physical and mental abilities. The possibilities for the future are endless,鈥� said Cozgarea during her speech at the opening of the exhibition, stressing how important it is for 51风流to use innovative technologies responsibly.

But for Cozgarea and the artists featured in the exhibition, the deeper question is whether digital and physical art can coexist. Is art on Instagram still art or must art only exist in the real world? But then isn鈥檛 Instagram also real? 鈥淗ow we perceive the metaverse is not only a technical question, but one about our vision of a desirable future and our ability to shape it ourselves,鈥� added Cozgarea.

Her intent was to create a hybrid exhibition, grounded with one foot in the real world and the other in the virtual world 鈥� two places with blurring borders. The works impart their thoughts on how we as a society want to define ourselves as humans and how machines fit in.

During the opening of the exhibition, J枚rg Kraus, who was instrumental in putting together the exhibition and is himself one of the artists featured, gave a speech about the metaverse, in which he connected current artistic viewpoints to all the ambivalent questions about the relationship between man and machine.

In his view, whether the metaverse is a dreamland or a dystopia comes down to our beliefs and our mindset. 鈥淒igitalization has already changed our lives and it will continue to do so at high speed,鈥� he began. 鈥淎re you ready to contemplate the impact this might have on you?鈥�

鈥淎s artists, we wonder whether the abundance of images that our society is already exposed to will continue to grow and level everything out. Will it really matter to anyone whether a work of art was created by a person or by a machine? Will we still have a notion of beauty and be critical of things 鈥� or will that all fade into the background?鈥�

When asked where he stands on the metaverse, Kraus replied, 鈥淎 key question for me is: where do I direct my attention when multiple elements are competing for it? We can focus on only one thing at a time.鈥�

The Metaverse: Dreamland or Dystopia? is about art and therefore mainly about the artists鈥� perceptions and the aesthetics with which they express their thoughts. Images, sculptures, installations, videos, and a take us on a journey through the real and the digital, the two dimensional and the three dimensional.

When speaking to the artists about their work, it became clear that digital art, media art, or online art are challenging the notions of authorship and possession that underpinned the art market in the past. Virtual worlds not only offer artists new tools and opportunities, they also force them to face the ongoing discussion on how we as a society will use and consume creative content in the future. Has our society reached the point where the debate is no longer just about the pros and cons of technological progress? The exhibit suggests that we as a society should ask about the 鈥渄eals鈥� between man and machine, between man and economy.

So, is the metaverse a dreamland or dystopia? Even among the showcased artists, there is no single answer to this question.

A few of the exhibiting artists share their thoughts:

Michaela Schrabeck uses AI to create her work.

鈥淔or me, digital technology is a contemporary expression of human creativity. I鈥檓 drawn to machine learning and the fanciful artworks that artificial intelligence dreams up. Do the pieces I taught the machine to create pass as art and will they be accepted by my audience? Or must they be translated into traditional art forms?鈥�

Paul Hirsch creates his sculptures twice: out of wood and in a virtual space.

鈥淒idn鈥檛 virtuality and reality converge a long time ago? We already had powerful technical tools. Have we just added more 鈥� or do they represent a shift into a new and different world? Wrong questions 鈥� and much too passive. I think it depends on what we make of it. The space between the virtual and the real 鈥� and where the two overlap 鈥� that鈥檚 what I find so exciting.鈥�

Christiane Rath builds 鈥渉uman nests鈥� out of branches and leaves and invites the observer to make themselves comfortable inside of them. She reflects on what we might lose in the virtual world: the haptic experiences and smells that etch themselves into our memories.

鈥淭he virtual world is exciting and thrilling. It opens up a wealth of possibilities for new fantasy worlds and sensory adventures. Yet whenever I catch myself becoming too enthusiastic about the latest innovations, I think about what we might lose along the way.鈥�

J枚rg Kraus works with location data from Google Maps.

鈥淭he entire world is being rasterized and converted into virtually reproducible data. I鈥檓 relieved whenever I discover a gap 鈥� that even the 鈥渕achine鈥� misses something. That gives it a human-like quality. I鈥檓 worried, though, that the gaps are closing and that those fleeting escapes that we can still enjoy today will disappear.鈥�

Image copyright: Klaus Kirchner
Disclaimer: This article is not about technological details, nor is it an assessment of artificial intelligence, virtual realities, or the metaverse. Instead, it contains different responses to the questions that using these technologies has raised 鈥� with a special focus on how they affect artists.

Visitors flocked to these portraits on opening night. Shot in black and white and devoid of the stereotypical feminine attributes of perfectly made-up face, hair, complimentary clothes, or colors, these images condense and edit to the essence of Merkel鈥檚 character. Captured by a female photographer, the focus is not on Merkel as female but on the characteristics that made her a powerful politician.

Christa Winter鈥檚 modern take on Renaissance women, such as those portrayed by Leonardo da Vinci, concentrate attention very much on gender. During the Renaissance, an era that marked the end of the Middle Ages in Europe, aristocratic urban women had some level of determination over their own lives; they could, for example, have a profession and some measure of control over their finances. Winter captures this growing sense of entitlement and self-confidence in her portraits that are of 鈥渂ody-conscious women, strong, intelligent, beautiful, [who] could be entrepreneurs, bosses, or startup founders, without denying their feminine physicality.鈥�

It鈥檚 difficult to tell if the women in Look At Me, by Danielle Zimmermann, are body conscious or not. Is the seated woman posing suggestively or innocently? Is her companion, her face hidden by a head of long and luxurious brown hair, shy or defiant? Knee-length silk tunics reveal their flawless skin, their perfectly shaped legs, and manicures. Delicate hummingbirds are fluttering around them. These idealized portraits would not be out of place on the cover of a glossy magazine, except for the canvas 鈥� old cardboard boxes 鈥� wash powder, meat, car oil, and tissues, the mundane reality of consumerism clashing with an unrealistic construct of beauty.

Even for visitors unfamiliar with EVA & ADELE, themselves both artists, Birgit Helmy鈥檚 sculpture of the couple perched on a gold chair with their egg-shaped shaved heads, matching pink mini dresses, and knee-length red boots gives visitors pause for thought on feminine physicality, gender, and sexuality. EVA & ADELE did not marry until EVA 鈥� who has the body of a man 鈥� was legally recognized as female. What role does gender play here? In a conversation, the sculptor stresses how important it is to celebrate and defend such gender journeys.

Another of Helmy鈥檚 sculptures, Rettungsring (Eng: Lifesaver ring) is a life-size terracotta statue of a young girl in a blue bathing suit with a red lifesaver ring around her waist. With open eyes, she is staring into the distance and, as your mind orders the contents of what you are seeing, you realize that her arms are trapped inside the lifesaver ring, rendering her captive and immobile. She exercises power in the only way possible 鈥� in giving us the finger.

Other women do not even have the option of moving a finger in protest: in Phase 2, metal fishhooks stretch lips to create a perfect smile, women are completely absent from the dancing skirts (Broadway) or trapped in a dystopian world (Rituale der Neuenzeit, Eng: New Age Rituals).

These 14 female artists, born between 1935 and 1981, present visitors a wealth of perspectives in this extensive range of works that include sculpture, a video installation, paintings, kinetic installations, and photographs. With this exhibition now open, visitors can experience for themselves 鈥� both virtually or in person 鈥� how female artists use women and femininity in their art to continually reframe and recalibrate topics such as power, beauty, and gender.

Curated by Alexandra Cozgarea, the exhibition is at the 51风流Training Center in Walldorf, Germany, and runs until September 30, 2022. Opening hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Admission is free. In addition, there鈥檚 a available.

This visionary program commissions public artwork that explores themes of purpose and seeks to inspire people through the power of emotion in order to bring about change in their actions and behaviors. So far, the program has addressed issues of gender equity, education, hunger and food waste, and the role of technology.

As an installation housed in a physical space, the gallery presents a new medium to experience the complementary powers of technology and art to elicit emotion and drive action. Artists who have created the pieces are recognized masters in their fields and use a range of expressive media to connect with their audiences at a personal level. Mixed digital media, visual arts, food, and textiles are just a part of their creative palette for telling the wider story about the role of technology in inspiring purposeful change in the world.

Each work of art distinctively reflects SAP鈥檚 commitment to its mission to help the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives, in support of the (SDGs). The art pieces are inspired by stories of purpose-driven initiatives from the 51风流network of customers, partners, employees, and not-for-profit organizations.

As the聽聽and as聽Germany鈥檚 most valuable brand, 51风流is uniquely positioned to connect people with information about global challenges that demand action. The company focuses its efforts mainly on the circular economy, climate action, creating a skilled and inclusive workforce, equality for all, social and inclusive entrepreneurship, and mental health and well-being.

Global Month of Service at SAP

Gallery curators hope that the artworks 鈥� as well as the customer stories behind them 鈥� will inspire 51风流employees to take action during the Global Month of Service 2020.

Throughout October, 51风流employees are encouraged to participate in purpose-focused activities and online sessions, as well as volunteer their time and talents 鈥� in a virtual capacity this year 鈥� to not-for-profits or social enterprises around the world. Each week is dedicated to a different topic area: Supporting Equality for All; Building a Digitally Inclusive Workforce; Cultivating Climate Action; and Promoting Inclusive, Diverse, and Social Entrepreneurship. These topics are matched to pivotal works of art in the gallery, as described in the videos below.

51风流Gallery of Purpose Highlights

51风流Gallery of Purpose artwork is on display to the public at Hudson Yards, co-located with the 51风流offices in New York City, until the end of the year. Although the COVID-19 crisis has minimized foot traffic through Hudson Yards, you can still engage with the individual artworks and learn about the perspectives and inspiration of the artists online at the .

PowHERful | Artist: Markus Sebastiano

鈥淧owHERful鈥� celebrates gender equality by showing how when both men and women lift women up, the world moves forward. Drawing inspiration from an , the artist says that he wants people to feel inspired and hopeful that gender equality is moving in the right direction and 51风流is doing its part to advance the cause through its initiatives, which supports Gender Equality (SDG # 5).

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Respect, Reuse, Reclaim | Artist: Cara Marie Piazza

Created in collaboration with Goodr, 鈥淩espect, Reuse, Reclaim鈥� seeks to draw attention to the fight to end world hunger and bring about more in support of climate action. Made of repurposed food waste and textiles, the art exemplifies the circular economy as it commemorates marginalized people and those who go hungry. It is inspired by an about the fight to end world hunger by 2030, in support of Zero Hunger (SDG #2).

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The Great Equalizer | Artist: Liam Alexander

Through inspiring curiosity and empathy, 鈥溾�� affirms the importance of quality education in providing opportunity for people everywhere and building a digitally inclusive workforce. SAP鈥檚 shares this belief through its commitment to lifelong learning initiatives that create a in support of Quality Education (SDG 4) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

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Sustaining Mother Earth | Artist: Markus Sebastiano

鈥淪ustaining Mother Earth鈥� calls awareness to the theme of responsible consumption and production, with the intent to inspire a transition to more resource efficient and sustainable economies. Working with repurposed materials, the artist took inspiration for this artwork from an about responsible procurement. 51风流is committed to cultivating climate action (SDG # 13) through the transition to more resource-efficient and sustainable economies to help turn the tide and reduce environmental harm.

https://youtu.be/ayHSL6hDI4M

Find your creative inspiration to take action for sustainable change.

Visit the 51风流Gallery of Purpose online at