What Connecting Cities does

Connecting Cities Network is a Berlin-based, non-profit cultural network initiated and coordinated by Public Art Lab e.V. under the direction of Susa Pop, founded in 2013 with support from the European Union Culture Programme 2007-2013 and subsequently the Creative Europe Programme. Its core product is a connected infrastructure of media facades, urban screens, and projection sites that circulates artistic and social content across member cities, positioned explicitly in opposition to commercial use of urban media. The network's operational layer consists of city-to-city events, research residencies, mobile urban media labs, workshops, conferences, and since 2018 the Urban Media Art Academy educational programme.

The network is governed as a consortium of roughly 40 partner institutions spanning cultural organizations, municipalities, festivals, and universities across Europe, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and North America — including Ars Electronica, FACT Liverpool, Medialab-Prado, iMAL, m-cult, Foundation Bauhaus Dessau, Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation, and Federation Square Melbourne. Its customer base is therefore institutional partners rather than commercial buyers: municipalities, cultural institutions, and foundations that co-program urban media art projects on shared infrastructure.

Connecting Cities has no commercial pricing, no proprietary software product, and no disclosed revenue. Its business model is grant-funded non-profit network economics, supplemented by in-kind partner contributions. Reach signals include 18 partner institutions producing projects for the 2013 CC Events, partner-festival audience figures of approximately 75,000 (Ars Electronica) and over 1 million across a decade (Illuminating York), and 50+ light works at the Guangzhou International Festival of Lights — these are engagement metrics for the broader ecosystem rather than Connecting Cities' own commercial KPIs.

Name

Connecting Cities

Legal name

Connecting Cities Network

Website

https://connectingcities.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Connecting Cities is a Berlin-based, EU-funded non-profit network coordinated by Public Art Lab e.V. that connects urban media facades, screens, and projection sites across 40+ partner institutions worldwide to circulate artistic and social content between cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Media Art Network

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Neighborhood Community Platforms (MPACAJAI)

Keywords

• Urban media art
• Media facades
• Cultural networks
• Urban screens
• Public art programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. European Union Cultural Programme: Funding support from the Culture Programme 2007-2013 of the European Union and Creative Europe Programme for network operations and collaborative projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Connecting Cities operates a global network that connects media facades, urban screens, and projection sites across cities to circulate artistic and social content. The network establishes this infrastructure through events, workshops, conferences, artist residencies, and mobile urban media labs, providing municipalities, cultural institutions, and artists with platforms for citizen exchange that operate as alternatives to commercial advertising on urban displays.

Product overview

Connecting Cities is a global network that operates as a platform for urban media art infrastructure and programming. The core offering is the Connected Infrastructure Network of media facades, urban screens, and projection sites, supplemented by the Urban Media Art Academy educational program, Connecting Cities Events (city-to-city interventions), research residencies, mobile urban media labs, and workshops/conferences. These components work together to establish media facades as platforms for citizen exchange rather than commercial advertising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Media Infrastructure Network Connected infrastructure of media facades, urban screens, and projection sites that circulates artistic and social content across cities, serving as platforms for citizen exchange. Built and maintained with partner institutions across Europe, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and the Americas.
• Urban Media Art Academy Networked global educational initiative that investigates and intermediates urban media art as an interdisciplinary domain of practice, theory, and knowledge sharing, drawing upon expertise from universities, arts organizations, NGOs, cultural centres, city labs and media architectural initiatives.
• Connecting Cities Events City-to-city live interventions embedded in local programmes and festivals, featuring urban media art projects that circulate within the network on interconnected infrastructure of urban screens, media facades, and projection walls.
• Research Residencies Artist residency programmes providing opportunities for creative research and development in urban media art contexts across the network's partner institutions.
• Mobile Urban Media Labs Process-oriented interventions and public activities using mobile units to engage communities with urban media art across cities in the network.
• Workshops and Conferences Educational and knowledge-sharing events covering topics such as 'What Urban Media Art Can Do', curatorial practices, and urban media in public space, hosted at partner venues and conferences.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sila SvetacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017New partner (2017) based in Moscow and Los Angeles. Interactive media studio specializing in immersive experiences, interactive installations, events, festivals, and multimedia content.
• Jesuit Cultural Centre AlexandriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017New partner (2017) in Alexandria, Egypt. Independent non-profit institution (est. 1953) educating youth through creative activities for positive societal change.
• Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016New partner from Beijing, China (2016). Public funding foundation focusing on urban culture and contemporary art. Registered 2008, directed by Beijing Cultural Affairs Bureau.
• Pin ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016New partner (2016) from Beijing, China. Cultural promotion and management agency focusing on contemporary art, design, architecture, and new media art.
• City of Greater DandenongminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016New partner (2016) from Melbourne, Australia. Local government area with LED screen at Harmon Square running 24/7 with entertainment and educational content.
• Ramallah MunicipalityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016New partner (2016) from Palestine. Established 1908, pioneering municipality working on sustainable development and cultural innovation.
• AdressaparkenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016New partner (2016) from Trondheim, Norway. Outdoor space for innovation and new technologies exploration with Sense-IT research lab.
• Verve CulturalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-organiser of Urban Media Art Academy São Paulo 2018. Founded 2011, dedicated to production of musical events, installations, and digital art exhibitions.
• Northbridge Piazza PerthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015New partner (2015) from Perth, Australia. Home to free outdoor movie theatre with LED Superscreen.
• Atklāj RīguminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015New partner (2015) from Riga, Latvia. Non-profit promoting city of Riga through light and projection objects since 2013.
• PLDCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Professional Lighting Design Convention. Partner for PLDC 2015 in Rome and PLDC 2017 in Paris.
• Marseille-Provence 2013minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Associated partner. European Capital of Culture 2013 programme uniting Marseille region through cultural transformation.
• Public Art LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Initiator and coordinator of the Connecting Cities Network. Based in Berlin, directed by Susa Pop. Manages network operations, events, and partner coordination. Since 2003, PAL has developed forms of communication incorporating the public in artistic processes.
• Ars ElectronicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network, operating from Linz, Austria. Runs Ars Electronica Festival (75,000+ annual visitors) and Futurelab for research and innovation.
• Media Architecture InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network, Vienna-based worldwide expert network in media architectures. Organised Media Architecture Biennale 2012.
• FACT LiverpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. UK's leading media arts organization with three galleries, four cinema screens. Established 1988, commissioned 250+ digital media works.
• m-cultcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. Helsinki-based organization promoting new forms of media culture with focus on cultural and social applications of digital media.
• Medialab-PradocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. Madrid-based production, research, and dissemination of digital culture with digital facade for experimentation.
• iMALcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. Brussels-based non-profit association (est. 1999) focusing on production, research, and dissemination of digital culture.
• Foundation Riga 2014coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. Foundation managing Riga European Capital of Culture 2014 programme focusing on creative abilities and digital solutions.
• VideospreadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. Marseille-based non-profit (est. 2006) promoting non-commercial content on urban displays.
• Museum of Contemporary Art ZagrebcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. Founded 1954, promotes contemporary art events with media facades as complementary exhibition spaces.
• BIS Body Process Arts AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Co-organiser of the network. Istanbul-based initiative exploring artistic forms at intersection of body and digital process through amber Platform.
• Aarhus UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Associated partner. CAVI research center combines art and technology. Co-organised Media Architecture Biennale 2012.
• MUTEK MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Associated partner. Montreal-based festival (est. 2000) dedicated to digital creativity in sound, music, and audio-visual art.
• Quartier des spectacles MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Associated partner. Develops cultural district with expertise in video projection and interactive technologies since 2003.
• Foundation Bauhaus DessauminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Associated partner. Research, teaching, and experimental design center focusing on cities and urban challenges.
• Federation Square MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Associated partner. Melbourne's cultural hub with Big Screen used for live events, commissioned artworks, and interactive multimedia.
• Goethe-InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Associated partner providing support for international programmes including Urban Media Art Academy in São Paulo and Beijing.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MUTEK: Montréal-headquartered international festival network (est. 2000) dedicated to digital creativity in sound, music, and audio-visual art across multiple cities. Both a CC partner and a direct peer in running a multi-city media-arts festival grid.
• ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe: German media-art institution with public-facing exhibition space, urban projections, and research labs at the intersection of art and technology. Directly comparable as a permanent media-arts facility running networked programming.
• V2_ Lab for the Unstable Media: Rotterdam-based art-research laboratory producing exhibitions, performances, and publications at the intersection of art, technology, and society. Comparable in operating model and interdisciplinary media-arts scope.
• Science Gallery International: Dublin-based global network university-affiliated venues engaging 18-25 year-olds at the intersection of science, technology, and arts. Closely analogous model as a federated international network of cultural-educational venues.
• transmediale: Berlin-based annual festival and year-round venue program focusing on media arts, digital culture, and networked art — overlapping mission and target audience with Connecting Cities, and based in the same city as the CC coordinating organization.
• Ars Electronica: Linz, Austria-based international media-arts organization with Futurelab, Ars Electronica Center, and annual festival (~75,000 attendees). Operates urban screens and media facades at scale and is also a CC co-organizing partner, making it the most direct functional peer.
• Rhizome: New York-based digital arts organization (affiliated with the New Museum) preserving and distributing born-digital and networked art — operates as an international community platform for media art, paralleling CC's role as a network.
• Laboral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial: Gijón, Spain-based former industrial complex repurposed into a center for art and industrial creation, with screen-based exhibition programming and resident artist programs. Comparable as a cultural institution enabling media-art practice at scale.
• Eyebeam: New York City-based art and technology center supporting artists working at the intersection of art, technology, and social impact via residencies and exhibitions. Comparable in supporting experimental media practice.
• Medialab-Prado: Madrid City Council laboratory for production, research, and dissemination of digital culture with its own digital facade. Functions both as a CC co-organizing partner and as a directly comparable public media-arts lab.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Connect_Cities
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Connecting-Cities/427809060610569?fref=ts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Connecting Cities