Our directors are not prepared. Which film they want to show you is decided after consultation with their most important advisors and their strongest critics: you. Punchlines that hit the mark, gazes that go under your skin, and action that takes your breath away are just some of the ingredients for the stories of the evening.

Act by act, love films, dramas, and heroic epics develop, and after each round, you decide what gets eliminated. Because only what you really want to see will be shown. In the end, only one story remains, and that is "The world's best Superscene," at least for that evening.

The interactive exhibition experience takes you on a journey through time, art, and creation. With the help of the latest technologies, you will become part of Leonardo's workshop, paint your own masterpiece, and wander through Hieronymus Bosch's world-famous painting "The Garden of Earthly Delights."

Face the questions of the most famous woman in art history – Mona Lisa herself. The world's first talking AI painting engages in conversation with you, comments on your creations, and invites you to reflect on creativity, identity, and creation.

This globally unique exhibition combines art, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality across six rooms in a completely new experience. You will not only admire works – you will enter, alter, and recreate them. Embark on a journey through art history, through rooms filled with puzzles, interactive masterpieces, and surreal dream worlds.

Opening hours: Saturday – Sunday from 12:00 – 19:00. Last entry is at 18:00.
Duration: Plan for about 75–90 minutes for your immersive experience. Please arrive 15 minutes before your booked time to ensure timely entry.
Payment: Online ticket purchase recommended. On-site only cashless (Paypal / credit card).
Location: THE SQUAIRE West, Am Flughafen, 60549 Frankfurt am Main. Entrance 18, 6th floor.
Recommended age: From 6 years (for younger children recommended only when accompanied)
Accessibility: Main areas are wheelchair accessible, and lifts are available to the venue.

Do you have any further questions? Feel free to check our FAQ at monalisasgeheimnis.de. We look forward to seeing you!

We kindly ask you to arrive about 15 minutes before your booked slot in the exhibition.

All slots for this day are sold out.

The event takes place as a hybrid event.

Monday 18.05.26 / 19:30 h
Oliver Bottini: Die Summe aller Dinge
Moderation: Cécile Schortmann
Hall ticket 9 / 6 Euro / Streaming ticket 5 Euro / Streaming subscription 50 Euro

Who pays the bill?
A policewoman mourns her husband, who died under suspicious circumstances. A Frankfurt public prosecutor tries to initiate a major Cum-Ex trial. And three old friends want to get rich with stock trading that operates in an all-too-popular gray area. Oliver Bottini, one of the best German-language crime writers, tells in his new novel about where unchecked greed can lead. Bottini's books, including those about the Freiburg commissioner Louise Bonì, have won numerous awards; he has received the German Crime Prize six times, most recently for the espionage thriller "Einmal noch sterben." At the Literature House, he will celebrate the book premiere of "Die Summe aller Dinge" (DuMont) in a conversation with journalist and "Kulturzeit" moderator Cécile Schortmann.

Photo: © Hans Scherhaufer

Photo: Daniela Dröscher © Linda Rosa Saal

For the writer Daniela Dröscher, speaking has never been a harmless means of communication. As the child of an outsider in the Hunsrück, caught between High German and broad Palatine dialect, speaking proved to be such a double-edged act of adaptation that she preferred to remain silent. Even later, outside of private life, she lacked the courage to stand up for her own words for a long time; the fear of being recognized or misunderstood as an upwardly mobile individual was too great. With radical openness, she recounts her emancipation from a shamefully silent woman to a publicly speaking one. In doing so, she contemplates whether the willingness to be misunderstood might be the actual prerequisite for true understanding and a productive societal dialogue.

Daniela Dröscher, born in 1977, grew up in Rhineland-Palatinate and lives in Berlin. She writes prose, essays, and theater texts. Her novel "Show Your Class" was published in 2018, and "Lies About My Mother" was on the shortlist for the German Book Prize in 2022. Most recently, her novel "Young Woman with Cat" was published in 2025.

Moderation: Catherine Mundt, hr2.

Entrance from 6:30 PM

Bodenschätze: Stadt – Land – Tiefsee
Vortrag, Gespräch
Mon 18 May 2026, 19:00–21:00

Who owns the land – and is it a good like other goods? Article 14,2 of the Basic Law obliges property for the benefit of the general public. Article 15 of the Basic Law provides for the transfer into communal ownership. Land is not renewable; it can be overused or built upon, meaning its fertility can be increased while also binding climate-damaging emissions. Land prices are strongly affected by financialization, meaning they are geared towards constant profit for investors as a return object.

· Prof. Dr. Isabel Feichtner, Chair of Public Law and International Economic Law
9 € / 7 €

The Fox - Improvisation Theater

Our stage shows are interactive, intuitive, innovative, passionate, and improvised. We think differently, are unique in our teamwork, and are ready to walk on the tightrope with blindfolded eyes. Metaphorically. Don't expect any ropes! And even if we crash: we are always honest with ourselves and our audience. This makes the shows so lively, entertaining, and exciting! All Foxes have been on stage nationwide for many years and have played over 2000 shows together.

Doors open at 7pm.

Male Tears is a three-person Weirdo-Pop and Dark-Synth project based in Los Angeles, led by singer-songwriter James Edward. The band was formed after the pandemic and quickly became a standout name in the modern Darkwave and Synth-Pop underground scene – known for their blend of camp aesthetics, emotional flair, and dancefloor melancholy. The group first gained attention with their self-titled debut album in 2021, which has since achieved cult status with its fusion of shimmering synth-pop nostalgia and melodramatic, winking songwriting. This was followed by "Trauma Club" (2021) and "KRYPT" (2023), two albums that delved deeper into dark club textures and romantic melancholy, solidifying the band's position within the alternative electronic scene. Their album "Paradísco" (2024) marked a bold turn towards Italo-Disco, Hi-NRG, and neon-colored pop maximalism.

The event takes place as a hybrid event.

Tuesday 19.05.26 / 19.30 h
Andrea Stoll: „Zwei Menschen sind in mir“. Ingeborg Bachmann. Die Biografie
Moderation: Alf Mentzer
Venue ticket 14 / 10 Euro / Streaming ticket 5 Euro / Streaming subscription 50 Euro

An icon turns one hundred!
Fifty years after her death and in the year of her hundredth birthday, Ingeborg Bachmann's letters, now accessible, demand a new perspective on the life and works of this still so important author. Andrea Stoll's biography illuminates the spectrum of Bachmann's ambivalences from their origins and shows us how this iconic poet could become trapped in a spiral of self-staging and self-destruction. In doing so, Stoll relies not only on scholarly research but also on conversations with contemporaries and those recently published letters and diary entries. The experienced Bachmann researcher makes visible something that unravels many puzzles surrounding Ingeborg Bachmann. The conversation with the author will be led by Alf Mentzer.

Photo: Andrea Stoll © private

WER GLAUBT WAS WIE?
Discover and experience Christian faith and Catholic piety through architecture and art.

Gebet
Tu 19 May 2026, 19:00–20:30
Meeting point: Dom St. Bartholomäus, Domplatz 1

To pray – it is said to be a dialogue between God and man, but it is experienced as a monologuing into emptiness. In the choir stalls, the meaning of prayer is explored.

· Dr. Stefan Scholz
Registration not required
Admission free

Admission free. Registration not required.

Hope – Illuminated through Philosophy and Theology
Texts of Hope in Dialogue: 5-Part Seminar Series
February 10, March 24, April 14, May 19, June 23, 2026 (Tuesdays)
6:00–7:30 PM
In this seminar series, we will explore significant texts of hope. Together, we will take a look at the reflections of Jürgen Moltmann, Ernst Bloch, Dorothee Sölle, Gabriel Marcel, and Johann Baptist Metz, who reflect on hope as a theological, political, and spiritual principle. Texts will be announced upon registration.

Please register:
hausamdom@bistumlimburg.de
€29 / €19
(for all five sessions)

Registration: hausamdom@bistumlimburg.de

The Hot-Theater Tromm presents:
RIESELGROSS UND KIESELKLEIN - a sand game for all people aged 3 and over
by Ann-Kathrin Kuppel, Lina Zimmer, Jürgen Flügge

The two colorful beings Lou and Bo unexpectedly meet in the sandbox and invent imaginative games together with the material that surrounds them. Quickly, the boundaries of "mine" and "yours" (in the sand) blur, and Lou and Bo dive headfirst into the trickling experience.

They create new worlds and sand monsters, explore sounds and volcanoes, using sand and water to shape wonderfully ephemeral creations.

Sometimes there is a little friction in their still new friendship, but no argument is too giant for them to find each other again. And all it takes is a tiny pebble treasure and a little sand.

Accompanied by gentle music, big amazement, and captivating playfulness, both young and old are encouraged to discover on their own and to create creatively. Because sand can be anything, every child knows that. Beautiful, soft, dusty, mushy, dirty, SAND. A material with many properties. You can let the sand trickle through your fingers, shape it and destroy it, you can lose treasures in it and find them again. Just like new friends.

Starring Ann-Kathrin Kuppel and Lina Zimmer
Director: Jürgen Flügge
Stage: KISA Kisten Sauer, Costumes: Eunike Krastel

Event photo © Hof-Theater Tromm

Doors open at 9:00 AM

The Hot-Theater Tromm presents:
RIESELGROSS UND KIESELKLEIN - a sand game for all people aged 3 and over
by Ann-Kathrin Kuppel, Lina Zimmer, Jürgen Flügge

The two colorful beings Lou and Bo unexpectedly meet in the sandbox and invent imaginative games together with the material that surrounds them. Quickly, the boundaries of "mine" and "yours" (in the sand) blur, and Lou and Bo dive headfirst into the trickling experience.

They create new worlds and sand monsters, explore sounds and volcanoes, using sand and water to shape wonderfully ephemeral creations.

Sometimes there is a little friction in their still new friendship, but no argument is too giant for them to find each other again. And all it takes is a tiny pebble treasure and a little sand.

Accompanied by gentle music, big amazement, and captivating playfulness, both young and old are encouraged to discover on their own and to create creatively. Because sand can be anything, every child knows that. Beautiful, soft, dusty, mushy, dirty, SAND. A material with many properties. You can let the sand trickle through your fingers, shape it and destroy it, you can lose treasures in it and find them again. Just like new friends.

Starring Ann-Kathrin Kuppel and Lina Zimmer
Director: Jürgen Flügge
Stage: KISA Kisten Sauer, Costumes: Eunike Krastel

Event photo © Hof-Theater Tromm

Doors open at 9:00 AM

Christentum und Vielfalt: Werte in einer pluralen Gesellschaft

Vortrag, Diskussion

Wed, May 20, 2026, 19:00–20:30 hrs



Christian values are challenged in a secularized world: How can we prove that they are worth considering? According to what criteria can we judge which values deserve the label "Christian" and which do not? Prof. Dr. Hille Haker, who holds the chair for Christian Ethics at Loyola University Chicago, will guide us through these questions, looking at the current developments in the USA as well as here at home.



·

Prof. Dr. Hille Haker, Loyola University Chicago



Cooperation:

· Caritasverband Frankfurt



Free admission



Free admission. Registration not required

Schostakowitsch pur

Boris Giltburg | Piano
Kahchun Wong | Conductor

Dmitrij Schostakowitsch | Festive Overture
Dmitrij Schostakowitsch | Piano Concerto No. 2
Dmitrij Schostakowitsch | Symphony No. 5

Three times Shostakovich, and three times a completely different face: first in the Suite with its idiosyncratic jazz idiom, then in the mighty fresh shower of sound of the Piano Concerto No. 2 with its warm middle movement jewel, and finally in the Symphony No. 5, which trumps in an unreal way. Kahchun Wong, who was the first Asian to win the prestigious Mahler Competition of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in 2016, is conducting the Frankfurt Radio Symphony for the first time. He will delve deep into Shostakovich´s world, together with a pianist who knows how to navigate it like no other. »I´m addicted to Shostakovich´s music, to this naked power,« says Boris Giltburg, whose CD recording of the Shostakovich piano concertos is one of the best currently available. What Giltburg says for himself also determines the listening experience: »This is music that makes you tremble.«

Concert duration: about 135 minutes – including break
Hausöffnung: 18:00 Uhr After the concert begins, there is no entitlement to admission to the hall.

The Hot-Theater Tromm presents:
RIESELGROSS UND KIESELKLEIN - a sand game for all people aged 3 and over
by Ann-Kathrin Kuppel, Lina Zimmer, Jürgen Flügge

The two colorful beings Lou and Bo unexpectedly meet in the sandbox and invent imaginative games together with the material that surrounds them. Quickly, the boundaries of "mine" and "yours" (in the sand) blur, and Lou and Bo dive headfirst into the trickling experience.

They create new worlds and sand monsters, explore sounds and volcanoes, using sand and water to shape wonderfully ephemeral creations.

Sometimes there is a little friction in their still new friendship, but no argument is too giant for them to find each other again. And all it takes is a tiny pebble treasure and a little sand.

Accompanied by gentle music, big amazement, and captivating playfulness, both young and old are encouraged to discover on their own and to create creatively. Because sand can be anything, every child knows that. Beautiful, soft, dusty, mushy, dirty, SAND. A material with many properties. You can let the sand trickle through your fingers, shape it and destroy it, you can lose treasures in it and find them again. Just like new friends.

Starring Ann-Kathrin Kuppel and Lina Zimmer
Director: Jürgen Flügge
Stage: KISA Kisten Sauer, Costumes: Eunike Krastel

Event photo © Hof-Theater Tromm

Doors open at 9:00 AM

The Hot-Theater Tromm presents:
RIESELGROSS UND KIESELKLEIN - a sand game for all people aged 3 and over
by Ann-Kathrin Kuppel, Lina Zimmer, Jürgen Flügge

The two colorful beings Lou and Bo unexpectedly meet in the sandbox and invent imaginative games together with the material that surrounds them. Quickly, the boundaries of "mine" and "yours" (in the sand) blur, and Lou and Bo dive headfirst into the trickling experience.

They create new worlds and sand monsters, explore sounds and volcanoes, using sand and water to shape wonderfully ephemeral creations.

Sometimes there is a little friction in their still new friendship, but no argument is too giant for them to find each other again. And all it takes is a tiny pebble treasure and a little sand.

Accompanied by gentle music, big amazement, and captivating playfulness, both young and old are encouraged to discover on their own and to create creatively. Because sand can be anything, every child knows that. Beautiful, soft, dusty, mushy, dirty, SAND. A material with many properties. You can let the sand trickle through your fingers, shape it and destroy it, you can lose treasures in it and find them again. Just like new friends.

Starring Ann-Kathrin Kuppel and Lina Zimmer
Director: Jürgen Flügge
Stage: KISA Kisten Sauer, Costumes: Eunike Krastel

Event photo © Hof-Theater Tromm

Doors open at 9:00 AM

During government-critical protests in the spring of 2024, the video opera "Death in Peace" was created in the streets of Tbilisi. In the production by Ayla Pierrot Arendt, embedded in the stirring sound world of the composer duo Nika Pasuri and Ani Zakareishvili, the protagonists of three different nationalities meet on four screens: two Georgians, two Germans, and a Russian in Georgian exile. Equipped with their respective notions of peace and freedom, friend and foe, which cannot be disentangled from their political biographies, they encounter each other in the narrative of the Georgian Natia and the Russian deserter Andrej. It doesn't take long before Andrej is dead, accidentally shot, in the very German embassy in Tbilisi, by the ambassador's husband. His death raises many questions: about the price of freedom, the limits of diplomacy, the gaps and myths of collective identity, and about loyalties – grounded in a spreading fear in an insecure Europe full of conflicts.

A stirring composition of essential questions regarding physical threat, territorial demarcation, the danger of war, and longing for peace. – MADE.Jury

© Eike Walkenhorst

During government-critical protests in the spring of 2024, the video opera "Death in Peace" was created in the streets of Tbilisi. In the production by Ayla Pierrot Arendt, embedded in the stirring sound world of the composer duo Nika Pasuri and Ani Zakareishvili, the protagonists of three different nationalities meet on four screens: two Georgians, two Germans, and a Russian in Georgian exile. Equipped with their respective notions of peace and freedom, friend and foe, which cannot be disentangled from their political biographies, they encounter each other in the narrative of the Georgian Natia and the Russian deserter Andrej. It doesn't take long before Andrej is dead, accidentally shot, in the very German embassy in Tbilisi, by the ambassador's husband. His death raises many questions: about the price of freedom, the limits of diplomacy, the gaps and myths of collective identity, and about loyalties – grounded in a spreading fear in an insecure Europe full of conflicts.

A stirring composition of essential questions regarding physical threat, territorial demarcation, the danger of war, and longing for peace. – MADE.Jury

© Eike Walkenhorst

Attention: The event takes place at the University Archive Frankfurt, Dantestraße 9

That Frankfurt is full of curiosities has already been noted by the Frankfurt Goethe. Nothing has changed in that regard; one just has to discover them. An empty house in a prime city location, from whose windows curtains flutter, no one knows who might have lived there. Small artworks in inconspicuous corners, no one knows the artists. A mysterious garden at the wall of the correctional facility, a chicken coop in the middle of the city. Painted animals on house walls, the torn Fraktur letters of the once proud building of the FAZ...
Eva Demski has set out with her smartphone and curiosity to search for images in the seemingly familiar city and found oddities with every exploration, forgotten things, things overlooked, but also happily lively things like the fat gray cat that owns a whole street. Or the unexpected splendors in the bulk waste.

Moderation: Björn Jager

Entry: € 6,-/9,-/12,- (pay as you wish)

Eva Demski, born in 1944 in Regensburg, lives in Frankfurt am Main. She studied German philology, art history, and philosophy in Freiburg im Breisgau and Mainz and subsequently worked at the Frankfurt Schauspiel. In 1979 she debuted with her novel "Goldkind" and has since published numerous novels, essays, and collections of stories. She has been awarded various prizes including the Jury Prize at the Bachmann Prize, the Goethe Plaque of the state of Hesse, the George Konell Prize, and most recently the Friedrich Stoltze Prize.

Photo (c) Isolde Ohlbaum

Possible remaining tickets at the box office

To call him a bestselling author would be a gross understatement. While he is one of the most well-known and amusing German-speaking columnists, having achieved millions of copies sold with books such as "Der kleine Erziehungsberater," "Die Wumbaba-Trilogie," "Aua!" or currently "Über die Heiterkeit in schwierigen Zeiten und die Frage, wie wichtig uns der Ernst des Lebens sein sollte," he is, in truth, much more than just a successful author. Axel Hacke is a grandmaster of quiet observation.

He enjoys focusing on ordinary events that are hardly worth mentioning. Faithful to the guiding principle of the great journalist Egon Erwin Kisch, "Nothing is more exciting than the truth," he has a talent for perceiving and describing self-evident occurrences as what they truly are upon closer inspection: small sensations of everyday life. This – actually hardly noteworthy – encounter with God also turns into an entertaining tour de force through all possibilities and impossibilities of daily life. So it is here. Tender yet forceful, he depicts an everyday experience that could happen to any of us. We are sitting in the park when suddenly God strolls by. He sits down beside us, and we start a conversation. We talk about this and that, about the weather, about raspberries and about glass recycling bins, about God and the world, as it were. The story could end here – were it not written by Axel Hacke. For quite by chance – and not surprisingly for Hacke – a small office elephant, a smoking snake, people in drawers, an oversized wasp, a beautiful butterfly, to name just a few, appear. We learn quite incidentally what holds the world together at its core (“Das Große Egal”), that God enjoys drinking champagne, and that God’s attempt to create a world made solely of twenty-three-year-old secretaries was unsuccessful.

In the end, all the important questions regarding the meaning, purpose, and entertainment value of our existence are largely answered. Except for one: Can a vegetarian feel sausage-like?

With Christoph Maasch and Sven Marko Schmidt
Directed by: Rainer Ewerrien

Doors open at 7 PM