At the beginning of the modern age, artificial light was regarded a Artificial light sources are an essential prerequisite of modern global life. Their permanent and excessive use is, however, associated with numerous negative effects. On the one hand, artificial light makes cultural events possible, offers social space and protection, can showcase people, objects, or consumer articles and thus lend them meaning. On the other hand, power is exercised with the targeted use of electric light: It can be used to monitor, manipulate, exclude, or even destroy. The exhibition Power! Light! features some 80 works of light art by sixty internationally renowned artists, offering for the first time insight into the fascinating spectrum of light art that is political in the broadest sense.

Although there are numerous negative effects associated with the persistent and excessive use of artificial light, humans are almost magically attracted to light and are enthusiastic about the broad range of technical opportunities. Within the past 150 years, civilization has created a wide variety of possibilities to replace natural light and thus break the sole dominance of the sun. Without artificial light, global economic and cultural development would have been virtually inconceivable.