Science Festival Frankfurt
At its booth, the MPIEA will showcase selected methods from its day-to-day research and invite visitors to take part. (Photo: MPI for Empirical Aesthetics / F. Bernoully)
As a member of the Frankfurt Alliance, the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) will be present with its own booth at the Science Festival on Frankfurt’s Roßmarkt on September 19, 2026. The participating scientific institutions showcase current research from Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region, including research in peace studies, cancer research, neuroscience, and biophysics. Presenter Stephan Hübner of hr INFO will guide the visitors through the festival’s diverse program.
Trying out finger and hand tracking, diving into virtual reality
At its booth, the MPIEA will showcase research methods used in the Institute’s day-to-day work and invites visitors of all ages to talk with researchers and try out different methods for themselves. Using a finger and hand tracking system, visitors can experience how movements can be captured and used, among other things, to study creativity and human–computer interaction. A Meta Quest 3 headset also offers a virtual tour of the Institute’s ArtLab, which combines a laboratory, research facility, and event space and can be considered the heart of the Institute.
Research at the CoBIC joint booth
As one of its cooperation partners, the MPIEA will also be present at the joint booth where the Cooperative Brain Imaging Center (CoBIC) showcases its research using neuroimaging methods. Visitors can experience how EEG headbands provide insights into brain activity—and even use this data to control music themselves.
Drumming workshop and science on stage
The MPIEA also contributes an interactive workshop to the festival’s stage program. The “Musical Development in Children” research unit invites children and teenagers to a drumming workshop where participants create rhythms together using body percussion, drums, and Boomwhackers.
In addition, visitors can look forward to a diverse stage program featuring science slams, hip-hop performances, a science quiz, a mentalist, and much more.
About the Frankfurt Alliance
The Frankfurt Alliance is a network of scientific institutions from Frankfurt am Main and the Rhine–Main region. Its goal is to strengthen the collaboration among the participating institutions and to make scientific topics more visible and accessible to the public.
The Science Festival takes place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Frankfurt’s Roßmarkt. The event is suitable for all age groups. Food and drinks are available on site. Admission is free.
Organizer: Goethe University Frankfurt
More information about the program can be found at www.frankfurtscience.de/en
Note on Photography and Filming
Please note that photos will be taken and videos will be shot for marketing purposes during the event. These recordings will be stored by the MPIEA and used for public relations purposes (e.g., for publication in print media, on the internet, or in social media) and for documentation of the Frankfurt Science Festival.