KIT Science Week “City of the Future” (2025)

CZOLK | SULZER Create Mural in Karlsruhe

Over the course of three days, amid curious glances and constant city traffic, CZOLK and SULZER created their new work, “GRÜN.STREIFEN,” in August 2025. Like a green strip, the mural stretches across the facade in the heart of Karlsruhe, transforming its austere, static form into a vibrant, organic composition.

“GRÜN.STREIFEN,” CZOLK / SULZER, Kriegsstraße 29, Karlsruhe © Robin Kachfi.

The silhouette of the surface is deliberately accentuated by vertical and horizontal lines. Subtle gray pixels create a connection to the anthracite-colored floor guidance system—while also serving as a subtle reference to our increasingly digital world. The ascending lines echo the shapes of traffic light poles and road signs in the surrounding area, while the abstract design reveals additional layers over time: a landscape, oversized plants, and a figure wandering through the greenery. Some believe they can make out a traffic light figure here. The interplay of gray and green represents the natural corridor in the heart of the city. Signal-yellow accents bridge the gap between sunlight, urban markings, and the warning signs in the street environment.

In a subtle way, the mural addresses the themes of urban ecology and urban climatology. The green strip refers to those often-neglected areas in urban spaces that provide habitats for plants and animals—and at the same time shape the city’s climate. The result is a multi-layered image that engages with the surrounding architecture and invites viewers to draw their own conclusions: How do humans, nature, and science interact today—and in the future?

The mural was created in collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and STADT.WAND.KUNST as part of KIT Science Week 2025, with the theme “City of the Future.”