Leo Kuelbs Collection

DIGITAL FAIRY TALES

Inspired German Fairy Tales collected by Franz Xaver von Schoenwerth in the mid 1800s, the DIGITAL FAIRY TALES series reaches through time and connects creative individuals from multiple eras.  Storytelling is a common, timeless element in all cultures.  Contemporary artists were asked to consider not only the tales collected long ago by von Schoenwerth, in Germany’s Upper Palatinate Region, but also the people who created these stories.  Whether by candlelight or as they walked together through the forest on a dark night, the stories were inspired by their authors’ surroundings and spun to pass the time and entertain.  Partly spontaneous and always adaptable, these tales are now renewed and their spirits, once again, are free to roam in a new, digital time. What a journey these stories have made and what an alien environment they have awakened in!  Yet, all eras are connected by new storytellers, ready to put their marks on the words and works of those who have come before them.

The DIGITAL FAIRY series covers more than just the German stories. Chinese, Hungarian, African and other cultures have figured into the project, as well as concepts and remixes of common human themes, such as vengeance, greed and gluttony.

DIGITAL FAIRY TALES shorts have wound up in museums as well as award-winning events and festivals.  Complete shows have appeared on sites as varied as the Manhattan Bridge (LIGHT YEAR PROJECT), art galleries, and cultural presentations in cities and sites in Europe and the USA. Artists and Curators from around the world have been a part of the DFT project. Leo Kuelbs Collection is proud to have initiated and perpetuated this project since 2016.

Upcoming Digital Fairy Tales Screenings:
Digital Fairy Tales at Contemporary Art Ruhr, October 27th-29th, 2023

Stories inspired by the Franz Xaver von Schoenwerth collection:

Digital Fairy Tales: Album One

Digital Fairy Tales: Album Two

Digital Fairy Tales: Dark Nights and Black Cats

Digital Fairy Tales: Water Stories (Wassermärchen)

Digital Fairy Tales: Transformation!


Other Digital Fairy Tales Projects:

Digital Fairy Tales: Vengeance is Mine

Digital Fairy Tales: Chinese Stories

Digital Fairy Tales: Obvious Surprise

Digital Fairy Tales: Myths of Brazil


Documentary exploring the origins of the Digital Fairy Tales project by Julia Obst, featuring interviews with Erika Eichenseer, Leo Kuelbs, and more: