WISE - The Future Festival & Think Tank is a global summit at the intersection of Music, Art & Technology connecting thought leaders of the creative industries, science and the tech community and engaging them in an intersectional, societal dialogue.
Additionally WISE showcases exceptional emerging as well as established creative & diverse talent from Berlin and the world,
WISE also consults government institutions, businesses, artists and the global creative community on all things China, helps curate likeminded conferences / festivals and is active in the European Music Export.
WISE is connecting local communities globally and facilitates business & cultural- and knowledge exchange through music, art & technology.
A SHORT HISTORY
2018
WISE was founded by Philipp Grefer at Beijing’s premier art center UCCA as a one-day summit with 20 speakers to spark cross-sectorial dialogue and connect innovators from the creative community, technology & science to discuss essential questions about how we want and should live in the future.
2019
Doubling in size, Reeperbahn Festival, Europe’s biggest music showcase festival comes on board as a partner. Check out the recap video here.
2020
Despite the pandemic, WISE grows to a 3-day festival in 3 cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Berlin with physical attendance as well as an online audience. Start of decentralisation and experiments with the Metaverse. See our information on the program here.
2021
7 venues, 11 events, 24 artists, 124 companies attending: WISE continues as a decentralised Festival and during 4 days takes place in Beijing, Shanghai, Berlin, Hamburg & The Metaverse. An online audience of 20k. Check out the recap video here.
In cooperation with VALQUIRE, WISE produces „Block Stories - Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg“ a short documentary featuring legendary Berghain Bouncer and photographer SVEN MARQUARDT, the brilliant artists JOPLYN & LIE NING + FLUX FM Entrepreneur MONA RÜBSAMEN.
2022
WISE gets hired to curate the German Haus at SXSW (which later gets cancelled due to Covid) and to lead the first-ever Music Trade Mission financed by the European Commission (Destination Mexico) and
On May 19/20 2022 the WISE Festival took part for the fifth time, the first time with Berlin as its main Hub for 2 days, with 50+ speakers, 10+ artists, and 3 venues. Check out the WISE by Day program and speakers. Check out the WISE by Night program and artists.
2023
In March WISE returns to SXSW with it´s own rooftop party centered around the Algorave Community in NYC, SF & Berlin. WISE also organizes all the activities of German PRO GEMA at SXSW including a showcase feat. TANGERINE DREAM´s first US show in a decade alongside BRANDT BRAUER FRICK, ROOSEVELT (DJ), DESIRE (Italians Do it Better) and KALUSH ORCHESTRA, the winner of Eurovision 2022.
On May 11/12 WISE is expanding its presence in the German capital with its second Berlin edition: 1 Songwriting Camp, 2 days, 3 venues, 15 artists, 50+speakers (half of them female) and 115 companies from 4 continents are attending.