tangente digital art: Chris Hoffmann – “Residue Entropy Light” (UK 2026)
Colorful creatures in a microscope-style presentation starting Monday, March 30, at the Ernst Abbe high-rise. The ninth tangente digital art projection runs through April 12 every evening from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. CEST, on the hour and half-hour.
In “Residue Entropy Light,” a work conceived specifically for the Jenoptik high-rise, Chris Hoffmann creates abstract, color-saturated creatures whose formal language engages in a direct dialogue with the visual aesthetics of scientific microscopy techniques. The creatures’ forms evoke the organic complexity of tardigrades, radiolarians, and other microorganisms—those beings whose full morphological splendor becomes visible only through modern imaging techniques.
In doing so, Hoffmann explores the potential of modern imaging technologies: scientific tools are not merely used for documentation here, but to convey aesthetic insights. The digital transformation of micro-worlds into the monumental—their transition from the invisible into public, architectural space—brings about a radical shift in scale that makes the familiar appear anew. What exists in everyday life beyond the threshold of perception gains an overwhelming presence when projected onto a larger-than-life scale.
Jenoptik tangente digital art is curated by Robert Seidel and Galerie Huber & Treff.
Chris Hoffmann – Ugly Stupid Honest
Chris Hoffmann is an artist born in Germany and based in the UK who specializes in creating immersive worlds and abstract, whimsical characters. His artist name “Ugly Stupid Honest” represents a space for unfiltered, authentic expression and an experimental approach to digital technologies. Hoffmann’s style is characterized by playful, often creature-like motifs and a deliberately naive visual language inspired by Japanese kawaii aesthetics and pop culture. In his multi-layered works, he explores the empathetic potential of abstract forms—an approach he has applied in experimental design projects for companies such as Apple, Samsung, Google, and Microsoft. In collaboration with ZEITGUISED, his experimental films have been featured in exhibitions at Marta Herford, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the Design Museum in Gent.
About the exhibition
- tangente digital art: Chris Hoffmann (Ugly Stupid Honest) | Residue Entropy Light
- March 30 to April 12, 2026, every half hour from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. CEST
- Jenoptik web page on the art exhibition
- More information about Chris Hoffmann: website and Instagram
- Curators of the exhibition: Robert Seidel und Galerie Huber & Treff
- Images: Jenoptik image database (more images and short video sequences will be added after start of the exhibition)
- You can find out more about video mapping technology in our blog article: Video mapping for “More Light” in the city of light, Jena.
Thanks to the artists and our partners
In addition to the fantastic artists, we would also like to thank our dedicated partners who accompany and support the further development of our commitment to art, making it possible in the first place: JenaKultur, the Galerie Huber & Treff, and Robert Seidel for curating our exhibitions, and the Laser Event Company for managing the video mapping system.
Image credit: Frank Liebold, Jenafotografx
About Jenoptik
Jenoptik is a global technology group operating in the photonics market. Our growth areas primarily include semiconductors, medical technology, metrology as well as smart mobility. Almost 4,500 people worldwide work for the Jenoptik Group, which is headquartered in Jena (Germany). JENOPTIK AG is listed on the German Stock Exchange in Frankfurt and traded on the MDax and TecDax. In fiscal year 2025, Jenoptik generated revenue of 1,046 million euros.
