Felix Meritis

The 21st century poses challenges that require a collaborative interdisciplinary approach. Through original, interactive programs in the fields of science, art, entrepreneurship and technology, Felix Meritis offers space to collectively shape key issues of our time. Reopening in March 2022 following three years of renovation and the COVID crisis, the historical cultural house builds upon an interesting legacy: founded in 1777 by the Felix Meritis Society to support enlightenment values, we now acknowledge, critique and examine the historical context of its founding. The iconic building, which took ten years to build, has a unique design: it was created to fulfil the unique and specific requirements of the member’s disciplines, including music, drawing, physics, literature and entrepreneurship. Each room was designed with the right lighting and acoustics to best support its purpose. Over the next two centuries Felix Meritis housed a printing office, the HQ of the Communist Party, and a notorious theatre collective. Now this free and open space for dialogue and experimentation invites people to explore digital culture through key themes such as identity, belonging, agency, mental health and community. Felix Meritis highlights the pioneers, creators and storytellers who make the future tangible. The programs pry loose what is stuck, question the status quo, nimbly put audiences on a different footing and make them look at the world around us through different lenses. The perspective aims to be positive yet critical, beginning with the solutions and possibilities of our new digital age, inviting people to contribute and imagine a sustainable and inclusive future. Felix Meritis offers space to find answers and acquire knowledge while also welcoming the unreasonable, the fantastical and the enchanting.