Launched in 2022, the ORBIT_E digital platform is a virtual extension of MBAL designed to extend and complement the artistic programming presented at the museum. Paying homage to the rich etymology of the term ‘orbit’, which refers to both the bone cavity of the eye and the curved path taken by a planet around the sun, the platform serves as an experimental, transdisciplinary laboratory that explores the sphere of action and energy of digital creation today. 

Through ORBIT_E, MBAL continues to directly support artists by producing and disseminating digital works.  By supporting these initiatives, MBAL aims to contribute to their institutional recognition and participate in the broader movement to explore new voices in contemporary art.

Situated online, the project provides annual financial support to an artist for the production of an original work, accessible via the MBAL website. For its first three editions, ORBIT_E was supported by Pro Helvetia.

The two first editions were curated by MBAL curators, with the 2024 edition curated by Marco De Mutiis, digital curator at Fotomusuem Winterthur.  

The works presented thus far explore the potential of interactivity in an active relationship with the viewer, using different technologies and proposing singular reflections, both technical and philosophical, on contemporary society.