Every four years, Düsseldorf becomes the center of contemporary art in this part of Germany during the Quadriennale Düsseldorf. We caught a small slice of it this week during a short visit to the British Consulate in town for my husband's UK citizenship swearing-in ceremony (yes, I'm now married to a Brit!).

This year's theme is Beyond Tomorrow. What we saw was compelling and provocative: Smart New World at the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf. Part performance art, part installation, the two-story exhibition space was transformed into a sensory commentary on digital technology, privacy, the NSA, and Big Data. I knew we were in for something different when we had to sign a declaration affirming our own inauthenticity before we could even purchase an entrance ticket.

Admission Procedure, International Necronautical Society (INS). Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, 2014.

The Quadriennale Düsseldorf runs through August 10th, featuring a total of thirteen museums, art venues and partner institutions. Catch it if you can!