Nachtleben
The night is full of life. It is also part of our human lives, but we have found many ways to turn it into day with the help of artificial light, to shut out the darkness or to block it out. Our senses are ill-suited to life in darkness, but numerous other animals buzz, creep or float through the night as a matter of course. Darkness unsettles us: it robs us of colours and details; it makes us clumsy and tentative. Culturally, light stands for knowledge, security and progress, while darkness is associated with the uncanny and even the horrific.
This exhibition invites you to rediscover the night and darkness: as a habitat that we share with countless other creatures. How do we experience darkness – and how do nocturnal animals experience it? How do we encounter them and they us? What does darkness give us? What do we lose when we illuminate the night excessively?
Darkness has become a threatened sensory landscape. A child born today in a place where around 250 stars can still be seen at night may only be able to see around 100 by the age of 18 – unless we change the way we use artificial light. The first world atlas of light pollution was published back in 2001. Since then, numerous projects have been researching how we can use light at night in a way that does not harm us or other living beings.
The artworks in this exhibition explore the vibrancy of the night. They follow in the footsteps of nocturnal animals and also touch on the diverse nightlife of humans. Nightlife raises awareness of the magic of darkness, of the human longing for light – and of the consequences that arise from it. Rediscover darkness: as a mysterious space in which stories, dreams and lives unfold.
With Joshua Bonnetta, Andreas Bunte, Thierry Cohen, Dominik Eulberg and Matthias Garff, Loïe Fuller, Sarah Gillespie, Sven Johne, Melanie Manchot, Sandra Mann, Robin Meier Wiratunga, Yann Mingard, Hans Op de Beeck, Philippe Parreno, Alona Rodeh, Dana Sherwood, Anaïs Tondeur, Susanne M. Winterling, Tobias Zielony
Since 1982, the Sinclair House Museum has been hosting temporary exhibitions that focus on the complex relationship between humans and nature. The interdisciplinary exhibitions and events explore ways of perceiving, understanding and reflecting on nature as reflected in the arts. In this way, the museum highlights the interconnections between nature, culture and science and opens up new perspectives on their interaction.
The museum has been part of the Nantesbuch Foundation since 2017, and since 2021 the foundation has been operating under the name Art and Nature Foundation.
