Exhibition period: 24 November to 15 January 2026
Fernissage: Monday, 24 November 2025 at 19:00
Introduction: Katharina Arlt - art historian
Music: WORMSINE, Matthias Jackisch and Robert Zeißig on stone flutes and synthesizer
Finissage: Thursday, 15 January 2026 at 19:00
. January 2026 at 7 pm

Life in the oceans and deep sea - past, present and future

Over 60% of the Earth's surface lies deeper than 1000 metres below sea level, and around 90% of the deep sea remains undiscovered. Exploration of the deep sea only began around 160 years ago. Starting in 2000, international scientists researched and counted the creatures of the oceans for over a decade as part of the "Census of Marine Life" (CoML) project. This dark, cold, bizarre world presents itself with an incredible number of strange, fascinating creatures, despite the few insights so far.

However, the loss of biodiversity is progressing rapidly. Climatic changes are having a strong impact on barely known habitats and destroying them even before we know anything about them.

"Art does not reproduce the visible, but makes visible."

Since the early 2000s, Ines Westenhöfer has been dealing with the loss of species and their habitats, especially in oceans and the deep sea. She has worked with a wide variety of artistic means (photography, installation, sculpture).
The link between art and science forms the basis of her art project. Poetry, beauty and diversity are intended to arouse the interest of viewers and sensitise them to this topic. - To paraphrase Paul Klee: "Art does not reproduce the visible, but makes visible."

The exhibition invites us to pause, look and see habitats not only as a field of research, but also to recognise them as worthy of protection.
Perhaps the archive of as yet undiscovered marine and deep-sea species not only preserves what is visible, but also what remains hidden from us forever.

Special opening times during Advent:
Sundays, 30 November, 7 and 14 December, 15:00-18:00