Senckenberg Museum Dresden to Host Exhibition on Sand
Senckenberg Naturmuseum Dresden will open a new special exhibition, SAND.bewegt., on October 2, 2026, exploring sand's geological origins, diverse forms, and everyday significance.
The Senckenberg Naturmuseum Dresden will open a new special exhibition titled SAND.bewegt. on October 2, 2026, running until February 14, 2027, at the Japanisches Palais.
The exhibition aims to offer visitors new perspectives on sand, moving beyond its common presence on beaches and in rivers. It delves into the geological formation of sand, its diverse forms, its role as a habitat in extreme environments, and its often-unseen importance in daily life. Sand is highlighted as the second most utilized raw material on Earth after water, and it is increasingly becoming a finite resource.
The exhibition was curated by the museum's team in collaboration with the Mineralogy and Geology department of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden. The joint project MoSaiKteil, focused on preserving sand habitats in the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape, also contributed to the exhibition.
As an artistic component, artist Herwig Turk has created the installation "Das Gedächtnis des Tagliamento," which visualizes sand as a dynamic sediment landscape. This highlights the collaboration between art and science, where scientific analysis of sediment meets artistic interpretation of riverine processes.