When does the CREATURES exhibition open?

The opening takes place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 11 a.m.

How long will CREATURES be on display?

The exhibition runs from October 18, 2026, to January 31, 2027.

When is the exhibition open?

The exhibition is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visits are also possible by appointment.

What is the admission fee?

Admission to the exhibition is free.

Where is the entrance located?

The Bumiller Collection is located at Austraße 29 in Bamberg. The museum entrance is in Hasengasse.

Is the exhibition accessible to people with disabilities?

According to available visitor information, the museum is not fully accessible. A stair lift is available.

CREATURES in Bamberg: Where Ancient Mythical Beings Meet Contemporary Art

Name: CREATURES – From Ancient Central Asia with Interventions by Adelbert Heil
Start: 2026-10-17T10:00:00+02:00
End: 2027-01-31T16:00:00+01:00
Location: The Bumiller Collection / Universitätsmuseum für islamische Kunst

CREATURES in Bamberg: Between Myth, History, and Present

The exhibition CREATURES at the University Museum of Islamic Art Bamberg – The Bumiller Collection brings together historical objects from ancient Central Asia in an exciting dialogue with contemporary works by Adelbert Heil. The opening on October 17, 2026, at 11 a.m. offers a fascinating look at figures that have crossed the boundaries between human, animal, and object for millennia.

Mythical Beings as Cultural Connections

Sphinxes, griffins, and harpies initially appear to many as figures from Greek mythology. However, their roots extend further east, into the cultures of the Ancient Near East and Central Asia. As hybrid figures, they combine different forces and properties. This leads to mysterious, protective, or uncanny beings that have been reinterpreted anew in changing epochs.

Historical Objects and Contemporary Interventions

The curation by Verena Daiber and Adelbert Heil juxtaposes two seemingly distant worlds. Historical exhibits from the Bumiller Collection encounter the interventions of contemporary artist Adelbert Heil. The examination of the works reveals how hybrid beings were preserved, transformed, and recreated in European medieval times and in their regions of origin.

Between Hare, Bird, and Object

Especially impressive are the Iranian visual representations, where hare and bird or animal and object combine into new creatures. Such visual inventions expand the concept of sculpture and lead to an aesthetic experience where familiar forms lose their clarity. Materials, body shapes, and symbolic properties merge into a visual language full of ambivalence.

Humans as Social Beings

Adelbert Heil draws on the tradition of mythical beings and ultimately places humans at the center of his creatures. Humans appear as social beings whose identity arises from dialogue, relationships, and the exchange of ideas. Thus, the exhibition gains a cultural-historical and at the same time contemporary perspective: hybridity is not only readable as a fantastic form but also as a model of coexistence.

An Artistic Experience in a Historical Museum

The exhibition atmosphere of the Bumiller Collection combines historical architecture with art from five centuries of Iranian-Central Asian culture. In the former ballroom of the house, art historical testimonies, mythological concepts, and contemporary art come together. The presentation invites one to carefully observe forms, trace cultural transitions, and reassess one's understanding of humanity.

CREATURES promises an inspiring connection of exhibition, cultural education, and aesthetic experience. Visitors will discover how images of hybrid beings traverse times and regions, acquiring new meanings along the way. A visit to Bamberg opens an access that is both sensory and enlightening to myth, art history, and human community.