They have eight hairy legs, weave deadly webs, and wrap their prey in silvery silk—spiders. Senckenberg’s new special exhibition showcases these fascinating and aesthetically striking creatures in three different ways. Around 40 different species of live arachnids await visitors. Safely housed in glass terrariums, they can be marveled at up close, including the world’s largest spider and the venomous black widow. Every Thursday at 3 p.m., visitors can watch as these fascinating creatures are fed. With his camera, photographer Nicky Bay explores the spider world of Southeast Asia. His macro photographs reveal impressive details such as eyes and fangs that are barely visible to the naked eye. The internationally renowned artist Tomás Saraceno, on the other hand, brings a completely different, extraordinary perspective to the table by transforming spider webs into art installations. In the darkness, he makes the structures glow and even produce sound.
The SPINNEN exhibition can only be visited in conjunction with the permanent exhibition. Combined ticket “SPINNEN”: 11 euros for adults, 6 euros for children and teens (ages 6–15), and 28 euros for families (2 adults and up to 3 children).
The exhibition is part of the Senckenberg Natural History Museum’s “Culture Meets Nature” program.
Nicky Bay, a photographer from Singapore, has been dedicated to macro photography of arthropods since 2008. On excursions into the tropical rainforest, as well as on the streets of his hometown, he is always on the lookout for new subjects. He shares his discoveries with fans around the world on his blog.
With their project ARANEUS, Polish photographers Sebastian Wadycki and Jacek Pacyna organize exhibitions featuring live arachnids. Their collection, comprising over 50 species, has already been presented in 115 museums across Europe. In addition to educating the public, their goal is to help people overcome their fear of spiders.
The Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno studied architecture and art in Buenos Aires, Frankfurt am Main, and Venice. In his work, these two disciplines merge with the natural sciences and technology. The resulting sculptures and installations have been featured in numerous exhibitions around the world, including at the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.