Special exhibition
Shaping the future – How do we want to live?
28. May 2019 until 31. December 2020
Extended until 31. October 2022
How will everyday life look in the year 2040? Will we start off the day with a micro-algae smoothie mixed in our home bioreactor? Or shall we, perhaps, be voluntarily opting for an ecologically aware lifestyle? Will policymakers set new agendas by imposing carbon taxes and other conditions on the agricultural sector? There are many different ideas and suggestions on how to forge a sustainable future – but one thing is certain: In the face of climate change and species extinction, there is a need for innovative approaches if the world is to remain one worth living in. The exhibition provides an overview of the key issues involved while also presenting ways in which these can be tackled. An essential part of a sustainable future is a move away from fossil fuels to renewable biobased resources. Such a system – a bioeconomy – uses plants, animals and biotechnological processes to conserve resources. Taking centre stage in the exhibition are the opportunities and risks inherent in such a system.
It presents three possible futures for a world that has resolved to largely forgo fossil-based raw materials. These were developed as part of the BMBF-sponsored project BioKompass, on which young people worked alongside businesspeople, scientists and public figures. Those participating also included students from Frankfurt’s Helmholtzschule, who defined the issues they consider to be most urgent, subsequently elaborating their ideas in a multi-day workshop to develop solutions and approaches that found their way into the overall concept.
The exhibition takes you through a fictional day in the year 2040 showing a wide variety of sustainable ideas. The first module is about the things we use in the morning – and thus focusing on sustainable consumption. What do we eat at lunchtime in 20 years from now and what impact do food and agriculture have on our environment? A second module, which has been shown since spring 2020, deals with these questions – and the exhibition continues to grow! You are also invited to participate: Let yourself be inspired and submit climate-friendly recipes or personal tips for more sustainability. Your ideas might then be found in the last module showing an evening in 2040 with the topics of “energy and mobility”. We look forward to your participation!
You find the exhibition on the second floor of the museum in room 206 between insects and dioramas. It can only be viewed in conjunction with the permanent exhibition.
Are you currently unable to visit the Natural History Museum? Then discover some modules online in the digitial edition: zukunftgestalten.senckenberg.de.
The exhibition is part of the BioKompass project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). More information about the project can be found here.
