As part of its interdisciplinary exhibition series on scientific and socially relevant topics, the Bundeskunsthalle is designing an exhibition on the issue of ecological restoration of land. This is being done in close cooperation with the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification). The G20 Global Land Initiative plans to restore one billion hectares of land worldwide by 2030. The exhibition uses the perspectives of art and science to raise public awareness of this urgent issue. The exhibition will take place at the end of 2024 to mark the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD.

Land is a crucial foundation for life on this planet. Soil is the life-sustaining link between the Earth's climate and biological diversity and provides a multitude of different ecosystems that need to be restored and preserved. However, as an agricultural and industrial base, land is threatened by devastating overexploitation, with half of humanity already affected by the negative effects of land degradation. Land, in all its importance to our lives, must return to the center of our commerce in order to curb the economic and social depletion of land resources.

In order to sensitize the public to this important topic, the exhibition uses the latest media technology and combines exhibits from art, cultural history and natural science to understand the ecological problems and potentials of the environments influenced by humans: (1) the city, in which 57% of all people live, (2) the land areas used by industry and agriculture and (3) the world-wide areas of still almost untouched nature, which are particularly important for the global climate. The exhibition not only enables a rational understanding of the importance of land for all our lives, but also an immersive experience of the various habitats. Accompanied by an augmented reality guide, visitors can experience and explore the topic of "land" in a tangible way in a panoramic cinema and various interactively designed environments.

Far from a dark vision of the future, the exhibition wants to focus on a positive narrative that inspires action for the common cause: Let's unite locally as well as globally to save land and thus lives of all kinds!

An exhibition by the Bundeskunsthalle and the UNCCD-G20 Global Land Initiative