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Magnificent fabrics and ikat weavings made of silk, tea and “wild apples” found their way to Europe on the legendary trade routes of the Steppe- and Silk Roads.
Today, the transport and trade connections are of interest under different auspices. Large-scale infrastructure projects are shaping the Asian regions of the steppes and Silk Roads, bringing not only dust but also raw materials such as coal and gold to the surface.
Exhibits from various museum collections bear witness to the historical connections and exchanges between East and West and reflect the interests of the travellers who brought them to Europe. Impressive film and photographic recordings, interviews and travel notes from current research relate the historical observations and themes to contemporary issues and lifeworlds.
In this combination of current perspectives with historical material – ethnographic as well as archaeological objects and old photographs – and contemporary works of art, surprising and hardly noticed stories are told. The exhibition, designed as a walk-on imaginary map, invites visitors to trace paths and movements between East and West and to perceive new relations between topics and places.

Concept & Exhibition Design: Maria-Katharina Lang & Christian Sturminger; Exhibition maps: Johannes Heuer