04.07.2026 – 27.09.2026
Sand und Salz
Islands Found and Lost
Julian Charrière, Lacrosse – First Light, 2016
Copyright the artist; VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Germany
Fragile, ever-changing landscapes caught between the forces of nature, climate change and cultural imaginaries … Islands are the focus of this year’s summer exhibition at the Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven. Built on shifting sands, few landscapes are as ephemeral as those of the coast and the islands. Situated directly on the North Sea coast, the Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven has a natural connection to this subject. Throughout history, natural disasters have left lasting marks on the region. The ‘Grote Mandränke’ storm surge of 1362, for example, submerged settlements such as Rungholt and contributed to the formation of bays including the Jadebusen.
According to the 2026 Climate Risk Index, Wilhelmshaven is considered one of the German cities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Against this backdrop, the exhibition explores both historical and contemporary processes of the emergence, transformation, and disappearance of islands in a global context.
Bringing together international artistic positions, the exhibition spans photography, video, installation, drawing, sculpture, and live-action role-play. These works investigate islands as political, ecological, social, and imagined spaces.
With: Carl Brandi | Julian Charrière | Christo & Jeanne-Claude | Rodney Graham | Abie Franklin & Daniel Hölzl | Jeewi Lee | Linda Marwan | Tita Salina | Fiona Tan | Marie Velardi
Events
Installation views
Ausstellungsansicht
Foto: Edward Greiner
Julian Charrière, Enyu I – Terminal Beach, 2016
Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografie, Archiv-Pigmentdruck Hahnemühle, Aluminium-Dibond, 120 x 150 cm
Copyright the artist; VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Germany
Julian Charrière, Eneman III – Terminal Beach, 2016
Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografie, Archiv-Pigmentdruck Hahnemühle, Aluminium-Dibond,
122.8 x 152.8 x 4.2 cm (gerahmt)
Copyright the artist; VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Germany
Jeewi Lee, Burden of Sediment (BER), 2026
Quarzsand, ArtResin, 31 x 39 x 20 cm
Courtesy the artist
Jeewi Lee, Burden of Sediment (PSL-BER), 2026
Quarzsand, ArtResin, 15 x 42 x 31 cm
Courtesy the artist
Jeewi Lee, Burden of Sediment (WHV-BER), 2026
Quarzsand, ArtResin, 31 x 38 x 20 cm
Courtesy the artist
Foto: Edward Greiner
Linda Marwan, Kriecher, 2026
PLA, Draht, Gips, Epoxy, Acrylfarbe, Firnis, 120 × 110 × 60 cm
Courtesy the artist
Foto: Edward Greiner
Julian Charrière, Pacific Fiction, 2016
Kokosnüsse in Bleisarkophagen, Stahlrahmen
Copyright the artist; VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Germany
Marie Velardi, îles perdues (Lost Islands), 2014
33 Zeichnungen, Tinte, Aquarell und Bleistift auf Papier
Courtesy the artist
Foto: Edward Greiner
Ausstellungsansicht
Foto: Edward Greiner
Carl Brandi, Die unvermeidliche Abkühlung, 2026
Live-Rollenspiel und sich entwickelnde Installation
Courtesy the artist
Foto: Edward Greiner
Ausstellungsansicht
Foto: Edward Greiner
Ausstellungsansicht
Foto: Edward Greiner
Ausstellungsansicht
Foto: Edward Greiner
Julian Charrière, Pacific Fiction, 2016
Kokosnüsse in Bleisarkophagen, Stahlrahmen
Copyright the artist; VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, Germany
Foto: Edward Greiner
Rodney Graham, Vexation Island, 1997
Courtesy The Estate of Rodney Graham
Foto: Edward Greiner
Fiona Tan, Island, 2008
HD Videoinstallation, schwarz-weiß, 5:1 surround sound
Courtesy the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London
Foto: Edward Greiner
Abie Franklin & Daniel Hölzl, BYCATCH, 2026
PVC
Courtesy the artist
Foto: Edward Greiner
Imprint