Sand und Salz

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