MusikWelten

From ancient American vessel flutes and fire dance masks from Papua New Guinea to a fully analog recording studio from the 1980s – the atmospheric exhibition MusikWelten (Music Worlds) creates a sensory gateway to the universal human phenomenon of music through a wealth of unique instruments and objects from different eras and regions. The individual thematic sections on Communication, Community, Movement, and Transformation focus on human beings and their relationship with music.

Music has always served as a means of communication not only with spirits and deities but also with nature. Whether in the temple chants of Asia, the monastic communities of Europe, or the musical ceremonies of royal courts around the world, its community-forming power is especially evident. From its very beginnings, music has also been closely linked to movement and dance. Last but not least, music possesses the transformative power to guide people into altered states of consciousness – whether through shamanistic rituals or modern-day trance experiences.

The exhibition not only provides interesting insights into the world of music but also makes it a tangible experience through an audio guide featuring surprising auditory encounters and extraordinary stagings. Music from Africa, India, the Far East, and ancient America becomes more accessible by comparing it to related sound experiences from rock, pop, and classical music.

The exhibition is based on the outstanding collection of the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums, comprising more than 1,600 European and non-European musical instruments. Among its treasures is the largest collection of ancient American musical instruments outside of the Americas, generously donated to the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums by Dieter and Evamaria Freudenberg.