Excursion: Museum Sinclair-Haus | October 8, 2025
On October 8, 2025, the Panel, together with the Planetary Agency/Politics winter fellows, went on an excursion to Bad Homburg to visit the exhibition Nightlife (Nachtleben) at Museum Sinclair-Haus. Before the visit, we explored Bad Homburg Castle and its gardens. From the top of the castle’s White Tower, a medieval landmark, we enjoyed sweeping views of the palace grounds, the historic gardens, and the surrounding Taunus landscape.
At the immersive world of the exhibition entrance stood Hans Op de Beeck’s Miriam, a calm grey sculpture of a young woman with closed eyes holding an owl. The owl, a creature of the night, seemed to lead her into darkness. This work set the tone for the exhibition, suggesting that entering the night means learning to see and listen differently. It also reflected one of the key ideas of the Planetary Agency/Politics cohort: that nonhuman beings, like rivers, forests, or nocturnal animals, have their own ways of acting and expressing presence in the world. The exhibition explored the night as a vital part of the planet’s ecology. Many artworks focused on light pollution and how artificial light affects the rhythms of both humans and animals. This was a poignant reminder that decisions about lighting, urban planning, and energy use are also political choices that shape who can live and move in the dark.
In the first section, Stumbling in the Dark, the artists looked at how humans and animals share the night. Among many exhibits, Sven Johne’s A Walk in Lusatia showed the return of wolves to post-industrial landscapes, revealing nature’s quiet resilience. Dana Sherwood’s Feral Cakes showed videos of raccoons and foxes feasting on cakes she left in her garden at night. What seemed playful also reminded us of how wild animals adapt to human spaces. Matthias Garff’s Tawny Owl, made from household items, encouraged us to see creativity and life even in artificial surroundings. Together, these works reflected the idea that many beings participate in shaping our shared planet.
The second section, Swarming at Night, focused on the politics of light. Thierry Cohen’s Darkened Cities showed large cities like Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro under natural starlight, imagining what the night sky could look like without artificial brightness. Tobias Zielony’s Gas Station showed people gathering under the glow of streetlights, showing how light also shapes human communities. Robin Meier Wiratunga’s Synchronicity: Chimera States displayed fireflies and LED lights blinking together, suggesting a fragile harmony between technology and nature. Alona Rodeh’s Nightcaps, playful hats for street lamps that direct light downward, offered an inventive and joyful way to reduce light pollution and restore darkness as a shared resource.
The final section, Sensory Landscapes, invited visitors to experience the night through other senses. Susanne M. Winterling’s Glistening Troubles explored the bioluminescent glow of dinoflagellate algae that respond to pollution and temperature changes, acting as natural indicators of ocean health. Anaïs Tondeur’s A Breath, at Night filled the space with the scent of a moonlit garden, showing that the night can awaken memories and imagination.
We would like to thank Museum Sinclair-Haus for providing a guided English tour and extend our special thanks to our guide Sophie Olivotto for her enthusiastic and engaging support.
The exhibition Nightlife connected closely with the goals of the Planetary Agency/Politics cohort as it reminded us that the night is part of the planet’s living systems and that protecting it is both an ecological and a political act.