Festivals. Superfluous? Not at all! Abundance and excess are what make celebrations possible. Science describe festivals as a necessary "waste" of resources, as "extravagances", breaks from everyday life, moments of relief from daily worries and stresses, or "forms of structured transgressions" that are vital to society. Festivals and celebrations are far more: they create meaning, are life-affirming and strengthen community, along with reinforcing traditions and perceptions of the world. The foundations for our festive culture are laid out in ancient times. And so, the choreography: procession, ritual, competition, feasting and drinking. Many of these aspects we delight in to this day. In this exhibit, ancient artifacts bear witness to festive occasions of days gone by, a film essay highlights essential elements of contemporary festivals and celebrations, and young illustrators offer new perspectives of ancient images.

The exhibition has been made possible by the kind support of the Kulturstiftung der Länder, the Karin Stilke Stiftung and the Hans Brökel Foundation for Science and Culture.