Once upon a time... the Earth

About the Exhibition

The story of our planet begins millions of years ago with a Big Bang. Stellar dust drifted through the universe, clumped together, and formed a fiery sphere with a burning heart and a skin of stone. Earth has come into being, but it is anything but a static backdrop. It is constantly changing, as is the way we give it meaning. Today, that story is under pressure: raw materials are running out, climate change and pollution are increasing, and geopolitical tensions reveal how decisive Earth is for global power and stability.

A selection of the installations

The exhibition invites visitors to discover, experience, and actively reflect on the planet. Not with doomsday scenarios, but with imagination and perspective. From Big Bang to geopolitics, from fossils to visions of the future: here, Earth becomes tangible, interactive, and inspiring.

THE CAVE: THE BEGINNING OF SPACESHIP EARTH

The Cave draws you into the depths of the geosphere, back to the very beginning. In this impressive installation, you'll discover how people have explained the origins of the world throughout the ages: through science and myth. From the Big Bang to Biblical stories, from Pangu to Yoruba creation stories, each perspective offers a different origin. Stars are born and die; their dust forms a new world. A fiery sphere with a heart of metal and a skin of stone: Spaceship Earth.

BOREHOLE PARK: FROM STONE TO SCREEN

Here you'll figuratively drill through the layers of the earth and encounter materials that shape our daily lives: from glass and phones to jewelry. Through a journey through time, the materials tell a story of depletion, human impact, and responsibility. What do we extract from the earth? And what do we give back?

GEOLIFT: JOURNEY TO THE HEART TO THE EARTH

Step into the Geolift and descend deeper than ever before. Visit the Earth's crust, pass through the mantle, and discover an ocean of molten metal. Explore fossil fuels, metals, and rare elements, and feel how everything is interconnected.

GEO CHANNEL


GEO Channel packages and translates geological knowledge into today's media language: news, advertising, and everyday entertainment. Through short clips by designers and scientists, you'll discover new facts and fresh insights about our planet. From the dynamics of Earth's layers to the scarcity of raw materials. How media, power, and materials are intertwined.

PANGEA: THE EARTH THAT KEEPS MOVING

Once, all the continents were connected in the supercontinent Pangaea. Slowly, they drifted apart, creating the world map as we know it today. But the movement never stops: the tectonic plates still float on hot, molten rock. In 250 million years, the continents will converge again to form Pangaea Ultima, a new superworld in which all regions are once again connected.

PLASTIGLITE: THE NEW ROCK

Plastic originates deep within the Earth and remains part of the planet even after we use it. It bonds with sand, stone, and other materials, forming plastiglite: a new type of rock that holds our human waste as a future fossil. Artist Shahar Livne shows how the Earth transforms even our waste into something new.

THE COOLING GAME: PLAY WITH THE CLIMATE

It's 2040, and the climate has become too warm. Together with other players, you'll influence the climate: you'll grow forests, direct cool air, or influence the ocean. Each choice changes the weather and reveals the complexity and vulnerability of our ecosystem.

Made possible by

Research

PRELIFE, Universiteit van Utrecht and Universiteit van Amsterdam

Production

Bazelmans AV, Carpet Making, Embrave, ISandBox, Nine Yards and Q-lite

Partners

Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap, Provincie Noord-Brabant, Cultuur Eindhoven, Brainport Eindhoven, Gieskes-Strijbis Fonds, NWO and Cultuurfonds.