Mosses and lichens are living microcosms. As pioneer plants and specific biocoenoses, they form closely interwoven ecological systems. Hidden from the naked eye, they reveal intricate universes and highly complex biotopes on closer inspection. What is hidden behind these supposedly inconspicuous and yet omnipresent, resistant and life-sustaining creatures?

Mosses were the first plants on land to emancipate themselves from the algae in the water around 400 million years ago. They laid the foundation for flora and fauna on our planet. Preferring to live in humid areas, they also conquer barren mountain and desert regions or even urban spaces between the paving stones. They absorb large quantities of water in a short time and photosynthesize without roots. Frozen, they can outlive their own lifespan, thaw hundreds of years later and continue to live unharmed.

Lichens are closely interwoven communities of algae, bacteria and fungi that can be found almost everywhere. Even on hostile substrates such as rocks, desert sand, even on asphalt or street lamps, they form small living worlds. As a collaborative association of the most diverse species, they often represent the only resilient form of life in barren environments. Closely connected to each other, they defy all adversities and often live for hundreds, sometimes even over 1000 years.

Mosses and lichens form shelters for the smallest microorganisms, fertile carpets that provide nourishment and give rise to life in the most hidden corners of the world. This interplay of interwoven relationships, resistant resilience and complex nutrient cycles are the subject of artistic exploration. The smallest and at the same time delicately differentiated elements, which constantly create and maintain new worlds of life, are the starting point of the exhibition.
The artists Tomas Kleiner, Timo Kube, Gabriela Oberkofler, Magali Reus and Helmut Schweizer use installation, sculpture, drawing, writing, photography and film to transform the exhibition spaces into a living ecosystem - microscopically small and universally connecting at the same time.