Dragons

Dragons have fueled human imagination for thousands of years. These fascinating mythical creatures are part of the enduring repertoire of great stories – from ancient myths to contemporary series highlights. Even in many children’s rooms, one finds dragon books, games, or stuffed animals. Depending on cultural context, dragons are attributed with very different qualities: In European cultures, they appear as threatening beings that combine the traits of snakes and predators. In China, Korea, and Japan, however, the dragon is predominantly associated with positive meanings and serves as a cosmic force keeping nature in balance.

In East Asian mythology, divine celestial dragons appear, while in antiquity the dragon is primarily encountered in the heroic deeds of Hercules. The terrifying image of the fire-breathing beast only emerged in the European art of the Middle Ages. Here, the dragon became a symbol of evil, overcome by good – exemplified in the iconography of the dragon slayer. Well into modern times, dragons were regarded as real animals; only with the rise of modern natural science did this perception change: dragons were excluded from zoological classification and declared mythical creatures. Nevertheless, today they appear more alive than ever through contemporary fantasy culture, such as the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien or the countless other books, films, comics, and games.

The interdisciplinary exhibition shows dragons from both an art-historical and a scientific perspective. It presents outstanding European and East Asian artworks from antiquity to the present, and displays scientific exhibits such as rare and historic scientific publications, fossils millions of years old, or animal specimens. This diverse panorama is complemented by digital content, a storytelling track for children, a reading corner and drawing wall, as well as atmospheric audiovisual installations. In this way, young and old alike can discover how much reality is contained in the millennia-old myth of ‘dragons’.

The special exhibition is in collaboration between the Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, the Museum Schnütgen, and the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne.
The exhibition’s first venue is the Hessisches Landesmuseum in Darmstadt: 2 October 2026 – 17 January 2027
Credit for cover image: Pair of folding screens featuring a dragon and a tiger (detail), attributed to Tosa Mitsutsugu, Japan, 17th century, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Cologne © HAStK-RBA / Sabrina Walz