Dates

10.11.2023 – 12.5.2024
Prolonged to Sunday, June 30, 2024

Adults: CHF 17.–
Teenagers (under 20 years): CHF 7.–
Students / Trainees (under 30 years): CHF 7.–
Disabled visitors with ID CHF: 7.–
Children (under 13 years): Admission free

Free admission with the MUSEUMS-PASS-MUSEE and the Swiss Museum Pass.

Exhibition is extended

The special exhibition "SEXY - The Driving Force of Life" is prolonged to Sunday, June 30, 2024. 

Support

Kindly supported by:

Novartis
Bürgergemeinde der Stadt Basel
Freiwillige Akademische Gesellschaft
Ernst Göhner Stiftung
Sulger Stiftung
Ulrich und Klara Huber-Reber-Stiftung

Cooperations

Braswell Arts Center
Zoo Basel

SEXY – Driving Force of Life Special exhibition

The animal kingdom is vibrant and diverse. Animals have all kinds of weapons to help them win the object of their desire, along with a wealth of different behaviour patterns, pairings and family models. But why? Because of the sexes. The different interests of the sexes are what drives evolution.

In our special exhibition, we show you the role sex plays in reproduction. You will discover that some animals have two sexes, while some have none and others have several. There are animals that can change their sex and animals that can have two sexes at the same time. But they all have one thing in common: they want to reproduce.

With astonishing stories, impressive specimens, and interactive elements, we show the lengths animals will go to to breed. They turn on the charm with their best displays and most splendid plumage. In the survival of the fittest, animals fearlessly fight off the competition with the ultimate aim of becoming attentive parents who watch over their young. But there isn’t a clear pattern to their roles: The animal kingdom is ahead of its time and has always had different family models.

This exhibition is exciting for kids and adults. While adults can marvel at the many different types of pairing and the desires and frustrations of animals’ mating rituals, kids can find out how it feels to grow up protected by a womb, pouch or egg. We use a variety of young animal specimens to show how they started life and who smoothed their pathway to adulthood.

This exhibition is based on objects and the basic idea of the special exhibition “Sexperten” by Liechtenstein National Museum and Liechtenstein Office for the Environment.

Together we celebrate a big, cheerful, colourful party. Discover the family secrets of all kinds of animals by dancing, smelling and listening. Follow in the footsteps of baby animals, discover the world of young animals with your peers, slip into the feathers of colourful bird parents or learn to dance like spiders. But brains are also required when the experts share their wealth of knowledge with us. We look forward to an exuberant bug festival with you.

Our activities at a glance

10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Handmade fragrances in colourful packaging

10:00 to 16:30 Test of strength Are you strong as a bear?

10:00 to 16:30 Digital scavenger hunt Crack the secret code

10:00 to 16:30 Courtship costumes Adorn yourself with foreign feathers for once

10:00 to 16:30 Animal tattoos Do you dare?

10:00 to 16:30 Sense of taste included Culinary delights for young and old

10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30 The love life of animals Short presentations by Christian Kropf, Head of Life Sciences and Loïc Costeur, Head of Earth Sciences

10:45, 11:45, 12:45, 13:45 KITZ for kids The fluff of the very young. For children only.

10:45, 11:45, 12:45, 13:45 In hiding The courtship of the big ones. For adults only.

11:15 & 15:15 Children's disco

12:00 Dance show from Braswell Arts Centre

13:00, 14:00, 15:00 Boogie-Woogie Cool dance steps of the animal kind

16:00 Dance show for everyone to join in

With Kids from our KITZ-Club and the Braswell Arts Center.

At the end of the After Hours season, we invite you to a DJ round up. All DJs of the 2023/24 season will gather behind the turntables and transform our museum bar into a big dancefloor We look forward to a Get together with DJs D. Haze The Blaze, Flavah Nice, Shaka, Ribose, KDFA & FABOLOUS.

You can also visit the exhibition "SEXY - Driving Force of Life" in the evening and then toast to the end of the day.

During our guided tour through the special exhibition SEXY – DRIVING FORCE OF LIFE, we show you the role sex plays in reproduction. You will discover that some animals have two sexes, while some have none and others have several. There are animals that can change their sex and animals that can have two sexes at the same time. But they all have one thing in common: they want to reproduce.

Ask your questions directly to the scientist or expert at the Profi-Talk. The Profi-Talk focuses on biology Bring along what you have found and would like to learn more about.