The United Nations has declared 2024 the Year of the Camelid. To mark the occasion, the Weltmuseum Wien is presenting the major annual exhibition On the Back of Camels, which explores the many facets of human coexistence with alpacas, llamas, Bactrian camels and dromedaries. Last but not least, it aims to show the influence that the animals, collectively referred to as camelids, have on the societies of which they are a part. At the same time, the exhibition sheds light on the relevant role they could play in the future.
The thematic arc of the exhibition spans from the original camels of North America, through their domestication and worldwide distribution, to the keeping of camelids as almost universal farm animals that still ensure human survival today. In view of the search for solutions to climate change, camelids have become a beacon of hope for medicine, nutrition and the textile industry.
Historical and contemporary works of art, films and photographs, some never before exhibited objects from the collections of the Weltmuseum Wien and international loans illustrate the many aspects of the close relationship between these animals and the people who live with and from them.
February 27, 2024 to January 26, 2025
www.weltmuseumwien.at