Deserts

For its new major spring exhibition, the Museum invites you on an unprecedented journey to the heart of our planet's desert environments, from the iconic Sahara to polar deserts, passing through the Sonoran, Atacama, and Gobi deserts, among others.

Present on every continent, deserts today cover one-third of the Earth’s land surface. Whether scorching or polar, composed of rock, sand, salt, or ice, these areas all share the defining characteristics of being open environments, marked by aridity and extreme temperatures.

Despite these challenging conditions, seemingly hostile to life, both animals and plants have developed remarkable adaptation strategies, which you will discover through the surprising diversity of specimens from various parts of the world.

Along the way, you'll also discover the strategies humans deployed to live in harsh environments, and how their presence might threaten these fragile ecosystems. 

With nearly 200 specimens and objects of various kinds, most drawn from the Museum’s extensive collections, alongside multimedia installations and large-scale projections, the exhibition offers a scientific, engaging, and aesthetic perspective on these fascinating environments.