Exhibition Text

Our worlds are full of color—but do all cultures see the same thing? While the scientific foundations of color perception are shared by all humans, the wavelengths of light alone do not determine how we name colors, how many categories we distinguish, or what meanings and associations we attach to them. These interpretations can vary significantly across languages and cultures.

A central theme of this exhibition is the diversity of cultural color concepts, for colors help us organize and make sense of the world. They are often connected to complex social and cosmological systems that provide orientation, create meaning, and shape human coexistence.

Exploring the meanings embedded in different color worlds therefore offers an opportunity to view cultural relationships in a new light and to gain insight into alternative ways of understanding and interpreting the world.