Fabulous! The lion man and his descendants

For thousands of years, hybrid creatures combining human and animal features have inhabited the myths, images, and imaginations of our world—from the Lion-Man of the Paleolithic era to the sphinx, minotaur, mermaid, and modern-day cyborg. They symbolize our delight in fantasy, our wonder at life, and our longing for an expanded self.

Hybrid creatures reflect human hopes, fears, and mysteries. They continue to shape art, literature, and science to this day. From the ice ages to the present, hybrid creatures inspire, captivate, and enchant because they symbolically raise questions that never lose their relevance: Where does humanity begin? Where does nature end? And what happens when the boundaries become blurred? They reappear in modern pop culture, from science fiction to biotechnology. Our ancient idea of hybrid beings lives on—as a mirror of our fears, our creativity, and our eternal desire to be more than we are.

In the upcoming presentation “Fabulous! The Lion Man and His Descendants” by the Museum Ulm as a guest at the kunsthalle weishaupt, depictions of hybrid beings repeatedly cited in cultural history over the centuries populate a wallpaper designed by graphic artist and exhibition designer Eva Hocke, which surrounds the approximately 40,000-year-old Lion Man from the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Ice Age Art and Caves in the Swabian Alb.”

On Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 11 a.m., the museum will open the Hybrid Creatures Room on the first floor of the kunsthalle weishaupt. Come by and marvel at the diversity of hybrid creatures that have been inspiring the human imagination for millennia. The lion man and the surrounding wallpaper will be on display there until October 4, 2026, before the figure moves to its new home in the newly designed archaeology collection presentation at the Ulm Museum at the end of 2026.

Exhibition venue:

First floor, kunsthalle weishaupt
Hans-und-Sophie-Scholl-Platz 1
89073 Ulm