It is certainly ironic: we had already been preparing an exhibition about epidemics through the ages for two years, due to open on 15 April 2020. But this had to be postponed because of the outbreak of an epidemic. With the exhibition Contagious! we wanted to warn of a new, unknown disease that could emerge unexpectedly. In 2018, the World Health Organisation put the so-called disease X on a list of diseases that we should prepare for because they can turn into an international emergency. And then Corona arrived. Disease X suddenly had a name.

During this session Curator Mieneke te Hennepe will give you a virtual tour of the exhibition. In the exhibition we show that epidemics are of all times, and we show parallels between the past and the present. The exhibition combines art and science. After the tour there will also be a Q&A with Amito Haarhuis to conclude the session.