The unicorn has stimulated the imagination like no other animal. It has been documented in many cultures for centuries. Its fascination continues to this day. The mythical animal is a multi-facetted symbol that emanates associative energy. Tracks of the unicorn can be found in Christian and non-European art, in natural science and medicine and in a wide range of symbols. Studying the iconography of the unicorn invites reflection on fantasy, world knowledge, ambivalences and projections.

The conference prepares the exhibition Unicorn: The Mythical Beast in Art, which will be on display at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam from October 25, 2025 to February 1, 2026 and at the Musée de Cluny in Paris from March 16 to June 28, 2026.

The event will be held in English. Tickets can be purchased online and at the museum’s ticket counter. Students admitted free of charge. A free ticket for registration and proof of student status are required for participation.

Conference program
Flyer_Unicorn (PDF, 211.61KB)

10 a.m.
Welcome (in English)
Dr. Ortrud Westheider, Museum Barberini, Potsdam
Séverine Lepape, Musée de Cluny

10:15 a.m.
The Existence of the Unseen: The Image and Meanings of the Unicorn in European Art (in English)
Dr. Michael Philipp, Museum Barberini, Potsdam

11:15 a.m.
Messenger of Fortune or a Threat: The Unicorn in Asian Cultures (in English)
Adrien Bossard, Musée départemental des arts asiatique, Nice

12:15 p.m.
"And raised a Horn of Salvation to us": The Unicorn in Christian Art (in English)
PD Dr. Stefan Trinks, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

1:15 p.m.
Lunch break

2:30 p.m.
Companion of Women, Prey of Men: The Unicorn Tapestries in the Musée de Cluny and the Metropolitan Museum (in English)
Béatrice de Chancel-Bardelot, Musée de Cluny, Paris

3:30 p.m.
Evidence versus Belief: The Unicorn as a Paradigm of Natural Science in the Early Modern Period (in English)
Barbara Drake Boehm, New York

4:30 p.m.
Coffee break

5:15 p.m.
Projection and Identification: The Unicorn in the Art of the 20th and 21st Centuries (in English)
Annabelle Ténéze, Louvre Lens

6 p.m.
Reception