Yael Bartana
Doktorand
Light to the Nations in Group exhibition: Utopia. The Right to Hope
Författare
Summary, in English
Utopia. The Right to Hope
27.09.2025 – 11.01.2026
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,” wrote John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the opening lines of “Imagine,” one of the world’s most famous songs. Though the song is more than half a century old, its vision of various utopian ideals remains relevant today: a world without war, hunger, greed, and hatred—a peaceful, sustainable, and livable world for all people, in which they share with each other, care for one another, and treat each other with respect.
Historically, the emergence of utopias has usually been closely linked to dissatisfaction with a present that is perceived as negative. Even today, many people find the current times stressful, if not dystopian. In addition to wars, genocides, global refugee movements, the rise of populism and right-wing radicalism in many countries, and a spreading loss of trust in democracies, it is above all the human-made climate catastrophe that dominates the thoughts and actions of many. This raises numerous pressing questions: How do we want to coexist and survive together in the future? In what condition will we leave the Earth to future generations? How can we use existing knowledge to make the world a place of solidarity and ecological responsibility?
The exhibition Utopia. The Right to Hope sends a message of hope, emphasizing the right to a livable future for all humans and non-human beings. Through artistic ideas, suggestions, and visions, the exhibition opens new spaces for thinking about our own perspectives, alternative paths and options for action, and the possibilities for a different, more just and sustainable world to which we can all contribute at any time.
When we demand the right to hope with this exhibition, we do not mean naïvely waiting for miracles. Hope does not mean suppressing or even denying realities and their complex challenges but rather confronting them and facing them with courage. Utopias paint a picture of a better world and offer concrete perspectives for change. With Utopia, we are taking a step in this direction. Let us dare to create more utopias together that spark hope and confidence in a better tomorrow!
The exhibition, which spans the hall and gallery and features some sixty international artistic positions, is divided into seven thematic clusters, which are identified by large, colorfully designed text panels. Each individual work in the exhibition is accompanied by a short text providing information about its content. The color codes on the signage clearly indicate which thematic cluster each work belongs to. Further information and in-depth texts can be found in the accompanying publication to the exhibition, which is available in our shop.
Curators
Andreas Beitin (idea and concept), Sebastian Mühl, Dino Steinhof
Curatorial Assistant
Veronika Mehlhart
Scientific Advisory Board
Inke Arns, Ann-Katrin Günzel, Jörg Heiser, Wolfgang Kaleck, Ina-Maria Maahs, Manuel Rivera, Ludger Schwarte, Kerstin Wolff
27.09.2025 – 11.01.2026
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one,” wrote John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the opening lines of “Imagine,” one of the world’s most famous songs. Though the song is more than half a century old, its vision of various utopian ideals remains relevant today: a world without war, hunger, greed, and hatred—a peaceful, sustainable, and livable world for all people, in which they share with each other, care for one another, and treat each other with respect.
Historically, the emergence of utopias has usually been closely linked to dissatisfaction with a present that is perceived as negative. Even today, many people find the current times stressful, if not dystopian. In addition to wars, genocides, global refugee movements, the rise of populism and right-wing radicalism in many countries, and a spreading loss of trust in democracies, it is above all the human-made climate catastrophe that dominates the thoughts and actions of many. This raises numerous pressing questions: How do we want to coexist and survive together in the future? In what condition will we leave the Earth to future generations? How can we use existing knowledge to make the world a place of solidarity and ecological responsibility?
The exhibition Utopia. The Right to Hope sends a message of hope, emphasizing the right to a livable future for all humans and non-human beings. Through artistic ideas, suggestions, and visions, the exhibition opens new spaces for thinking about our own perspectives, alternative paths and options for action, and the possibilities for a different, more just and sustainable world to which we can all contribute at any time.
When we demand the right to hope with this exhibition, we do not mean naïvely waiting for miracles. Hope does not mean suppressing or even denying realities and their complex challenges but rather confronting them and facing them with courage. Utopias paint a picture of a better world and offer concrete perspectives for change. With Utopia, we are taking a step in this direction. Let us dare to create more utopias together that spark hope and confidence in a better tomorrow!
The exhibition, which spans the hall and gallery and features some sixty international artistic positions, is divided into seven thematic clusters, which are identified by large, colorfully designed text panels. Each individual work in the exhibition is accompanied by a short text providing information about its content. The color codes on the signage clearly indicate which thematic cluster each work belongs to. Further information and in-depth texts can be found in the accompanying publication to the exhibition, which is available in our shop.
Curators
Andreas Beitin (idea and concept), Sebastian Mühl, Dino Steinhof
Curatorial Assistant
Veronika Mehlhart
Scientific Advisory Board
Inke Arns, Ann-Katrin Günzel, Jörg Heiser, Wolfgang Kaleck, Ina-Maria Maahs, Manuel Rivera, Ludger Schwarte, Kerstin Wolff
Avdelning/ar
- Konsthögskolan i Malmö
Publiceringsår
2025-09-27
Språk
Engelska
Dokumenttyp
Konstnärligt arbete
Förlag
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg
Ämne
- Visual Arts
Nyckelord
- Generation ship
- science-fiction
- redemption
- hope
- jewish mysticism
Aktiv
Published