Utopia

We are currently experi­en­cing an unpre­ce­dented period of polycrisis on a global scale: In addition to wars, pandemics, and a growing loss of faith in democra­cies, the man-made climate catastrophe dominates the thoughts and actions of many. Beyond cynicism and apoca­lyptic mood, however, it should be possible to live together in solida­rity and community as a basis for civiliz­a­tional and ecolo­gical survival. In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, it is primarily artists who take up such ideas in their works and advance the discourse on possible utopias.

The exhibi­tion and publi­ca­tion project Utopia. The Right to Hope, initiated by the Kunst­mu­seum Wolfsburg, aims to give a sign of hope and confi­dence that a better and fairer life can be achieved for everyone on this planet. The aim is not to create a new grand design for the world, but rather to focus on a variety of micro-utopias that, when combined, can achieve something positive. For this reason, Utopia focuses primarily on works of art, but also on archi­tec­tural projects, design objects, and examples from the applied arts that present utopian projects or ideas in various media. In addition to the critical exami­na­tion of the concept of utopia itself and its promising but also totali­ta­rian impli­ca­tions, Utopia focuses on projects that aim at small-scale change, including activist or practice-oriented fields of action. The various works and objects can offer sugges­tions on different levels for a more just and sustainable coexis­tence that takes into account margi­na­lized social groups as well as animate and inanimate nature. In this context, art in parti­cular can make ground­brea­king contri­bu­tions to utopian models for the future, as it has criti­cally accom­pa­nied social processes with its palette of aesthetic and thematic means since the dawn of the modern era. This permanent critique of the status quo entitles art, more than any other cultural form, to utopia.

An academic advisory board with members from various fields supported the prepa­ra­tion phase of the exhibi­tion. The exhibi­tion project Utopia. The Right to Hope will be accom­pa­nied by a trans­di­sci­pli­nary publi­ca­tion with texts from the fields of art history, philo­sophy, ecology, sociology, law, archi­tec­ture, history, and politics, including contri­bu­tions by the following authors: Inke Arns, Andreas Beitin, Friedrich von Borries, Dagmar Fink, Lisa Garforth, Jörg Heiser, Jakob Huber, Wolfgang Kaleck, Sebastian Mühl, Ludger Schwarte, Stefan Sorgner, Maris­tella Svampa, Tilo Wesche, and Kerstin Wolff. Coope­ra­tion partners at local, national, and inter­na­tional level, as well as an extensive educa­tional and support program, ensure the best possible networ­king and disse­mi­na­tion of the contents of Utopia. The Right to Hope.

Idea / Concept: Andreas Beitin

Curato­rial Team: Andreas Beitin, Sebastian Mühl, Dino Steinhof

Curato­rial Assistant: Veronika Mehlhart