Utopia: The Right to Hope

Idea / concept
Andreas Beitin

Curatorial team
Andreas Beitin, Sebastian Mühl, Dino Steinhof

Curatorial assistant
Veronika Mehlhart

We are currently experiencing an unprecedented period of polycrisis on a global scale: in addition to wars, worldwide refugee movements, 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.

Academic advisory board and publication
An academic advisory board with members from various fields supported the preparation phase of the exhibition. The exhibition project Utopia: The right to hope is accompanied by a transdisciplinary and richly illustrated publication (German/English, 280 pages, 289 illustrations, German edition ISBN 978-3-7533-0937-8, English edition ISBN 978-3-7533-0938-5) with texts by Inke Arns, Andreas Beitin, Friedrich von Borries, Dagmar Fink, Lisa Garforth, Jörg Heiser, Jakob Huber, Wolfgang Kaleck, Sebastian Mühl, Ludger Schwarte, Maristella Svampa, Tilo Wesche, Kerstin Wolff, and Alex Zamalin. Available in the museum shop for 39 EUR.

Artists and collectives
Aerocene Foundation, AES+F, Pablo Albarenga, aLifveForms (fed and cared for by JP Raether), Kader Attia, Yael Bartana, Martin Beck, Ursula Biemann, Nuotama Frances Bodomo, melanie bonajo, Eglė Budvytytė, Violeta Burckhardt und Andreas Greiner, Cao Fei, Anetta Mona Chişa und Lucia Tkáčová, Chto Delat International, Jasmina Cibic, Jordi Colomer, Thomas Demand, Margret Eicher, Olafur Eliasson, Philipp Fürhofer, Robert Gabris, Chitra Ganesh, Stephan Huber und Raimund Kummer, institut für zukünfte, IRWIN, Sven Johne, Keiken, Folke Köbberling, Mischa Kuball, Mischa Leinkauf, Haley Mellin, Achim Mohné, Muoto architectes und Georgi Stanishev + Clémence La Sagna, Marina Naprushkina, Otobong Nkanga, OX2architekten, Cornelia Parker, Rosana Paulino, Rory Pilgrim, Oliver Ressler, Lin May Saeed, Jaanus Samma, Khvay Samnang, Tomás Saraceno, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Cauleen Smith, Maja Smrekar, Société Réaliste, Uýra Sodoma, Sputniko!, Team Mycel der Ostfalia Hochschule, Terreform ONE, Rhoda Ting und Mikkel Bojesen, Nasan Tur, Hermann Weber, Pınar Yoldaş, Liam Young, ZK/U und KUNSTrePUBLIK.

Opening hours
Tuesday to Friday, 10am–6pm
Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays, 11am–6pm
Special opening: December 29, 2025, 11am–6pm