Is there a right to hope? And if so, could it be legally enforced? Last Friday (November 26), a new exhibition opened at the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg. Its title: \u201cUtopia \u2013 The Right to Hope.\u201d And it was precisely this subtitle \u2014 the right to hope \u2014 that both puzzled and intrigued me. A quick internet search didn\u2019t really help. One AI-generated response claimed that there was something similar \u2014 at least, as a result of the Fridays for Future movement, a \u201cright to a future\u201d seems to exist. But even here, the question immediately arises: how could I, as a citizen, enforce this right in court?<\/p>\n
According to the organizers at the art museum, the \u201cright to hope\u201d also implies a right to a livable future.<\/p>\n
Well, maybe I\u2019m already overthinking it. Everyone can form their own opinion while visiting the exhibition. But first, let\u2019s stick to the facts. On Friday, Andreas Beitin, director of the museum, opened the exhibition mentioned above in front of a truly impressive crowd. First came the usual thank-you speeches \u2014 to the curators, the artists, and the sponsors.<\/p>\n
Utopias for a Better Future<\/strong> The End of Socialism<\/strong> We are immediately confronted with something historical: artists Stephan Huber and Raimund Kummer have symbolized the end of Soviet state utopias with 60 rusty Soviet stars. Another artist walked along the former death strip at the inner-German border and documented his \u201cmedicinal plant\u201d impressions. In a video installation, a balloon in the shape of a giant clenched fist takes center stage \u2014 a reference to the communist salute, which has now outlived its purpose.<\/p>\n A Look at the Present<\/strong> Whether you call them utopias or not, a few of the artworks truly fascinated me. One artist literally strapped plants to a scanner, creating wonderfully arranged images. But I think my favorite pieces were the porcelain figurines from \u201cMare Mediterraneum.\u201d Their exaggerated depictions of decadent yacht fantasies reminded me of the film Triangle of Sadness by Swedish director Ruben \u00d6stlund \u2014 with its wonderfully sarcastic imagery showing the depravity of the \u201ccrazy rich.\u201d The porcelain figures operate in a similar way.<\/p>\n Beyonc\u00e9 and the Space Hamsters<\/strong> Utopias of Alternative Futures<\/strong> I have to admit, by this point \u2014 due to the late hour and a growing feeling of hunger \u2014 we left the exhibition rather quickly toward the exit. But I can definitely imagine returning for a slower, guided tour. I think some pieces really need to be experienced more deeply and with more time.<\/p>\n The exhibition runs until January 11, 2026.<\/p>\n
\nThen things got more concrete: utopias for a better future. These were explained by the curatorial duo Dino Steinhof and Sebastian M\u00fchl. The exhibition, they said, is about many micro-utopias that, taken together, can bring about something positive. In short, it\u2019s about tense times, economic crises, fears of new wars and conflicts, and all the other things that make daily life difficult. The artworks are intended to offer at least some inspiration for how things could be better.<\/p>\n
\nBefore we actually enter the exhibition halls, we first relax with a glass of wine. The initial rush is so intense that it doesn\u2019t make sense to \u201cget in line\u201d right away. Luckily, the extended opening hours that evening work in our favor. After about an hour, the crowds have thinned out enough for us to enter the first hall.<\/p>\n
\nHowever, this exhibition is not intended as a historical retrospective. Rather, it focuses on contemporary problems and their potential solutions. It\u2019s about the future of our planet, how we want to live together as a society, about species protection, circular economies \u2014 and the ways creative expression can respond to all of this.<\/p>\n
\nUnder the motto \u201cSolidarity of the Species,\u201d the late artist Lin May Saeed advocated for animal rights by calling for the liberation of animals from their cages. In the form of hamsters arriving like astronauts, she gave visual expression to her cause. Other artists use their work to draw attention to the dwindling biodiversity in the Brazilian Amazon.<\/p>\n
\nFinally, things take a futuristic turn: visions of digital bodies \u2014 reminiscent of Men in Black at times \u2014 or installations that take us into a ball pit, are meant to represent the \u201ctransformative entanglement\u201d between humans and technologies.<\/p>\n