Utopia – The Right to Hope
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: “Utopia – The Right to Hope.” And it was precisely this subtitle — the right to hope — that both puzzled and intrigued me. A quick internet search didn’t really help. One AI-generated response claimed that there was something similar — at least, as a result of the Fridays for Future movement, a “right to a future” seems to exist. But even here, the question immediately arises: how could I, as a citizen, enforce this right in court?
According to the organizers at the art museum, the “right to hope” also implies a right to a livable future.
Well, maybe I’m already overthinking it. Everyone can form their own opinion while visiting the exhibition. But first, let’s 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 — to the curators, the artists, and the sponsors.
Utopias for a Better Future
Then things got more concrete: utopias for a better future. These were explained by the curatorial duo Dino Steinhof and Sebastian Mühl. The exhibition, they said, is about many micro-utopias that, taken together, can bring about something positive. In short, it’s 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.
The End of Socialism
Before we actually enter the exhibition halls, we first relax with a glass of wine. The initial rush is so intense that it doesn’t make sense to “get in line” 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.
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 “medicinal plant” impressions. In a video installation, a balloon in the shape of a giant clenched fist takes center stage — a reference to the communist salute, which has now outlived its purpose.
A Look at the Present
However, this exhibition is not intended as a historical retrospective. Rather, it focuses on contemporary problems and their potential solutions. It’s about the future of our planet, how we want to live together as a society, about species protection, circular economies — and the ways creative expression can respond to all of this.
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 “Mare Mediterraneum.” Their exaggerated depictions of decadent yacht fantasies reminded me of the film Triangle of Sadness by Swedish director Ruben Östlund — with its wonderfully sarcastic imagery showing the depravity of the “crazy rich.” The porcelain figures operate in a similar way.
Beyoncé and the Space Hamsters
Under the motto “Solidarity of the Species,” 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.
Utopias of Alternative Futures
Finally, things take a futuristic turn: visions of digital bodies — reminiscent of Men in Black at times — or installations that take us into a ball pit, are meant to represent the “transformative entanglement” between humans and technologies.
I have to admit, by this point — due to the late hour and a growing feeling of hunger — 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.
The exhibition runs until January 11, 2026.
