11 February – 30 April 2017 

Can art change the world? Tomás Saraceno (born 1973 in Argentina), the internationally renowned researcher and visionary among contemporary artists, is convinced that it can. Working in collaboration with engineers, architects or biologists, he develops large-scale sculptures that are influenced by physical and biological forms and which have regularly caused a stir in the international art scene. The sculptures and installations that continue with the visionary spirit of Constructivism depict models of future sustainable life forms. The Berlin-based artist who studied art and architecture, Tomás Saraceno comprehends his work as a reaction and response to such global themes as the Earth’s increasing uninhabitability along with other ecological problems. His works can be understood as a multidisciplinarily driven, continuous research venture that pursues the notion of a ‘feasible utopia’. The exhibition in the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum presents his most recent vision: Aerocene, the age of air. The project involves the development of very diverse types of sculptures that fly solely through thermal energy generated by motors, gas or solar cells. The first test flights have already been a success; pilots are already being trained. Aside from fascinating sculptural visions, the exhibition also depicts the beginnings of Aerocene research: the Museo Aero Solar, a gigantic sculpture made of used plastic bags that appears in the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum like an accessible cathedral of sustainability. A further separate Museo Aero Solar arose during the exhibition and all of the show’s visitors were invited to participate in its preparations. The exhibition was realised in cooperation with the Museum Haus Konstruktiv, Zurich.

Curator: René Zechlin