Tom￡s Saraceno's "Ancestral Futures" Transforms Munich's Haus der Kunst into a Multispecies Ecosystem
Artist Tomás Saraceno's expansive "Ancestral Futures" exhibition at Munich's Haus der Kunst presents a profound exploration of interconnectedness, weaving together art, science, and Indigenous wisdom. This ambitious display, Saraceno's largest in Germany, challenges visitors to rethink their place within the global ecosystem and embrace new paradigms for living harmoniously with the Earth, rather than asserting dominance over it.
Artist Tomás Saraceno Unveils Visionary Exhibition "Ancestral Futures" at Munich's Haus der Kunst
On July 17, 2026, the venerable Haus der Kunst in Munich will open its doors to an unprecedented exhibition, "Ancestral Futures," conceived by the visionary artist Tomás Saraceno. This significant showcase, marking Saraceno's most extensive presentation in Germany to date, is the culmination of nearly two decades of interdisciplinary research. It seamlessly integrates elements of art, architectural innovation, natural sciences, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), advocating for a future where humanity lives in profound collaboration with the planet, rather than above it.
Instead of merely displaying individual pieces, "Ancestral Futures" unfolds as a holistic, immersive environment unified by the overarching theme of 'In Collaboration.' Guests will encounter ethereal, air-powered sculptures gracefully suspended within the galleries, while the subtle vibrations produced by microscopic spiders are transformed into captivating, immersive soundscapes. A crucial component of the exhibition involves profound collaborative installations developed with Indigenous communities from Argentina's northern region. These collaborations transform the museum space into a dynamic forum where the critical issues of ecological justice, innovative architecture, and environmental activism converge. Throughout this groundbreaking exhibition, Saraceno actively prompts attendees to deeply reflect on and redefine their connections with the air they breathe, the water that sustains them, the land beneath their feet, and the myriad more-than-human species that collectively shape our shared global habitats.
A central pillar of the exhibition is "Towards the Sanctuary of Water" (2026), a monumental new environmental artwork developed in partnership with the Indigenous Red Atacama network residing in the Salinas Grandes of northern Argentina. This endeavor transcends typical gallery presentations, forming an integral part of a permanent land art project, The Sanctuary of Water, which is currently being meticulously constructed using time-honored Andean building methods. Upon its completion, this significant structure will be stewarded by the eleven Indigenous communities who initiated its creation. Its purpose is multifaceted: to provide vital protection for the delicate salt lakes that face severe threats from industrial lithium extraction, while simultaneously fostering local ecotourism initiatives and preserving cultural heritage. In a remarkable departure from conventional museum practice, the Haus der Kunst is directly contributing to the realization of this project beyond its institutional walls, thereby ensuring that the exhibition generates a tangible and lasting positive environmental impact.
Furthermore, the exhibition brings together two of Saraceno's most influential long-term research initiatives: Aerocene and Arachnophilia. Aerocene embodies his ambitious vision for a future of flight liberated from fossil fuels, while Arachnophilia represents an ongoing, profound collaboration with spiders, meticulously exploring their communication patterns, intricate behaviors, inherent material intelligence, and sophisticated architectural capabilities across diverse species. Collectively, these initiatives position air and spiderwebs not merely as metaphorical concepts, but as fundamental infrastructures for conceiving innovative post-carbon futures—futures deeply rooted in principles of reciprocity and mutual respect, rather than continued extraction and exploitation.
Visitors embark on their journey through "Ancestral Futures" by encountering the Museo Aero Solar, an evolving, airborne museum collaboratively constructed from repurposed plastic bags by participants across six continents since 2007. Rather than presenting a static, completed object, this work remains an open-source sculpture that expands and transforms with each new exhibition. It powerfully embodies Saraceno's concept of the Aerocene: an era centered on the atmosphere as a shared global commons, fundamentally shifting away from our entrenched dependence on fossil fuels. These aerosolar sculptures, buoyed solely by sunlight and natural thermal currents, propose a radically different understanding of flight—not as a symbol of rapid advancement or technological dominance, but as a profound exercise in collective care, harmonious coexistence, and imaginative environmental stewardship.
In other sections of the exhibition, Saraceno dramatically shifts perspectives and scales. The intricate spiderwebs from his 'Webs of At-tent(s)ion' series and the deeply immersive 'Algo-R(h)i(y)thms' installation transport visitors into vibrational realms typically beyond human perception. Here, the subtle frequencies of orb-weaver spiders are juxtaposed with electromagnetic signals emanating from distant galaxies, proposing that every living system—from the microscopic intricacies of a spiderweb to the vastness of cosmic space—operates through universal, shared rhythms. Even a series of unique scent-based paintings, specifically crafted for canine perception, challenges the prevailing dominance of human visual experience, encouraging visitors to imagine and engage with perception through the senses of other species.
The influence of "Ancestral Futures" extends far beyond the confines of the museum galleries. On the museum's eastern terrace, 'Cloud Cities: Species of Spaces and Other Pieces' introduces a collection of twelve floating, cloud-like chambers, drawing inspiration from the grandeur of cumulonimbus formations. Conceived as dynamic, living architecture, these suspended structures are designed not exclusively for human occupation, but as vibrant habitats for birds, insects, spiders, and other urban species. This initiative powerfully reinforces Saraceno's long-held vision of cities as shared spaces, cohabited in harmony by both human and non-human inhabitants.
The museum's very infrastructure is transformed into an integral part of the artistic narrative. The "Flashing Toilets" initiative ingeniously reconfigures the building's plumbing system, enabling water used for handwashing to be recycled for toilet flushing. This simple yet effective intervention is projected to reduce the museum's annual water consumption by an impressive one million liters. While seemingly a modest adjustment, it profoundly illustrates Saraceno's broader philosophical proposition: meaningful environmental change is not solely instigated by grand, monumental gestures, but equally, and perhaps more fundamentally, by thoughtfully redesigning and reimagining our everyday systems and practices.
Drawing inspiration from the insightful philosophy of Brazilian Indigenous thinker Ailton Krenak, who posits that "the future is already here, woven into the landscape like a river," "Ancestral Futures" ultimately positions architecture, scientific inquiry, artistic expression, and Indigenous knowledge as inherently interconnected practices. Rather than envisioning distant, technologically-driven futures, Saraceno’s work eloquently suggests that more equitable and ecologically sound futures are not merely aspirations, but are already present and vibrant within the intricate relationships between air, water, diverse animal life, evolving landscapes, and the dedicated communities actively working to safeguard them.
Tomás Saraceno’s "Ancestral Futures" is more than an exhibition; it is an invitation to engage in a profound dialogue about our planet's future. By integrating art with scientific research and Indigenous wisdom, Saraceno challenges us to move beyond anthropocentric perspectives and embrace a multispecies approach to coexistence. The exhibition serves as a powerful reminder that the solutions to our most pressing environmental challenges lie in collaboration, reciprocity, and a deep respect for all forms of life. It inspires us to seek out and cultivate sustainable practices in our daily lives, recognizing that even small, systemic changes can collectively lead to monumental impact. This show encourages a shift in consciousness, urging us to perceive the world not as a resource to be exploited, but as a complex, interconnected web of life that demands our collective care and imagination.