The Kunsthaus Graz in Austria has opened a powerful new exhibition that examines themes of power, vulnerability, and uncertainty through the lens of contemporary art. Titled "Unseen Futures to Come. Fall," the exhibition features twelve artistic positions curated by museum director Andreja Hribernik, who draws inspiration from philosopher Federico Campagna's concept of autumn as the age of uncertainty.

Hribernik's curatorial program is based on Campagna's philosophical framework that uses seasons as metaphors for our perception of the world. According to Campagna, autumn represents a time when certainties dissolve, knowledge is questioned, and fear of the unknown increases. This concept forms the foundation of an incredibly dense, emotional, and sometimes frightening exhibition that explores human vulnerability and our relationship with power.

Central to the exhibition is Campagna's "Library of Twilight Worlds," featuring 250 books that bring together rational thinking and alternative worldviews, science and occultism. This library serves not only as an invitation for visitors to browse and linger but also as a conceptual bridge between the various artworks that explore the uncertainties of our world.

The exhibition journey begins immediately as visitors enter through the travelator from the foyer, leading directly into "Road to Nowhere," a work by the duo zweintopf. This piece, set in an underground parking garage, opens a window into the uncertain. One of the most striking installations is "The Raft," a video and sound installation by Bill Viola, who passed away in 2024. This overwhelming work clearly references Géricault's painting "The Raft of the Medusa," exploring human resilience in the face of adversity.

In contrast to Viola's epic installation, Christoph Grill's analog black-and-white photographs offer a quieter, almost meditative experience. His images show the Arctic sea and small islands, yet an underlying threat emerges from the fog, along with an indefinable sense of time. Yhonnie Scarce's "Operation Buffalo" demonstrates how horrific events can be addressed through breathtaking beauty. More than 1,000 delicate glass drops hanging from the ceiling symbolically represent the atomic rain that permanently damaged Australia's Indigenous peoples following British nuclear tests.

Andrej Škufca's sculpture "Black Market: 6GB Ending" takes a more menacing approach, with its spider-like form conquering the exhibition space. This black monster, born from exploitation and ruthlessness, seems destined to creep into visitors' nightmares. Even Jože Tisnikar's painting "Love," despite its hope-giving title, nourishes dark premonitions rather than optimism.

Several video works in the exhibition address contemporary anxieties and technological concerns. Marija Marković's video "I want you to panic" is particularly unsettling, showing 120 images per minute – matching the rhythm of our heartbeat during a panic attack – depicting human-made environmental destruction. Meanwhile, Vladimir Nikolić's spectacular video "800M" reveals the limits of technology that we blindly trust, filmed while swimming.

The exhibition also addresses cultural destruction and xenophobia through powerful visual narratives. Dana Awartani's video shows impressive imagery of tradition's destruction as she sweeps together an oversized sand painting. A similar sand painting appears in the museum before her work, its fate already determined. Racism, fascism, and ignorance toward foreign cultures dominate the photographs by Adelita Husni Bey, which document a women's rugby club in Sicily fighting against these forces.

To offer a glimmer of hope, the exhibition concludes with Sophie Utikal's textile works. While these pieces also speak of loneliness and environmental destruction, they simultaneously show ways to take on shared responsibility and work toward positive change.

Despite the exhibition's dark themes and the diminishing light of autumn, Hribernik has created an incredibly impressive show that tells grand stories through just a few carefully selected works. The exhibition maintains hope for a new spring while confronting the uncertainties of our current moment. "Unseen Futures to Come. Fall" will remain on view until February 15, 2026.

As part of the exhibition programming, philosopher Federico Campagna will visit the Kunsthaus for a special conversation on Saturday, September 20, beginning at 4 p.m. This discussion promises to provide additional insight into the philosophical framework that underlies this thought-provoking exhibition.