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What If Everything Were Completely Different?

A playful exploration of the Jewish Museum Berlin’s anniversary exhibition with the Ephra-Trail and Story Wheel

Press Release, Thu 3 Sep 2026

From 4 September 2026, the new game Ephra-Trail and Story Wheel offers visitors of all ages a simple and stimulating way to explore the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a Different Present at the Jewish Museum Berlin (JMB). Ephra, a Berlin-based organisation of art education, developed the game specially for the exhibition, which is the highlight of the JMB’s twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations. The game can be played by all visitors until the exhibition ends on 10 January 2027.

Contact

Dr. Margret Karsch
Head of Press
T +49 (0)30 259 93 419
presse@jmberlin.de

Melanie Franke
Press Officer
T +49 (0)30 25 993 340
presse@jmberlin.de

Address

Jewish Museum Berlin Foundation 
Lindenstraße 9–14 
10969 Berlin

The Ephra-Trail leads visitors right through the exhibition, inviting them to find their way into the artworks in an independent, playful, and inventive spirit. At the start of the trail, participants receive a bag to accompany them on their quest for clues. At the artworks, they encounter figures, sentence openings, and other elements of the game that they can collect and take along with them. Those components come together in the Story Wheel, located in the Room for Reflection at the middle of the exhibition. There, children and adults are invited to share in storytelling, playing, and probing the question: What if everything were completely different?

The Ephra-Trail takes its inspiration from the carrier bag theory of human evolution proposed by feminist author Elizabeth Fisher and followed up by Ursula K. Le Guin in her short essay The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction: the idea that humanity’s first tool was one in which other things could be collected and carried. For Le Guin, that is how science fiction works as well.

The game Ephra-Trail and Story Wheel encourages detours and digressions – collecting, sharing, and communicating, thinking things through and imagining possibilities together. As such, it puts the exhibition’s impulses into practice. The twelve artworks created for The Opposite of Now respond to the unsettling crises of our time by seeking paths into a different present. They ask about the power of individuals and the community to imagine a better life for everyone. 

Ephra is a nonprofit organization carrying out projects and research in the field of cultural education. Its innovative work creates an interface between children and art, breaking down barriers to children’s participation in culture. Ephra’s projects are designed to foster democracy and emotional education through art.

Inspired by the Ephra-Trail and Story Wheel, the JMB will offer an open workshop format in the Room for Reflection on selected days during the exhibition. The workshop is intended for families with children aged seven and above. Working with art educators, participants create fabric tote bags to carry away their memories of the museum visit. The workshop facilitators speak German, English, and Hebrew. On Family Sundays, participation is free. On the other workshop days, there is a charge – in addition to the museum admission (free for children and young people under 18) – of €6, reduced rate €3. Further information and the full calendar of events can be found here: Workshop | What If Things Were Different?

Press kit for the exhibition The Opposite of Now

Download (PDF / 7.74 MB / in English / not accessible)
(8 items)

  • Yael Bartana, The Birds, video still, 2026; Courtesy of Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam; Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv; Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Milan; Petzel Gallery, New York; Capitain Petzel, Berlin and Cecilia Hillström Gallery, Stockholm

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  • Dor Zlekha Levy, rehearsals for Esperoj with the Musrara Student Choir for Contemporary Music, conducted by Laila Mazal Yenishen, February 2026; photo: Dor Zlekha Levy

    Download (ZIP / 793.85 KB)

  • Ari Benjamin Meyers, Choir of Time Astronauts, 2026; photo: Anna Tiessen

    Download (ZIP / 1.14 MB)

  • Dana Kavelina, It Can't Be That Nothing Can Be Returned  
    Video still 
    2022 / 2026

    Download (ZIP / 1.93 MB)

  • Daniel Laufer, video still from Echoes of Tomorrow, 2026, Daniel Laufer © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

    Image available for download on request from presse@jmberlin.de.

  • Chto Delat International, A Comprehensive Self-Organized Amateur Expedition in Search of Losses and Discoveries, project image, 2026

    Download (ZIP / 744.92 KB)

  • Andrea Büttner, Jetzt (Now), woodcut on paper, 153,2 x 135 cm, 2025; photo: Andrea Büttner © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

    Image available for download on request from presse@jmberlin.de. 

  • Alexander Kluge, How Walter Benjamin Explained the Weak Messianic Power to Bertolt Brecht, video still, 2018; © Leonard Kluge and Sophie Kluge

    Image available for download on request from presse@jmberlin.de. 

    Download (ZIP / 4.93 MB)
Scene from Yael Bartana's video work “The Birds”.

Yael Bartana, The Birds, video still, 2026; Courtesy of Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam; Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv; Galleria Raffaella Cortese, Milan; Petzel Gallery, New York; Capitain Petzel, Berlin and Cecilia Hillström Gallery, Stockholm

Download (ZIP / 1.5 MB)
A group of young people are standing in a room in front of music stands and microphones, singing as a choir.

Dor Zlekha Levy, rehearsals for Esperoj with the Musrara Student Choir for Contemporary Music, conducted by Laila Mazal Yenishen, February 2026; photo: Dor Zlekha Levy

Download (ZIP / 793.85 KB)
A group photo of ten elderly people in astronaut suits; one of them is sitting in a wheelchair, and two are using canes.

Ari Benjamin Meyers, Choir of Time Astronauts, 2026; photo: Anna Tiessen

Download (ZIP / 1.14 MB)
A film still showing a human head; the person is submerged in water up to their neck. The image does not look realistic, but rather very smooth, as if it were AI-generated

Dana Kavelina, It Can't Be That Nothing Can Be Returned  
Video still 
2022 / 2026

Download (ZIP / 1.93 MB)
A black-and-white photo of a young woman standing in front of an old building; she is looking up at an angle, with rays of sunlight falling on her from the side.

Daniel Laufer, video still from Echoes of Tomorrow, 2026, Daniel Laufer © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

Image available for download on request from presse@jmberlin.de.

The artist collective Chto Delat International filming in the studio.

Chto Delat International, A Comprehensive Self-Organized Amateur Expedition in Search of Losses and Discoveries, project image, 2026

Download (ZIP / 744.92 KB)
An abstract painting on wood in black and white; in the upper right corner, the German word “Jetzt” (meaning: Now) appears in mirror image.

Andrea Büttner, Jetzt (Now), woodcut on paper, 153,2 x 135 cm, 2025; photo: Andrea Büttner © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

Image available for download on request from presse@jmberlin.de. 

A white-haired man in the foreground, with a giant light bulb in the background.

Alexander Kluge, How Walter Benjamin Explained the Weak Messianic Power to Bertolt Brecht, video still, 2018; © Leonard Kluge and Sophie Kluge

Image available for download on request from presse@jmberlin.de. 

Download (ZIP / 4.93 MB)
(8 items)

  • Ari Benjamin Meyers, Choir of Time Astronauts, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

    Download (ZIP / 733.59 KB)

  • Alona Rodeh, Above and Beyond, 2013/2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März ; Alona Rodeh © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

    Download (ZIP / 5.88 MB)

  • Arnold Dreyblatt, reverse_time, Berlin, 2026 –2027, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Arnold Dreyblatt © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

    Download (ZIP / 6.96 MB)

  • Yael Bartana, Generationship, 2024/2026 and The Birds, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

    Download (ZIP / 4.22 MB)

  • Eran Schaerf, Through the Color Prism, and What Jacqueline Found There, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Eran Schaerf © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

    Download (ZIP / 6.65 MB)

  • William Forsythe, Backwards, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

    Download (ZIP / 6.92 MB)

  • Dor Zlekha Levy, Esperoj, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

    Download (ZIP / 5.17 MB)

  • Ephra-Trail and Story Wheel, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
    Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

    Download (ZIP / 6.18 MB)
A life-size doll in an astronaut suit is sitting at a grand piano in an exhibition hall.

Ari Benjamin Meyers, Choir of Time Astronauts, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Download (ZIP / 733.59 KB)
Several people are standing in a large exhibition hall, looking at a wall made up of large individual stones. Plants are growing in some places on the wall.

Alona Rodeh, Above and Beyond, 2013/2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März ; Alona Rodeh © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

Download (ZIP / 5.88 MB)
Two people are sitting across from each other in a dark exhibition space. One person is walking through the room. On the walls of the room are two large monitors showing people sitting in chairs.

Arnold Dreyblatt, reverse_time, Berlin, 2026 –2027, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Arnold Dreyblatt © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

Download (ZIP / 6.96 MB)
A futuristic metal object that looks like a fan is pointing at a large movie screen. On the screen, people are climbing a ladder. One person is wearing a bird-head mask.

Yael Bartana, Generationship, 2024/2026 and The Birds, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Download (ZIP / 4.22 MB)
Two people are taking large, sticker-covered posters from big stacks lying on the floor in a large exhibition hall.

Eran Schaerf, Through the Color Prism, and What Jacqueline Found There, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Eran Schaerf © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

Download (ZIP / 6.65 MB)
A woman is sitting on a bench. A man is walking backward. Both are in a large, bright exhibition hall.

William Forsythe, Backwards, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Download (ZIP / 6.92 MB)
Several people are in a large exhibition hall. Some are sitting or standing on a seating area in the room, wearing headphones and listening to recordings.

Dor Zlekha Levy, Esperoj, 2026, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Download (ZIP / 5.17 MB)
Two people are sitting at a round table in an exhibition space, looking at wooden objects.

Ephra-Trail and Story Wheel, from the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a different Present; 
Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Download (ZIP / 6.18 MB)
Graphic: an orange area with a yellow, radiant dot in the center that is reminiscent of a sunrise.

Exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a Different Present: Features & Programs

Exhibition Webpage

Accompanying Events & Tours

Publications

Exhibition Catalog: English/German, Sep 2026

Digital Content

My Opposite of Now: Chat with M.O.O.N. about your opposite of now! The AI app from the exhibition available online

See also

Hashtag #JMBerlin

Source: https://www.jmberlin.de/en/press-information-3-september-2026-ephra
Printed on: 09/04/2026