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Graphic: an orange area with a yellow, radiant dot in the center that is reminiscent of a sunrise.

The Opposite of Now

Artistic Paths to a Different Present – Exhibition Preview

In a time of crises, a disturbing now, the Jewish Museum Berlin goes in search of something different, something better—an opposite. Twelve artists aid us in this effort. They probe the existing order for an opening, a path to a different present. Some draw on Jewish traditions, others on thinkers such as Ernst Bloch or Theodor W. Adorno, who championed a better society in dark times.

Fri 4 Sep 2026 to Sun 10 Jan 2027

Map with all buildings that belong to the Jewish Museum Berlin. The Old Building is marked in green

Where

Old Building, level 1
Lindenstraße 9–14, 10969 Berlin

When & where?

Related content & activities

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founding, the museum dares to look ahead: into the open, toward the possible. The exhibition considers the power of individuals and the community to imagine a better life for all. This power changes, and it can also grow. The Opposite of Now seeks to explore and inspire it.

With Yael Bartana, Andrea Büttner, Chto Delat International, Arnold Dreyblatt, William Forsythe, Dana Kavelina, Alexander Kluge, Daniel Laufer, Dor Zlekha Levy, Ari Benjamin Meyers, Alona Rodeh, Eran Schaerf.

(12 items)

  • Yael Bartana, Generationship, 2024/2026 and The Birds, 2026; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

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

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

  • Arnold Dreyblatt: reverse_time, Berlin, 2026–2027; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Arnold Dreyblatt © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

  • William Forsythe: Backwards, vinyl lettering on a wall, Berlin, 2026–2027; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

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

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

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

  • Dor Zlekha Levy, Esperoj, 2026, interactive audio installation; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

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

  • Alona Rodeh: Above and Beyond, 2013/2026, cardboard, plants, light, sound, haze; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Alona Rodeh © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

  • Eran Schaerf: Through the Color Prism, and What Jacqueline Found There, posters printed using two-color offset printing, 2026; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Eran Schaerf © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

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; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

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

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 photo, 2026, photo: Chto Delat

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; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Arnold Dreyblatt © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

A woman is sitting on a bench. A man is walking backward. Both are in a large, bright exhibition hall.

William Forsythe: Backwards, vinyl lettering on a wall, Berlin, 2026–2027; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

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

You'll find the transcript for the video installation on our website

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

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

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, interactive audio installation; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

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

You'll find a film featuring interviews with the “time astronauts” on our website

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, cardboard, plants, light, sound, haze; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Alona Rodeh © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2026

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, posters printed using two-color offset printing, 2026; Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März; Eran Schaerf © VG Bild -Kunst, Bonn 2026

We developed an AI-powered media application for the exhibition: “M.O.O.N. – My Opposite of Now” helps you find your own alternative to the present. At the end, you’ll have a text to take away and share.

Chat with M.O.O.N. now!

Jewish Museum Berlin, design: NOUS digital

Screenshot of a website: in the background, concentric circles whose orange color gradually darkens toward the outer edges; in the foreground, the entry screen for the chat application “M.O.O.N. - My Opposite Of Now.”

Jewish Museum Berlin, design: NOUS digital

Ephra is a non-profit organization that connects children with art. For our exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a Different Present, it has developed a dedicated trail for children. Find out more about the Story Wheel and the child-friendly questions!

More about the kids’ trail

Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Two people are sitting at a round table in an exhibition space, looking at wooden objects.

Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Roman März

Exhibition Information at a Glance

Information on the Accessibility of the Exhibition

Languages

  • All exhibition texts are available in German and English.
  • There is no information available in Easy Language.
  • There is no information available in German Sign Language (DGS).

Events

Image and Sound

  • The exhibition includes films. Audio is available in German, English, or Russian. All films have at least English subtitles, and some also include German subtitles.
  • Audio stations are available in German and English.
  • There are no hearing assistance systems such as induction loops or neck loops.
  • Some artworks feature loud sounds as part of the open soundscape in the exhibition spaces.
  • Some audio works contain louder passages.
  • Two rooms in the exhibition are very dark. One of these rooms contains flashing lights (in the artwork by Alona Rodeh).

Physical Access

  • The exhibition is fully accessible without steps.
  • The exhibition offers quiet areas where visitors can rest.
  • Most exhibits and exhibition texts can be viewed and read while seated.
  • You can always borrow wheelchairs in the museum lobby. To reserve a wheelchair in advance, please email besucherservice@jmberlin.de. 
  • There are numerous seating options throughout the exhibition, with space for approximately 80 visitors.
  • The artworks in the exhibition are evenly lit. Most exhibition texts are presented with high visual contrast.
  • There is no tactile guidance system or tactile models in the exhibition.

General information about museum accessibility can be found on our accessibility information page.

If you have any questions or comments regarding accessibility and inclusion, please contact us via our contact form. 

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

Made possible by

The image shows the label of the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
Logo: Friends of the JMB.

Sponsored by

Logo: Aventis Foundation.
Berliner Sparkasse logo with red S and dot on top
Red logo of the foundation Stiftung am Grunewald.

The exhibition is also supported by Artis through its exhibition grant initiative.

25 Years JMB: Exhibitions in Our Anniversary Year (2)

Show all

  • Exhibitions in Our Anniversary Year

    Join us as we look back at the past and explore possible futures: This spring, we’ll trace the architecture and history of Daniel Liebeskind’s striking zigzag building. This fall, we invite you to move on from the present while encountering 12 artistic projects, and to search for approaches that can change society.

  • A black-and-white photo of an empty room still under construction, with very slanted windows in its concrete walls through which light streams in.

    Between the Lines:

    Daniel Libeskind and the Jewish Museum Berlin

    Exhibition
    Fri 8 May–Sun 22 Nov 2026

  • Graphic: an orange area with a yellow, radiant dot in the center that is reminiscent of a sunrise.

    The Opposite of Now:

    Artistic Paths to a Different Present

    Exhibition
    Fri 4 Sep 2026–Sun 10 Jan 2027

  • Visitors in an exhibition room with paintings on glass walls.

    Take part:

    This exhibition is made possible by the FRIENDS OF THE JMB. Support us and help shape the future of the JMB! 

    All About…

  • Long staircase with projected Hebrew and Latin letters that form city names

    Our Exhibitions

    List of current and future exhibitions

    At a Glance…

  • Permanent exhibition, stairs to the axes from the old building, view downwards

    All Past Exibitions

    From 2001 until today

    Past Exhibitions

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Source: https://www.jmberlin.de/index%2ephp/en/exhibition-opposite-of-now
Printed on: 09/06/2026