The Future Is Dark, 2025

Site-Specific Installation

Drawing from the recent waves of popular mobilisation for a fairer world, Bilal Yılmaz wraps the façade of the Goethe-Institut’s main building with a message of hope in the midst of darkness. Referencing the work of artists like Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Jenny Holzer, and Ugo Rondinone, Yılmaz transforms the building into an unexpected image — one that reveals by concealing, and provokes reflection through surprise. As the future appears increasingly shaped by social, political, and environmental collapse, collective action emerges as a vital force for change. Art, in this context, becomes a powerful tool — one that can bring people together, foster dialogue, and help build common ground. 

As the artist states about the work:

“Sometimes art is more than an object to decorate our walls.

More than a question waiting to be answered.

More than a medium to entertain us.

While dark days are approaching, art can be a tool for showing the coming threat.

Uniting people to resist and bringing strength from past experiences to today's practices.

Even the façade of the most established institutions can become the face of this call.

In dark times, art can bring light.”