If you really want to change the present, you have to look ahead, into the future. Changes and innovation are set in motion by people who believe that the world can be better or different. They are the artists, architects, designers, scientists and thinkers that make tangible what others do not yet see. RetroFuture is the world's first major exhibition about the future of the past. What was strange, awkward and artificial yesterday is familiar, or even natural today.
In ten tunnels full of fiction and facts, we take you through the visions of yesterday. The idealists and the doomsayers, the scientists and the dreamers.
Artists and designers give a glimpse into possible futures within a fairground environment. Maybe we will eat algae treats from a vending machine. And we will pay for them with ECO coins. Try your luck at shooting organs in the shooting gallery. What dreams turn into nightmares in the haunted house of the future?
What in the past seemed strange, is familiar and even natural today (such as video calling). What was once fantasy is now for real (think of flying). Many visions of the future remained science fiction (the idea of time travel). How does that influence the way we look into the future today? What can we learn from yesterday's future thinkers?
RetroFuture begins with classic dreams and challenges. From Da Vinci's desire to fly to a Space Age jetpack. From Nostradamus who predicted the end of the Earth to the Egyptians who believed in eternal life. The visions of the past are an inspiration for contemporary artists who shine a new light on the future with a fascinating mix of art, film and design.
RetroFuture features work by Studio Drift, Maison de Faux & Esmay Wagemans, Audrey Large, Driessens & Verstappen, Tabita Rezaire, Floris Kaay, Michael Mandiberg and Smack.
Visit the Evoluon with your team and make the journey from wonder to change by exploring yesterday's future. We present an enriching program that offers a fresh perspective on the future and provides tools to meet the challenges of today. With the exhibition as a starting point, you redefine the future of your organization. Participants are guaranteed to go home with an elevated understanding of our relationship with nature and technology, with new insights about possible futures.
RetroFuture is funded in part by Fonds 21, Mondriaanfonds, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds and BPD Cultuurfonds. The exhibition is part of the multi-year programming in the Evoluon by Next Nature, made possible thanks to the generous support of the Ministry of Education, Culture & Science, the Municipality of Eindhoven, the Province of Noord-Brabant and the Region Deal Brainport Eindhoven.
Evoluon
Noord-Brabantlaan 1A
5652 LA Eindhoven
We recommend that you book your ticket online to avoid queues at the counter. Tickets are valid from Tuesday till Saturday from 10.00-17.00 and on Sunday 12.00-17.00. On Monday we are closed. Check evoluon.com for special opening hours and exceptions.