Guest Curated by Nato Thompson with Dreaming in Public

Marco Brambilla’s Approximations of Utopia presents a vision of a future world fair constructed from the archival images and AI technology, philosophically considering the nature of human hope  and notions of utopia by mining the ambitions of the past. Using AI-generated and archival imagery to conjure the architectural environments of six historic World Expositions — New York (1964), Brussels (1958), Montreal (1967), Osaka (1970), Seville (1992), and Shanghai (2010) — Approximations of Utopia assembles a new configuration of human wonderment through non-human technologies. Each architectural-algorithmic resurrection represents not only the spirit of that nation and society, but also the aspirational dreams and desires from that moment in time. The journey through these dynamic collages of the past leads the viewer to a yet unrealized Expo in the works, unbound from geography or time. This idealized speculation, like any utopia, is an imagined community and society of a future filled with the possibility of a meaningful, peaceful life and civilization.

Approximations of Utopia coincides with the Queens Museum’s celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair, titled Peace Through Understanding, that took place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The Unisphere, designed by Gilmore D. Clarke and donated by U.S. Steel, was the icon of the Fair and remains the world's largest sphere. It featured three rings representing the space age achievements of Yuri Gagarin, John Glenn, and Telstar 1, and stood as a monument to America’s success in the space race before Neill Armstrong's moon landing. Corporate pavilions dominated the Fair, presenting innovations through educational demonstrations, theater, and exhibitionary displays. Ford's "Magic Skyway," for example, was a journey through Earth's history, including animatronic dinosaurs and dioramas, and human evolution, viewed from inside a brand-new Ford Mustang on a moving track. Visions of cities, travel, and technology of the future were foundational for many pavilions, including those sponsored by General Electric, NASA, New York City, and Bell Systems, among many others.

Artnet’s co-presentation of Brambilla’s Midnight Moment in June marks the second iteration of an ongoing partnership that celebrates digital art in the heart of New York City.

AI services were provided by PHI Studio.

Musical score for Approximations of Utopia composed by Drazen Bosnjak.