Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian to Reopen Long-Closed DC Museum for Exhibition Exploring Future

“In a world that feels perpetually tumultuous, there is power in imagining the future we want, not the future we fear"

smithsonian futures rendering
Rockwell Group

The Smithsonian will temporarily reopen a historic museum on the National Mall that’s been closed for nearly two decades. 

The Arts and Industries Building, located just west of the Hirshhorn Museum, will be the site of the building-wide “FUTURES” exhibit starting in November, Smithsonian officials announced Tuesday. 

The exhibition will “fuse awe-inspiring art, technology, design and history, inviting visitors to dream big and imagine not just one but many possible futures on the horizon,” a statement said. 

Visitors will be able to see Afrofuturist art, a “COVID-friendly support robot that reduces loneliness” and foods of the future, among many other offerings. 

The Arts and Industries Building (Credit: Smithsonian/Ron Blunt)

“In a world that feels perpetually tumultuous, there is power in imagining the future we want, not the future we fear,” building director Rachel Goslins said in a statement.

The free exhibition will be open through July 2022 and include a number of interactive virtual elements accessible worldwide. 

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