Opening Nov 20

Get Ready

For its 175th anniversary, the Smithsonian is looking forward.

What do you think of when you think of the future? FUTURES is the first building-wide exploration of the future on the National Mall. Designed by the award-winning Rockwell Group, FUTURES spans 32,000 square feet inside the Arts + Industries Building. Opening November 20, 2021, and on view until July 6, 2022, FUTURES is your guide to a vast array of interactives, artworks, technologies, and ideas that are glimpses into humanity’s next chapter. You are, after all, only the latest in a long line of future makers.

Smell a molecule. Clean your clothes in a wetland. Meditate with an AI robot. Travel through space and time. Watch water being harvested from air. Become an emoji. The FUTURES is yours to decide, debate, delight. We invite you to dream big, and imagine not just one future, but many possible futures on the horizon—playful, sustainable, inclusive. In moments of great change, we dare to be hopeful. How will you create the future you want to live in?

November 19—21

Opening weekend!

RSVP>

For three days of sonic wonderlands, dancing, surprise guests, family fun and more. Create, explore, and celebrate the FUTURES>

Explore

Futures that Unite

Tap into our collective humanity >

Futures that Inspire

Encounter giant leaps of imagination >

Futures that Work

See strategies for solving problems >

Futures Past

Discover innovative ideas of previous generations >

Exterior Installation

Cross the threshold to the future at AIB’s entrance as you step through contemporary artist Soo Sunny Park’s Expanded Present, an ethereal portal of iridescent material designed to inspire and delight.

A Shimmering New Gateway from Soo Sunny Park

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New + Cool

New!

Create, debate, and reflect the future you want to see. Be the first to try this playful digital storytelling interactive that lets you see FUTURES and yourself in new ways. From LAB at Rockwell Group and Softbank Group Corp.

Meet the FUTURES Beacons

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The future of transport

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s an Air Taxi! From World’s Fairs to “The Jetsons,” the flying car has always been a symbol of the future. And now you can see this vision in person with the debut of the Bell Nexus Air Taxi.

The future of contemporary art

Five leading contemporary artists create AIB-specific works for their Smithsonian debuts. Beatriz Cortez, Nettrice Gaskins, Soo Sunny Park, Devan Shimoyama, and Tamiko Thiel and/p work in such diverse media as augmented reality, A.I., found objects, and industrial materials. You won’t want to miss these stunning portals into possible worlds on the horizon.

The future of interactive sculpture

What if an artwork could respond to your voice? me + you from globally renowned artist and architect Suchi Reddy will invite visitors to speak their future vision as an AI algorithm translates meaning, tone, and sentiment into a unique mandala of color and light. Human wisdom and intelligent technology will be woven together to create a constantly evolving visualization of collective futures in the sculpture’s central totem. This groundbreaking public artwork marks Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) first-ever major contemporary art commission.