Geneva, Switzerland — What does the future look like? The answer, according to the Musée d’ethnographie de Genève (MEG), is as varied as humanity itself—and the museum’s newest exhibition, Le futur, c’est quoi? (“What is the future?”), proves it. Opening on May 7, 2026, this immersive showcase explores how cultures across time and geography have grappled with the unknown, using everything from ancient divination tools to cutting-edge robotics. Through nearly 300 artifacts, the exhibition argues that the future is not a distant abstraction but a mirror reflecting our deepest hopes, fears, and creative impulses.
The exhibition runs through January 10, 2027, offering visitors a rare chance to step into a “cabinet of curiosities” that blends historical objects with contemporary pop culture. Curators emphasize that the show is as much about process as it is about prediction: How do societies anticipate change? What role do objects—whether a Japanese Daruma figurine or a Chinese AI robot—play in shaping those expectations? And why do our visions of tomorrow often resemble our past?
For Jonathan Reed, Editor of World Today Journal’s News section, the exhibition’s timing could not be more relevant. “In an era dominated by algorithmic forecasts and climate anxiety, this show forces us to ask: Are we any closer to understanding the future than our ancestors were? The answer, as MEG demonstrates, is a resounding ‘no’—and that’s the point.”
From Tarot Cards to Robots: How Objects Shape Our Future Fantasies
The exhibition begins with a provocative question: Can objects predict the future? The answer, according to MEG’s curators, is that they certainly try. Visitors encounter a diverse array of artifacts, each serving as a cultural “time machine.” Among the highlights:
- Ancient divination tools, including I Ching hexagrams and Roman sortes (lottery slips), demonstrate how early societies sought guidance from the cosmos.
- Japanese Daruma figurines, traditionally used for wish-making, now appear in robotic form—a fusion of Toyzeroplus’s 2021 AI-driven design that blends spirituality with technology.
- 19th-century “future cities” illustrations, alongside modern architectural renderings of smart cities, reveal how urban planning has always been a speculative art.
- Pop culture artifacts, such as Back to the Future props and Black Mirror concept art, juxtapose sci-fi fantasies with real-world tech like brain-computer interfaces.
Curator Dr. Élise Joly, who co-led the exhibition’s development, notes that the objects were selected not for their predictive accuracy but for their symbolic power. “A fortune-telling card from 18th-century France and a stock-market app from 2026 may seem worlds apart,” she says, “but both are tools humans use to negotiate uncertainty.” The exhibition’s design mirrors this theme, with no clear chronological order—visitors might stumble upon a 21st-century climate model next to a 3,000-year-old Egyptian Book of the Dead, forcing connections between past and present.
Why This Exhibition Matters in 2026
The timing of Le futur, c’est quoi? is deliberate. As societies grapple with AI ethics debates, climate tipping points, and global health crises, the exhibition serves as a cultural corrective. “We’re often told the future is data-driven,” says Joly. “But this show proves it’s also myth-driven, ritual-driven, and emotion-driven.”
For example:
- Technology as talisman: The exhibition features a 2021 Daruma robot from Chinese manufacturer Toyzeroplus, which combines the traditional Japanese wish-fulfillment ritual with machine learning algorithms that “learn” from users’ goals. While the robot’s predictive powers are dubious, its cultural resonance is undeniable—a modern adaptation of an ancient practice.
- Collective anxiety: A section on climate change displays both scientific projections and apocalyptic art from the 2010s, highlighting how societies externalize fear through symbolic objects.
- Cultural hybridity: The exhibition includes a Buddhist statuette repurposed as a generative AI prompt in a 2025 art installation, illustrating how sacred symbols are recontextualized in digital ages.
Beyond the Museum: How to Engage With the Exhibition
The MEG has designed Le futur, c’est quoi? to be more than a passive viewing experience. Interactive elements include:
- A “Future Workshop”: Visitors can contribute their own objects or ideas to a digital archive, adding to a live crowdsourced exhibition that evolves during the run.
- Guided “Anthropology of the Future” tours: Led by MEG researchers, these sessions explore how specific artifacts reflect cultural values (e.g., collectivism in Soviet futurist posters vs. individualism in Silicon Valley tech gadgets).
- Public debates: Partnering with University of Geneva scholars, the museum hosts monthly discussions on topics like “Can Algorithms Be Superstitious?” and “Is the Future a Commodity?”
For those unable to visit in person, the MEG offers a virtual tour and educational toolkit for schools, complete with discussion prompts and artifact analyses. “We wanted this to be a conversation starter, not just a museum visit,” says Joly.
What Happens Next: The Future of Futures
The exhibition’s final section, “Tomorrow’s Archives”, invites visitors to ponder: What objects will future ethnographers study to understand our era? Highlights include:
- A 2026 AI-generated portrait of a person who doesn’t yet exist, created using diffusion models trained on historical art.
- Replicas of obsolete 2020s tech, such as VR headsets and chatbot transcripts, preserved as cultural artifacts.
- A time capsule where visitors can deposit their own “future objects”—whether a denialist meme, a generative art piece, or a climate model—to be opened in 2126.
The exhibition’s legacy may extend beyond Geneva. MEG Director Prof. Laurent Pordié has hinted at potential ICOM collaborations to adapt the show for other museums, particularly in Europeana’s digital archives. “This isn’t just about Geneva,” Pordié states. “It’s about global anthropologies of the future.”
Key Takeaways
- Humanity’s relationship with the future is ancient: From oracles to AI forecasting, cultures have always used objects to negotiate uncertainty.
- Technology is the new talisman: Robots like the Daruma and apps like stock trackers function as ritual objects in the digital age.
- The future is a cultural construct: Exhibits show how collectivist and individualist societies imagine progress differently.
- Anxiety drives innovation: Climate models and AI ethics debates reveal how societies externalize fear through symbolic objects.
- You can participate: The MEG’s digital archive and time capsule invite global contributions to the exhibition.
How to Visit
The Musée d’ethnographie de Genève is located at Boulevard de l’Yvoire 110, 1205 Genève. Le futur, c’est quoi? is open:
- Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Monday: Closed
- Last entry: 5:30 PM
- Admission: CHF 18 (general), CHF 12 (reduced), free for children under 16 and members.
For updates, follow the MEG on Instagram or visit their official exhibition page.
Final Thought: The Future is Now
As Le futur, c’est quoi? demonstrates, the future isn’t something we passively await—it’s something we actively create, through objects, stories, and rituals. Whether you’re a climate activist, a tech ethicist, or simply curious about where humanity is headed, this exhibition offers a mirror. The question is: What will you reflect back?
Share your thoughts on the exhibition in the comments below—or better yet, visit and add your own “future object” to the MEG’s digital archive. The conversation is just beginning.