Julius von Bismarck's First Australian Solo Exhibition at ACCA

The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) in Melbourne will host Julius von Bismarck's first Australian solo exhibition, "This is not the storm," from April 17 to June 14, 2026. The Berlin-based artist's practice merges art, science, and environmental critique, challenging the notion of nature as a social construct. The exhibition spans kinetic sculpture, photography, and video installations, showcasing over two decades of work, much of it new to Australia. Highlights include a major spatial installation with suspended geological forms and heads moving in mathematically precise trajectories; "Joe is dead" (2016), co-produced with Julian Charrière and Felix Kiessling, featuring a tumbleweed on a conveyor belt alongside the photographic series "I am Afraid I Must Ask You To Leave" (2018) depicting simulated detonations in US national parks; and the immersive video "Geh aus mein Herz! (Go forth, my heart!)" (2023), which uses a choir and nature imagery to explore Christian influences on perceptions of nature. Von Bismarck's work engages with elemental forces like forest fires, seas, and hurricanes, evoking awe and terror while questioning human agency and environmental domination.