Julius von Bismarck
This is not the storm
ACCA – Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Australia
Apr 17 – Jun 14, 2026

Encompassing a major new kinetic sculpture, photography, and immersive video installations, this exhibition brings together more than two decades of work, much of it never before seen in Australia. With wry humour, von Bismarck challenges our habitual understanding of the natural world, teasing apart the idea of ‘nature’ as a social construct – a romanticised arcadia, an economic resource, a benevolent or vengeful force.

This is not the storm showcases the breadth of von Bismarck’s practice, characterised by a sense of continual experimentation, scientific curiosity and technical virtuosity. His works emerge from direct, physical encounters and collaborations with elemental forces that defy human control.

Accentuating the awe, wonder and terror that natural phenomena can provoke, von Bismarck constructs poetic, unsettling, and oftentimes absurd encounters that problematise our understanding of reality and our relationship with the environment. In doing so, he signals the disastrous consequences of humanity’s domination of the natural world in the age of the Anthropocene—prompting us to reconsider the logic and systems that have brought us here.

Curated by: Dr Shelley McSpedden