Swiss-born, Paris-based artist Thomas Hirschhorn is known for big constructions made from cheap, disposable materials like aluminum foil, cardboard, plastic, and packing tape, simple materials with which the artist barrages viewers with information and imagery on topics from philosophy to economics, poetry to war, as well as his commentary on politics, consumer culture, and social injustice. In "Thomas Hirschhorn: Utopia, Utopia = One World, One War, One Army, One Dress," which opens at the Institute of Contemporary Art on September 21, he looks at our world of violence and military conflict through the green-and-khaki metaphor of camouflage, a motif that’s become as prevalent in street fashion as it is on the battlefield.

The irony of taking a material that’s meant to make its wearer disappear and sporting it in order to stand out is symptomatic of the mess we find ourselves in. Hirschhorn creates a utopian world where everyone everywhere is clothed in camouflage. The resulting environment, which comprises sculptural works, wall graphics, film, video, vitrines, and maquettes, could get some people up in arms.

Also opening at the ICA on September 21, "Momentum 5: Paul Chan" gets into the complex relationship between religion and politics with projected digital animation depicting an idiosyncratic vision of the Christian Rapture shining onto the gallery floor as if from a vaulted window. Chan’s graphic style and political content have drawn comparisons to Keith Haring and William Kentridge, as he mixes his æsthetics with a good dose of activism.

Here’s a litany of materials that could be associated with only one artist: when you see pharmaceuticals, insects, leaves, photos, flowers, and paint, you know you’re in the realm of Fred Tomaselli, whose intricately collaged "paintings" (they also have a lot in common with extremely cool découpage) raise delightful questions about pleasure, escapism, and art. "Fred Tomaselli: Monsters of Paradise," which opens at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University on September 15, combines abstraction and figuration, though the figures seem to be the dominant elements here, among them a multi-armed drummer and a wormy critter with arms. At the same time at the Rose, " ‘Post’ and After: Contemporary Art from the Brandeis University Collection" asks what’s happened to the idea of "postmodern" art, and "Alvin Lucier: Chambers" examines rooms and other enclosed spaces through recorded sound projected from unexpected containers.

"Thomas Hirschhorn: Utopia, Utopia = One World, One War, One Army, One Dress" and "Momentum 5: Paul Chan" | Institute of Contemporary Art, 955 Boylston Street, Boston | Sept 21–Jan 16 | 617.266.5152 or www.icaboston.org | "Fred Tomaselli: Monsters of Paradise," " ‘Post’ and After: Contemporary Art from the Brandeis University Collection" and "Alvin Lucier: Chambers" | Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham | Sept 15–Dec 11 | 781.736.4203 or www.brandeis.edu/rose.