Fragmented Futures

»What happens after the end of the future?« In his lecture, ›World's End‹, philosopher Jack Halberstam asks how we can dream of possible futures at a time that seems, in many ways, closer to the end of the world than its ongoing existence. While philosophy and environmental science have long urged us to reconsider possible futures in the face of chaos and destruction (Karrison, 2024; Haraway, 2016; Tsing, 2015), the current situation appears to be moving in the opposite direction amid escalating political, ecological, and economic challenges. The apparent hopelessness of our situation does not allow for holistic visions of the future. Yet, amid the uncertainty, there are still patches of hope (Shotwell, 2016; Tsing, 2015) — islands of confidence where life finds new paths against all expectations. »Futures will not be like the past and will be shaped by human actions,« notes geographer Jamie Lorimer, aptly adding that »multiple natures are possible.« (2015: 2) In this sense, many different types of nature and many different types of future are possible, offering alternative side paths and trails of possibility that diverge from a linear logic of impending disaster. These futures, however, are far-reaching and fragmented worlds.

The »Matters of Activity« doctoral cohort, comprising various disciplines ranging from art and architecture to engineering, design, the humanities and natural sciences, has been approaching the topic of fragmented futures from their respective research backgrounds. Their research spans the techno-cultural dimension of collaboration between human and material actors. Examples include human-robot interaction (Anna Schäffner); the interaction between textiles and computational tools (Maxie Schneider); design processes and social transformation materialised through prototyping (Paula L. Schuster); spatial drawing as a design method (Elaine Bonavia); material agents in the museum space (Claudia Kudinova, Kaja Ninnis and Babette Werner); ecological actors, such as water, in architectural systems (Dimitra Almpani-Lekka); tree bark and beetle-infested wood as design materials (Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten and Pelin Asa); and collaboration with multispecies communities, such as fermentation with microorganisms (Emma Sicher); reef-building marine species (Rasa Weber); and forest ecosystems (Rahel Kesselring).

The public review featured short presentations, plenary discussions, and offered an opportunity to engage with both the researchers and a curated selection of their research objects. It was well attended, with a great atmosphere and many inspiring conversations that continued after the official part.

SOURCES:

Jack Halberstam (2024). World’s End. Lecture at Columbia University. Center for Science and Society.
Anton Poikolainen Rosén, Antti Salovaara, Andrea Botero, Marie Louise Juul Søndergaard (2025) More-Than-Human Design in Practice. London: Routledge.
Donna J. Haraway (2016). Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chtulucene. Durham NC: Duke University Press.
Alexis Shotwell (2016). Against Purity: Living Ethically in Compromised Times. Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis,
Jamie Lorimer (2015). Wildlife in the Anthropocene: Conservation after Nature, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Anna L. Tsing (2015). The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.