Course detail
Future of Everything
FaVU-FOEAcad. year: 2026/2027
The course is conceived as a playful exercise in speculative thinking based on the question ‘what if…?’. It combines concepts from speculative design and ecological thought with radical future landscapes situated at the intersection of fiction and social reality. Speculative thinking is concerned here with the future. Its central focus is therefore on future forms and possibilities of humanity, or posthumanity, the future of work and possible relationships between human and non-human labour in an emerging post-Anthropocene context. Participation in the course will strengthen students’ ability to engage with selected texts and visual sources. The course will also include a lecture by a visiting specialist in speculative design. Students will reflect on the course themes through discussions, essays and their own creative projects.
Language of instruction
English
Number of ECTS credits
3
Assignment to study programme types
Bachelor's, Master's
Mode of study
Not applicable.
Guarantor
Offered to foreign students
Of all faculties
Entry knowledge
Previous experience in the field not needed.
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
Teaching takes place online via Microsoft Teams. One unexcused absence is permitted. Missed classes may be made up by completing an alternative assignment agreed individually with the tutor.
Aims
The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the notion of speculative thinking and anti-disciplinary approach to artistic research. The students are expected to discuss, but also propose their artistic research in the form of speculative fiction.
Completion of the course is expected to contribute to students' ability to orient themselves in one segment of the complex environment of contemporary global art theory and practice; it should also enhance their ability to think and work interdisciplinary and anti-disciplinary.
Completion of the course is expected to contribute to students' ability to orient themselves in one segment of the complex environment of contemporary global art theory and practice; it should also enhance their ability to think and work interdisciplinary and anti-disciplinary.
Study aids
Not applicable.
Prerequisites and corequisites
Not applicable.
Basic literature
HLAVAJOVA, Maria. Posthuman Glossary. Editor Rossi BRAIDOTTI. Londýn: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018. ISBN 978-1-350-03025-1. (EN)
LATOUR, Bruno. Down to Earth: politics in the new climatic regime. Přeložil Catherine PORTER. Cambridge: Polity, 2018. ISBN 978-1-5095-3057-1. (EN)
LATOUR, Bruno. Down to Earth: politics in the new climatic regime. Přeložil Catherine PORTER. Cambridge: Polity, 2018. ISBN 978-1-5095-3057-1. (EN)
Recommended reading
AGAMBEN, Giorgio (HELLER-ROAZEN, Daniel, ed.). Potentialities: Collected Essays in Philosophy. Stanford University Press, 2000. ISBN 9780804732789 (EN)
AVANESSIAN, Armen and Andreas TOPFER. Speculative Drawing: 2011–2014. Sternberg press 2014. ISBN 978-3-95679-044-7 (EN)
BRATTON, Benjamin H. The stack: on software and sovereignty. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, [2015]. ISBN 9780262029575. (EN)
Central Publishing, 2016. ISBN 978-1455544592. (EN)
DELEUZE, Gilles a Félix GUATTARI. A thousand plateaus: capitalism and schizophrenia. Přeložil Brian MASSUMI. London: Athlone Press, 1988. ISBN 0-485-12058-5. (EN)
DUNNE, Anthony a Fiona RABY. Speculative everything: design, fiction, and social dreaming. London: The MIT Press, [2013]. ISBN 0262019841. (EN)
ITŌ, Jōichi a Jeff HOWE. Whiplash: how to survive our faster future. New York, NY: Grand (EN)
LIGORIO, Deborah. Survival Kits. Sterberg Press 2013 ISBN 978-3-95679-018-8 (EN)
MORTON, Timothy. Being ecological. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, [2018]. ISBN 9780262537124 (EN)
PFALLER, Robert. Interpassivity: The aesthetics of delegated enjoyment. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2017. Incitements. (EN)
YOUNG, L. Machine Landscapes: Architectures of the Post Anthropocene. Wiley, 2019 (EN)
AVANESSIAN, Armen and Andreas TOPFER. Speculative Drawing: 2011–2014. Sternberg press 2014. ISBN 978-3-95679-044-7 (EN)
BRATTON, Benjamin H. The stack: on software and sovereignty. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, [2015]. ISBN 9780262029575. (EN)
Central Publishing, 2016. ISBN 978-1455544592. (EN)
DELEUZE, Gilles a Félix GUATTARI. A thousand plateaus: capitalism and schizophrenia. Přeložil Brian MASSUMI. London: Athlone Press, 1988. ISBN 0-485-12058-5. (EN)
DUNNE, Anthony a Fiona RABY. Speculative everything: design, fiction, and social dreaming. London: The MIT Press, [2013]. ISBN 0262019841. (EN)
ITŌ, Jōichi a Jeff HOWE. Whiplash: how to survive our faster future. New York, NY: Grand (EN)
LIGORIO, Deborah. Survival Kits. Sterberg Press 2013 ISBN 978-3-95679-018-8 (EN)
MORTON, Timothy. Being ecological. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, [2018]. ISBN 9780262537124 (EN)
PFALLER, Robert. Interpassivity: The aesthetics of delegated enjoyment. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2017. Incitements. (EN)
YOUNG, L. Machine Landscapes: Architectures of the Post Anthropocene. Wiley, 2019 (EN)
Classification of course in study plans
- Programme DES_M Master's 1 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
1 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
1 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
1 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
2 year of study, winter semester, elective
2 year of study, winter semester, elective
2 year of study, winter semester, elective
2 year of study, winter semester, elective - Programme FAAD Master's 1 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
2 year of study, winter semester, elective - Programme ZST-NBIP Master's 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
- Programme ZST-NX Master's 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
- Programme ZST-BX Bachelor's 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
Type of course unit
Seminar
26 hours, compulsory
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
The five main topics/blocks in which the subject is been divided are supposed to act as orientation; all of them are going to be a “hybrid” form, combination of lectures, seminars and individual creative work.
1. Introduction to speculation: potentialities
During the introductory part(s) of the course we will discuss theoretical texts dealing with the notion of “potentialities” and what could be (future scenarios) under what kind of circumstances. The students will be presented with examples of speculative thinking from history of visual art, literature, film and design but will be also asked to conduct a little research and present their own findings of examples on speculative thinking.
2. Crazy objects that turn into philosophical matter
During this part of the course, the students will be introduced to a selected set of projects devised at the centres that are known for experimenting radically with mixing art and science such as the MIT Media Lab (USA), Strelka Institute (Moscow) and similar, so the students can engage with a variety of bold examples of art, design and architecture research from the recent years.
3. Anti-disciplinary everything
Beyond interdisciplinary - there is anti-disciplinary; an important element in the processes of imagining future scenarios about things and relations as anti-disciplinary allows new ways of working (“not just a sum of a bunch of disciplines” as Joi Ito states), because it does not obey the well-established methods, frameworks and approaches of work.
4. Future of work
"Future of work", used actively as a syntagm across contexts, is referring to the future of work and workplaces as we know them now in an ever-changing world of technology, demographics and globalization. "Future of work" is a hot topic of today which brings together experts from various domains to imagine and discuss possible future scenarios about their workplace, companies; systems of human as well as human-nonhuman relations. Through various examples of using artistic approaches to create future work scenarios for companies and public bodies, the dialog of the present and the future is being examined, as that future is already here; the examples have been implemented and documented during the lecturer's work as a consultant in future scenarios at RISE SICS Stockholm. During this block of seminars we would try to imagine what is beyond the popular belief that “AI will replace our jobs” as the systems of the future will be more complex than that.
5. Post-anthropocene landscapes
During the final block of activities, we will discuss future landscapes through ecological thought, taking in consideration possible political and architectural landscapes of the future where people could, but do not have to dominate (or even exist on) their native planet. The students are expected to present their work on the topic during the final meetings, or upon agreement for an individual presentation with the teacher.
1. Introduction to speculation: potentialities
During the introductory part(s) of the course we will discuss theoretical texts dealing with the notion of “potentialities” and what could be (future scenarios) under what kind of circumstances. The students will be presented with examples of speculative thinking from history of visual art, literature, film and design but will be also asked to conduct a little research and present their own findings of examples on speculative thinking.
2. Crazy objects that turn into philosophical matter
During this part of the course, the students will be introduced to a selected set of projects devised at the centres that are known for experimenting radically with mixing art and science such as the MIT Media Lab (USA), Strelka Institute (Moscow) and similar, so the students can engage with a variety of bold examples of art, design and architecture research from the recent years.
3. Anti-disciplinary everything
Beyond interdisciplinary - there is anti-disciplinary; an important element in the processes of imagining future scenarios about things and relations as anti-disciplinary allows new ways of working (“not just a sum of a bunch of disciplines” as Joi Ito states), because it does not obey the well-established methods, frameworks and approaches of work.
4. Future of work
"Future of work", used actively as a syntagm across contexts, is referring to the future of work and workplaces as we know them now in an ever-changing world of technology, demographics and globalization. "Future of work" is a hot topic of today which brings together experts from various domains to imagine and discuss possible future scenarios about their workplace, companies; systems of human as well as human-nonhuman relations. Through various examples of using artistic approaches to create future work scenarios for companies and public bodies, the dialog of the present and the future is being examined, as that future is already here; the examples have been implemented and documented during the lecturer's work as a consultant in future scenarios at RISE SICS Stockholm. During this block of seminars we would try to imagine what is beyond the popular belief that “AI will replace our jobs” as the systems of the future will be more complex than that.
5. Post-anthropocene landscapes
During the final block of activities, we will discuss future landscapes through ecological thought, taking in consideration possible political and architectural landscapes of the future where people could, but do not have to dominate (or even exist on) their native planet. The students are expected to present their work on the topic during the final meetings, or upon agreement for an individual presentation with the teacher.