The notion of speculation is often tied to the operations of finance, where it is the anticipation of the possible futures for the sake of capital accumulation. But, the logics of speculation transcend their application solely in the realm of finance, becoming a valuable critical tool in fields such as urbanism, science, technology, and design.
This seminar is focused on how forecasting, scenario planning and other speculative infrastructures can be utilized towards more progressive goals. We will explore the potential of speculative knowledge to interrogate emergent technologies, challenge established paradigms and encourage public participation and critical dialogue.
Building on the work of Benjamin Bratton, Suhail Malik, Holly Jean Buck and others, we will aim to answer the following questions. How can we introduce more radical alternatives to the existing ideologically restricted narratives and worldviews ? In what ways speculative knowledge can help designers, architects and researchers to formulate hypotheses, experiment, and engage with complex questions in a more meaningful way? How to balance creativity and imagination with practicality and feasibility? What sort of soft skills, or rather sensitivities and sensibilities, need to be developed to effectively address the complexity and fast-moving political and technological ideas?
The seminar takes place on Mondays 10-12 in the 1118 at Campus Center.