15 May The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed
William Gibson is one of my favorite author and somehow I feel there is a magical tribe out there in the vastness of the universe that we’re connected by his words, ideas, vision. His famous quote I used many times myself as a mantra in the past “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed” started a life on its own, however I’d like to emphasize the fact that the more we rely on this quote, the more we relinquish our own agency. It perhaps puts us all into the position of living in a future that belongs to someone else and never our own.
Which brings me ‘home’ to my other favorite author, Herman Hesse and to my favorite novel of all times Demian “I live in my dreams — that’s what you sense. Other people live in dreams, but not in their own. That’s the difference.” Essentially what will change our World is us. Our novel ideas and our ability as founders to able to execute on our ideas. CEOs are born dreamers, focus makes us doers.
My new friend Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, General Director, MAK wrote a beautiful essay ‘CLIMATE BEAUTY The Art of Reimagining Progress’ I thought to share his thoughts with a personal prologue.
CLIMATE BEAUTY. THE ART OF REIMAGINING PROGRESS
An essay by Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, General Director, MAK, on the occasion of the opening of the MAK CREATIVE CLIMATE CARE GALLERY, Vienna, June 2020
On the occasion of the thematic focus CREATIVE CLIMATE CARE, the MAK is publishing a new fundamental essay by General Director Christoph Thun-Hohenstein on the climate crisis and on reimagining progress in the light of the Corona experiences.
In this essay, he highlights gravely misguided developments of industrial and digital capitalism, proposes a new mindset for climate care and overall environmental care, and, by using terms such as “climate harmony” and “climate beauty,” calls for new images with a positive connotation for sustainable progress in the 21st century. Thun-Hohenstein demands a reinforcement of digital innovations for an effective protection of climate, species, and ecosystems. He encourages artists and creatives to consider all possible ways and means to overcome the climate crisis and the general ecological crisis and to insistently contribute to the shaping of the eco-social Digital Modernity.
At the same time, the essay CLIMATE BEAUTY: The Art of Reimagining Progress is a plea to the public and especially to “citizen future designers” to send own ideas regarding this topic on which humanity’s future depends to the MAK at office@mak.at.
Outstanding contributions will be discussed in the context of forthcoming MAK FUTURE LABS, selected artistic approaches will be presented in the CREATIVE CLIMATE CARE GALLERY of the MAK.
Susanna
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