Post by Nøha

At Nøha, we value speculative design as a means to experiment with and imagine new futures. This practice brings us closer to different research fields and enables great collaborations, which form the very foundation of our collaborative lab. During the Design Biennale Zürich, we were honoured to collaborate with a remarkable group of thinkers: Dr Davtyan from Durham University; Jan Zalasiewicz, the British-Polish geologist and palaeontologist, emeritus professor at the University of Leicester; Professor Sarah Gabbott, palaeobiologist at the University of Leicester; and Abraham Loeb, Professor of Science at Harvard University and theoretical physicist specialising in astrophysics and cosmology. This extraordinary exchange enriched our understanding on multiple levels. Theoretically, their expertise helped us clarify what aspects we wished to challenge, how we might visualise humanity's future, and crucially, how much influence we wanted to exert on public imagination.  Practically, we explored questions rarely addressed in conventional design: what technological remnants persist in our society? What timescales should we consider when discussing the future? And perhaps most provocatively, is it still meaningful to imagine humans in the futures we envision, or might other forms of life emerge instead? Our process departed significantly from conventional design installation methodology, yet proved to be a remarkable journey. We began with a deep research into these questions, which naturally evolved into our physical workshop, where we experimented with materials, failed, succeeded and then recalibrated our ambitions accordingly. We're grateful to Denizay and Jonas of Studio Eidola for their material expertise and generous insights. We also wish to thank the Zurich-based artist Vanessa Billy ( https://vanessabilly.com/ ) for the illuminating conversation and the insights about material sourcing.  The Zürich Mining Map https://lnkd.in/dnqjxUGe proved essential for identifying and recycling materials. The final installation was exhibited at the Old Botanical Garden, during Zurich Design Weeks. Sincere thanks to The Design Biennale Zurich and our collaborators, particularly futurist Lena Tünkers, whose partnership was invaluable from concept phase until final realisation. https://lnkd.in/dZUEFaDa