Utopian Thinking S2 — Neo-Metabolism

SEASON 2 – A/W 2022
RESEARCH CAPSULE

The desire to envision an ideal place is far more urgent in darker times than in times of peace. Utopian imaginaries allow us to see alternatives, and offer refuge from pressing realities. The risk is that they avert our attention, and prevent us from taking direct action. Due to its association with the unrealistic and unattainable, Utopia has gained a bad rep. It is “a good place” detached from worldly struggles. Cute, but practically useless.

But there is merit in paying closer attention to utopian proposals. Especially in eras as overwhelming and complex as ours, when questions like: how to create a more liveable world? require nuanced, intersectional answers. To move forward, we need not only critical analyses and hope. We need solid models that guide us in our practice. We need realistic methods to envision more just social, political, and economic structures. We need new tools to build worlds. Engaging critically and creatively with utopian thinking can help us.

This two-part research capsule offers reflections on utopian thought to understand its problematics, nuances, and (above all) its possibilities.