Literature Review 4
Literature Review 3, Kim Fifield, (Science) Fiction as Prototyping
Petersen, Casper. “(Science) Fiction as Prototyping”. Article from Futures Shaping Art/ Art Shaping Futures: Scenario Reports, pages 46-49, Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, 2021
The article “(Science) Fiction as Prototyping”, is written by Casper S. Petersen, who is an author and head of publications at Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies. “(Science) Fiction as Prototyping” is part of a scenario report containing articles and interviews which draw from examples and cases of international and contemporary art, curators, art institutions, and futurists. The intent of the publication is to showcase the interrelationship of art and the discipline of futures thinking, highlighting how art allows for an opportunity to explore uncertainties and potential futures, and examines the role and limitations of human influence and agency. 1
Sohail Inayatullah, academic, futures studies researcher, and a professor at the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies provides a useful definition of the Futures Studies as “the systematic study of possible, probable and preferable futures including the worldviews and myths that underlie each future” 2. In other words, futures theory draws on differing ideas and possibilities of potential future(s), while taking into consideration global perceptions and illusions. The proposition raised in Casper S. Peterson’s article is that the very way we conceive of future(s) is influenced by art and media, and positions this largely in reference to the science fiction genre.
Firstly, Petersen discusses how art has taught us to see things that are not really there, drawing on a quote from poet Oscar Wilde’s “At present people see fogs, not because they are fogs, but because poets and painters have taught them the mysterious loveliness of such effects…They did not exist until Art had invented them.” 3 Petersen is introducing the notion that art, whether visual or literary, has an influence over the very things we notice in the material world that surrounds us, and what we value or what we disregard.. He posits that the same is true for how the future is viewed even though it does not exist, it is just a concept which has multiple possibilities.
He goes on to discuss how futurists generally do not carry the influence to shape the way humanity conceives of different possible futures, however, art does have this ability. Petersen states “futurists are rarely the ones who get to decide how our conceptions of these different futures are given colour and shape…they don’t have that kind of influence on the collective imagination. Art, on the other hand, does” and he goes on to say that when people picture a future, “it is likely that their ideas, or at least parts of them, were informed by creations of art and media”.4
Peterson further asserts that when “it comes to the future, art rarely predicts, but it has a profound ability to expand our understanding of the realm of possibility”.5 This suggests that while it is not the mandate of art to predict what the future looks like, it does have a powerful impact on broadening our perceptions and imagination of what is possible. Art can go beyond the limitations of reality and explore new ideas, concepts, and visions that can inspire and shape our understanding of the future.
Peterson provides the example of Tim Berners-Lee, who found inspiration for inventing the world wide web from a short story, Dial F for Frankenstein by science fiction author Arthur C. Clark. The story is about a network of telephones who develop a consciousness and take over the world. The impression that it left on an adolescent Berners-Lee was significant enough that he developed an interest in technological networks which later led him to develop with world wide web.
As an artist, I draw inspiration from experiences, knowledge and interactions with people and various forms of art. Many creatives do. Art has power to inspire ideas and create change, and I appreciate that there is always an unrealised potential that exists around art in its many forms, and what response, action or development it may inspire.
Peterson goes on to explain how large corporations are now collaborating with science fiction writers to prototype products and services in order to understand how they may be used in the future, which, in turn, creates potential for innovation. In describing the contribution of these writers, he says that, “in some ways, sci-fi proto-typers are doing what futurists have been doing since the 1960’s – that is, creating fictional future worlds (scenarios) designed to prompt debate and provoke new decision making”.5 He makes reference to an article written by Dr. Amy Gibbs, the Editor in Chief for Digital Pulse, published by PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia, which discusses the influence of science fiction on business innovation and outlines the advantages of bringing science fiction, or design fiction, into the corporate world. Gibbs states that “design fiction is a thought experiment, a way of purposefully imagining future societies and the set-dressing that goes with them while dispensing with the shackles of reality – such as technological capability, funding or commercialisation potential”.6 Gibbs is affirming that in creative sci-fi prototyping, or design fiction, that there is a freedom from constraints, such as financial and technical capabilities, in which to envision futures. This enables people to consider possibilities which may seem unattainable, or confined by current thought processes.
The benefit of collaborations between creatives and other fields to envision imaginary futures and create debate or provoke different decision-making is further asserted by Maja Kuzmanovic and Nik Gaffney in an article, The Art of Futuring 7. They discuss deficient conversations within some non-creative collaborations that make little headway in working with what kind of futures we will live in and what we leave behind and possible solutions. They identify issues in, “collaborations where individuals never dare leaving the comfort-zone of their narrow expertise and loudly resist approaching problems from different perspectives. Collaborations where fear of uncertainty stops us from being as creative as we could be. How do we transform such uncomfortable situations into creative challenges? One possible approach is working with futures as raw material for the creative process” 8. This is an identification of issues with short-sighted viewpoints and failings in seeing other perspectives can hinder positive outcomes of collaborations, and advocates for the use of creative process in working with futures.
There are downsides of creatives being at the service of large corporations. Much like the creatives within marketing and graphic design departments, sci-fi proto-typers are finding ways which businesses can ensure further consumption of their product or service and profitability. They are essentially aiding the cycle of consumption. However, it may not be negative as it seems. These large corporations are also under pressure from initiatives by the likes United Nations, the Paris Agreement, protestors, investors and shareholders to act ethically and morally in response to climate change. The expectation for corporations to address climate change and act responsibly can be demonstrated in the rise of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing. ESG investing is basically sustainable investing where companies are rated on metrics and standards related to environmental, social and governance issues. ESG investors aim to buy the shares of companies that have demonstrated a willingness to improve their performance in these three areas as they often wish to align their personal values with financial goals. Socially and environmentally responsible companies with sustainability at the centre of their business are finding success and this is supported by a 2021 report by NYU Stern who undertook an analysis of more than 1,000 research papers which explored connections between ESG and financial performance since 2015. They concluded that results point “to a growing consensus that good corporate management of ESG issues typically results in improved operational metrics such as ROE, ROA, or stock price.”8 This means that companies adopting strategies to solve social and environmental problems as part of their main business activities performed better financially. This will please investors as they will feel they are supporting sustainable business practices but they will get returns on investments.
While big corporations are hiring creatives such as sci-fi proto-typers to create scenarios which they will likely use to influence and manipulate consumers from marketing perspectives, the management teams of these large corporations will likely be factoring in trends and expectations in sustainability, social and ethical responsibilities as well as policies imposed by governing bodies which demand changes. Of course, it would be naive to think there isn’t an outright refusal to care about the environment by corporations, manipulation of information in regard to practices in order to fit into ESG frameworks, or corporations' greenwashing, which is the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice.
I feel that ultimately, it is the responsibility of not only the corporates but also the consumer/individual to be more eco-conscious, change consumption habits, look for better alternatives, and make decisions that suit their own concept of what will be a collectively better future.
As a creative this is a reason I am integrating eco-friendly materials within my art practice. Artists are driven to create in some form, they make. This making adds physical objects, or works with physical objects (monitors, speakers, books, devices), and this is consumed by viewers or participants in some form. If corporations are looking to futures thinking to inform how they make improvements to product and services and hopefully, being more eco-conscious and ethical in how they move forward, then artists also need to be more conscientious regarding any negative environmental footprint left by their artworks, materials and processes. I am aspiring to make better choices and explore alternative ways of making in my creative practice to contribute to a better future, or rather contribute to what my conceptualisations or imaginings are of a future which is more ecologically harmonious.
In further supporting the notion that creatives play an important role in futures thinking, when discussing how futures thinking plays a role in everyone’s lives Irini Papadimitriou, curator and creative director of Future Everything, an arts organisation and award innovation lab that push creative boundaries and stimulate new ways of thinking across a variety of sectors, stated that she sees “art as a way to craft ideas of the future with the public, and in that sense, art-led futures thinking as a form of gentle activism”, 9 which speaks to how artists are positioned to use their art as tool to, if not create social change, at the very least provoke conversation and interrogate thoughts about views of the status quo. I see this “gentle activism” not just for the purpose of the viewer but for the artists themselves, and to challenge their own boundaries, or conditioning to conforming to traditional hierarchies, in other words there is an internal activism that can occur. This is affirmed by Kuzmanovic and Gaffney “The future already exists in the present, as potential. Futuring can therefore help you act in the present. It can help you become aware of the larger context in which your future unfolds and help you to understand what can and cannot be changed. Most importantly, being aware how your actions may influence the future can help increase your agency and responsibility in the present.”9
Imaginings or conceptualizations of the future that an individual, whether provoked by exposure to visual arts, literature, media, etc., are essentially science fiction as they have not happened. I feel the majority of people would, within their own minds, envision a concept of a future as a result of what they have experienced, seen and heard. We can imagine a worst-case scenario and what we deem a best-case scenario of the future. Decisions made in the present can influence a potential future, and Petersen demonstrates in his article, how art and artists (literary or visual) can plan for and shape futures, hopefully for the better.
Bibliography
1 “Futures Shaping Art/ Art Shaping Futures: Scenario Reports.” Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies. Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, November 2021. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://cifs.dk/news/report-futures-shaping-art-art-shaping-futures.
2 Inayatullah, Sohail. “Futures Studies Theories and Methods (Sohail INAYATULLAH 2013),” 2013. Accessed June 5, 2024. https://wfsf.org/futures-studies-theories-and-methods-sohail-inayatullah-2013/.
3 Wilde, Oscar. The Decay of Lying. PDF, 1981. http://virgil.org/dswo/courses/novel/wilde-lying.pdf.
4 “Futures Shaping Art/ Art Shaping Futures: Scenario Reports.” Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies. Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, November 2021. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://cifs.dk/news/report-futures-shaping-art-art-shaping-futures.
5 “Futures Shaping Art/ Art Shaping Futures: Scenario Reports.” Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies. Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, November 2021. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://cifs.dk/news/report-futures-shaping-art-art-shaping-futures.
6 PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Amy Gibbs. “Using Science Fiction to Explore Business Innovation.” PwC, September 5, 2017. Accessed June 5, 2024. https://www.pwc.com.au/digitalpulse/science-fiction-explore-business-innovation.html.
7 FoAM, Maja Kuzmanovic, and Nik Gaffney. “The Art of Futuring - FoAM - Medium.” Medium, April 2019. https://foam.medium.com/the-art-of-futuring-2914938ec4ad.
8 Tensie Whelan et al., “ESG and Financial Performance: Uncovering the Relationship by Aggregating Evidence From 1,000 Plus Studies Published Between 2015 – 20,” NYU Stern (NYU Stern, 2021), accessed June 5, 2024, https://www.stern.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/assets/documents/NYU-RAM_ESG-Paper_2021%20Rev_0.pdf.
9 “Futures Shaping Art/ Art Shaping Futures: Scenario Reports.” Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies. Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, November 2021. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://cifs.dk/news/report-futures-shaping-art-art-shaping-futures.
