Future Based

Are you through with negative discussions about the future? Let us start afresh!

Future Based is a is a platform that is not fettered to time and space, where collaborations arise, encounters take place and projects are initiated. We work together with partners, are hired as curators, programme makers, or function as a catalyst to bring into practice great ideas. Sometimes we do one-off collaborations like meetups, and we occasionally have long-term schemes, but Future Based’s network of curious minds will always be our point of departure.

Philosophy as a form of activism

Perhaps it’s something of all times…. to think we are on a turning point, but it seems that there are so many writings on the wall we can’t ignore that indeed we are, due to technology, living on the border of a paradigm shift. In our belief our world perspective will change dramatically in the coming twenty years. It’s just that we sometimes can’t see clearly what is right under our collective nose: our world isn’t only changing, it is changing faster than ever.

Nevertheless, there is a tendency to forget the importance of reflecting on how the world is changing, and in particular what the consequences of these changes might be. In this perspective, we engage philosophy as a form of activism and use it to question the status quo and the established frameworks we tend to believe in so dearly.

Asking questions can provide access into gaining insight. And as paradoxical as it might sound, by allowing for speculative futures and imagining alternatives, we make space for fresh notions of both ourselves and the world: Familiarizing ourselves with the future grants access to a better understanding of the Now. But in many areas, too few questions are asked, or a subject is merely discussed unilaterally. Future Based organizes discussions with experts in their field to ask critical questions. Not to necessarily find straight answers, but to formulate more specific questions, and to foster a deeper understanding of the world we live in. After all, the world is constantly changing.

An interdisciplinary discussion platform

Why did we opt for an interdisciplinary approach? Interdisciplinary research allows for a synthesis of ideas that integrates characteristics from different disciplines. At Future Based, we believe in interdisciplinary studies—beyond the buzz. We see the crossing of borders between disciplines as highly potent spaces, but we are equally interested in analysing the pitfalls of interdisciplinary projects. It is common to come across a theme that is relevant to, for instance, the fields of literature, art, and history, or a subject of inquiry that concerns both science and mathematics. And yet, it is rare to find models of research that fully incorporate such varying disciplines. The question that remains, is what form of interdisciplinary studies can really intertwine divergent disciplines and allow for a truly reciprocal exchange? What are the difficulties? And how can differences be overcome to make way for common ground between disciplines? Here again, philosophy functions as a tool to think critically about the established frameworks and thought processes that govern different disciplines.

Studying topics thematically is an ideal way to bring a variety of ideas and approaches together, which can result in inspiration, new perspectives and meaningful learning. With this in mind, Future Based has selected a number of themes that can be viewed from different angles, which will form the base of our programme. Various topics that fall within the overarching themes will be discussed from different perspectives in reading groups, performances, exhibitions and meetings.

These topics will be addressed from fields of study that range from the natural sciences and philosophy to art, technology and economics. For each meet-up, a different topic from one of the themes will be highlighted. We will engage in discussions with academics, field specialists and experiential experts. And since Future Based is not location-bound, this can happen literally anywhere.

The main themes are: Ecology, Scientific Imagination, Mind-Body Debate, Micro and Macro structures, and The Others.