DESIGNING THE FUTURE: Japan House Symposium at SCI-Arc

On October 25, 2018, JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles held a symposium at SCI-Arc about the design of the future in an era in which the “future” exists in the present. The symposium included presentations by Liam Young, Peter Frankfurt, and Sou Fujimoto, followed by a conversation moderated by Hitoshi Abe.

“The Future is Watching,” slide from Peter Frankurt’s Lecture at Designing The Future.

The symposium asked: What is the future in today’s context? At its most basic, the future is unknown. It can only be predicted on the basis of known circumstances: current technologies, attitudes, and lifestyles. Early 20th century proposals of the future contained fantastic landscapes and preposterous technologies. But as the 20th century drew to a close, futurists shifted focus from the distant future to the near future. The “present” became shorter. Instead of lasting three or four years, it was reduced to the brevity of a news cycle. Driven by the ever-increasing speed of technological and social change, the “present” and “future” became one and the same. Without a temporal distinction, how else can the future be conceived? How can we visualize the future, when it is the same as the present?

Panelists:

Liam Young

Liam Young is a speculative architect and co-founder of both Tomorrow’s Thoughts Today and Unknown Fields. He operates in the space between design, fiction, and futures. Young presented a series of counter-narratives to the futures that we are often sold, depicting “The Other Future.”

Peter Frankfurt

Peter Frankfurt is Executive Creative Director and Managing Partner of award-winning creative studio Imaginary Forces, which he co-founded in 1996. Frankfurt presented a series of projects in which he has been tasked with representing and thus creating the future.

Sou Fujimoto

Sou Fujimoto is founder of Tokyo-based architectural firm Sou Fujimoto Architects. He is one of the most well-known architects practicing in Japan today. Fujimoto presented his concept of Primitive Future, where a consideration of the most basic needs of people creates the basis for designing the future.

After each of the presentations, the panelists gathered to have a interactive conversation moderated by Hitoshi Abe to compare their visions for the future, and discuss what it means to be actively representing the future (and thus producing it) in the present.

 

Photo courtesy of JAPAN HOUSE, Designing the Future event with Liam Young, Peter Frankfurt, Sou Fujimoto and Hitoshi Abe

Keck Lecture Hall at SCI-Arc was at full capacity with students, professionals, and educators who came to enjoy the unique blend of perspectives offered by this event.