BACK IN THE FUTURE / FORWARD IN THE FUTURE
Addressing Pressing Global Issues through the Lens of Arts
BACK IN THE FUTURE / FORWARD IN THE FUTURE addresses speculative narratives and the role of arts in anticipating the future. Spotlight will be put on students’ works exploring various aspects of a future society through artistic interpretation and innovative approaches. The conversation will be enriched by contributions from professors from Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), and Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD). As representatives of a new generation—and the future itself—students will play an active, integral role in shaping the discussion.
With the generous support of the Sakae Stünzi Foundation.
Program
17:30 Opening
17:40 Spotlights on students’ works
18:10: Panel on “speculative narratives & role of arts in anticipating the future”
19:00 Networking Apéro
Event Details
Aligned with the Swiss Pavilion’s three core themes – Augmented Human, Life, and Planet – BACK IN THE FUTURE / FORWARD IN THE FUTURE addresses speculative narratives and the role of arts in anticipating the future. Students from Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD) worked in small mixed groups between January and June 2025 utilizing various media and forms of expression to create artistic representations and animations that bring futuristic scenarios of our society to life. The audience will get to see the results of their work and enjoy a discussion framed by inputs from professors from Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and Haute école d’art et de design Genève (HEAD). As representatives of a new generation—and the future itself—students will play an active, integral role in shaping the discussion.
The event will feature contributions from: Prof. Swetlana Heger, Director of the Fine Arts Department and Vice-President for Internationalisation at ZHdK, Prof. Frank Westermeyer, Responsible Information Fiction at HEAD and coordinator of HEAD’s teaching at EPFL, Prof. Arif Kornweitz, Head of Major Art:ificial Studies at ZHdK, as well as ZHdK and HEAD students involved the project.
The exhibition featuring the video works of the students will be inaugurated in the premises of Swissnex in Japan (https://swissnex.org/japan/) on 2nd October at 6pm. The exhibition will be displayed until the end of October.
Registration
Please register here: BACK IN THE FUTURE / FORWARD IN THE FUTURE - Addressing pressing global issues through the lens of arts
Please note that the event will be held exclusively in English.