In the last couple of months, our streets were empty and our cities quiet. Behind this seeming tranquillity, there has been a storm raging through our values and structures. It has given us the space to think about a complete ‘reset’ of the dysfunctional systems in our society. In this series, we showcase the perspectives of a variety of thought leaders who will reflect on our present-day situation. Through the lens of their own area of expertise and with an emphasis on the power of design and imagination. The corona crisis is, without a doubt, a crisis that is leaving behind a trail of victims. But which transformations will we be left with in the aftermath? In times as these, it is the creatives, philosophers, scientists, makers, and designers who can visualise new scenarios, and develop new insights for our future.
About Philipp Blom:
Philipp Blom (1970) is a historian and author of several novels. He also works as a radio presenter, documentary film maker and as a public lecturer.
Philipp Blom’s books combine historical research, philosophical enquiry and an essayistic, literary approach. Among his best-selling works are The Vertigo Years and Fracture, dealing with the cultural history of the early twentieth century, A Wicked Company, about the radical Enlightenment, Nature’s Mutiny an investigation into history and climate change in the seventeenth century and, more recently, What is at Stake, dealing with climate change, digitization, and democracy.
In August 2020, Het grote wereldtoneel will be published, a historically and philosophically based analysis of our time, in which every crisis is followed by a new crisis.
About Tessa Cramer:
According to Tessa Cramer the future belongs to all of us and her quest is to show you around. As a future-minded academic, curiosity and an interdisciplinary approach is at the root of her work. There are two recurrent themes: 1. keep asking relevant questions and 2. help guiding others to navigate complex and unexpected futures. She does this by showing universities, ministries and companies how they can use futures tools in their own context.
In the spring of 2020 she published her PhD thesis titled ‘Becoming Futurists’ at Maastricht University. In this study she offers insights in what we can learn from the mindset of futurists. Currently she is an an associate professor Designing the Future at Fontys Academy for Creative Industries.
