Helvetia, quo vadis?
Publication / Trans Magazine
Trans 25. spekulativ.
An Article written for Trans Magazine, a semi-annual professional journal of the Department of Architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH
Helvetia, quo vadis?
If one tries to speculate on possible futures, several obstacles occur. Speculations tend to simplify the contemporary conditions. It is impossible to create a complete picture of the reality on which to base the speculation. It also has to be defined what is part of the speculation and what is not. By dividing entities that are connected on different levels, speculations can be highly exclusive and simplistic. Problems addressed on one level turn out to have the opposite effect on another. This leads to a nonexistence of ‘true’ arguments and is followed by the question of whether any solution can be applied on a universal scale. It seems irresponsible to speculate in this state of nescience.Why still speculate about anything? Because it helps to isolate ideas and test them for their resilience in a future imagined condition. Thus we are convinced that speculation can lead to an awareness of the now, exceeding the perceivable reality at the moment. In the most successful case, it can even cause action stimulated by the shift of perspective.
Credits
Authors
Illustration
Ljubica Arsić
Special thanks
Myriam Perret
Stéphane Grandgirard
Michael Godden
Year
2014
ISBN 3856763422
