About Beyond

Within the coming decades climate-change and new technologies are going to change our lives and the way we perceive it beyond our expectations. The Future Design Symposium is a creative collaboration of science, technology and art, an experimental laboratory for new forms of art, which simultaneously offers a glance at social effects regarding new technologies in a global context.

Much of what is going to happen within the next thirty years is fuelled by technological trends which are already in motion. These trends include: virtual reality, an “On-Demand-Economy”, “Big Data”, Robotisation, “Human Enhancement” and artificial intelligence. Technological Systems create social and political realities. It is hardly possible to predict the future; however, it is realisable to actively shape it. Our speakers and visitors are encouraged to develop and expand their horizons as we aspire to awaken the “Future-Designer” in every individual.

“Future Design” does not only aim at identifying, understanding and creatively engaging with threats and possibilities of new technologies and trends, but concurrently supports the design of better and more desirable futures.

Whilst having international orientation, our symposium does not only create a network composed of science, technology and art, however also concerns itself with current economic, societal and environmental problems. Our goal is to find solutions, research propositions and alliances to confront the tasks of tomorrow. This approach allows us to create a festival that is characterised by a cooperative and participative collaboration which embodies present trends and sciences regarding digitalisation whilst analysing as well as displaying “attractive improbabilities” of near futures. Our visitors can expect a diverse speaker-portfolio, which promotes critical thinking and encourages to actively shape our future together.

In each networking-session our visitors have the opportunity to encounter like-minded internationals, partners as well as have the chance to converse with our speakers. Furthermore, our “Future Design Network” gives our visitors the opportunity to explore their ideas and projects in addition to becoming part of our network.

We perceive ourselves as more than a festival, rather we consider ourselves to be a creative network, which offers you the possibility to become an element of the "Future Design Movement" in which the collective creation is encouraged and cultivated.

“The ideas, projects and narratives of today are the foundation for tomorrows history.”

Ludger Pfanz