Off the Grid –
Speculative Design Visions

Speculative future scenarios

What if we left the purposeful production of food to genetically modified organisms? What if we could grow our own leather? What if objects controlled their own reproduction? What if the rules and regulations for handling money were different?

What if we challenged the system – or, the grid – to design our own counter-model? We then would be »off the grid«, that is, outside of any conventional system common in the market. Thinking and naming the unthinkable are key motors of our economy. All changes, transformation, progress and even revolutions are based on hypotheses and visions. Our current economic system based on growth is still not suitable to ensure fair distribution of resources, education, nutrition and healthcare. We need strong ideas and visions for a new, future-oriented economy.

The exhibition curated by Sarah Dorkenwald was a showcase of the latest stances on design that aim at changing perspectives and illustrating alternatives through future-oriented concepts and design fiction. Speculative design makes fictional reality tangible and serves as a catalyst for innovation.

Projects by:
Eva Jäger (US) & Guillemette Legrand (FR) The Era of Khaki Ethics, Miriam Bunte (D) & Te-San Yang (TWN) Foodrevolution, Amy Congdon (UK) Tissue engineered Haute Couture, Jesse Howard (USA) Hacking Households and Cloning Objects, Lucas Teixeira (PRT) HOS, Marlies Kolodziey (D) & Lucas Teixeira (PRT) Next Gardens, Studio PSK (UK), Reciprociti Bank, Committee (UK) The last Man‘s Seat

Photos: Olaf Becker