FUTURE SCENARIOS asks what if questions that challenge us to imagine what the future may be. Humanity stands at a crossroads, one direction leading to Ecomodenist type futures, full of techno-fixes and geoengineering and the other to climate justice and indigenous cosmology based futures that respect the limits of earths ecosystems. Which direction will we choose.....
ABOUT
Future Scenarios is a multi-platform project by Lena Dobrowolska & Teo Ormond-Skeaping. The project comprises of a three-channel artist film, photographic prints, speculative future newspapers and magazines and research.
Future Scenarios three channel artist film (1h,15m), Kunst Haus Wien, Museum Hudertwasser, curator Sophie Haslinger, Vienna, Austria, (2019)
Future Scenarios exhibition, Kunst Haus Wien, Museum Hudertwasser, curator Sophie Haslinger, Vienna, Austria, (2019)
The project explores the themes of vulnerability to, and responsibility for climate change, and the role that narrative plays in shaping our future. Through collaboration with leading climate change researchers in the Global South and the United Kingdom, we have learnt how the narrative of vulnerability that once surrounded the nation's most vulnerable to climate change has developed into a narrative of resilience and adaptation as they emerge as leaders in work to avert a climate catastrophe.
Working with scenario thinking we have documented climate change exacerbated phenomena and climate solutions that offer us glimpses of the future with the intention of imagining difficult and improving future scenarios.
In Lao PDR, Bangladesh, Nepal, The United Kingdom, The United States and Uganda we have investigated scenarios of climate induced migration, hurricanes, sea level rise, conflict, heat and water stress and food security in locations that are vulnerable to climate change and those which are historically responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.
The project has been supported by Culture and Climate Change, The Jerwood Charitable Foundation, The University of Sheffield, The Open University, The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Jesuit Refugee Services Uganda (JRS), The Polish Ministry of Culture and The Ashden Trust.
CONTACT
All enquiries please contact us via futurescenariosproject [at] gmail.com
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All of the images and films appearing on this site are the exclusive property of Lena Dobrowolska & Teo Ormond-Skeaping unless stated otherwise and are protected under international copyright laws. All texts are copyright Lena Dobrowolska & Teo Ormond-Skeaping unless stated otherwise.
©2021 Lena Dobrowolska & Teo Ormond-Skeaping
NB. Although every effort has been made to identify copyright holders, we encourage parties who own the rights to any of the images or films featured on this website to contact us so that we may remove them where necessary.
CREDITS
Fixer in Lao PDR - Siphai Thammavong
Fixer & research assistant in Bangladesh - Niamul "Rocky" Amin
Fixer in Uganda - Moses Bert Mabonga
THANK YOU
Joe Smith, Renata Tyszczuk, Emma Critchley, Zoe Svensen, Hannah Bird, Poshendra Satyal, Saleemul Huq, Ina Islam, Istak Ahmed, Sarder Shafiqul Alam, Saquib Huq, Jennifer Khadim, Adnan Quader, Issac Ijjo, Godfrey Ogena, Nene Diallo, Karol Aketch, Joseph, Kristo, Godfrey, Erin Roberts, The Louisiana Environmental Action Network: Michael Orr, Marylee Orr, Magalia Community Church, Tj Demos, Sophie Haslinger, Lukasz Rusznica, Freddy Griffiths, Ada Augustyniak, Beata Bartecka.
BIO
Lena Dobrowolska, (b.1985, Poland) & Teo Ormond-Skeaping, (b.1987, Uk) live and work in London. They are an artist collaboration working with a combination of photography, artist’s film, virtual reality, installation and research. Since 2012 they have been working on extensive, interdisciplinary projects relating to political ecology, climate change, climate justice, Loss and Damage, Slow Violence and the political and cultural critique of the Anthropocene which they prefer to call the Capitalocene.
Their research led cross disciplinary practice is focused on forming meaningful collaborations with scientific, humanitarian, academic, activist, artistic and developmental institutions and organisations in the Global North and Global South as well as multilateral organisation, with the intention of driving change, in the political and cultural narratives that surround climate change, migration, human rights and development. They have a specific focus upon Loss and Damage (The Warsaw International Mechanism For Loss And Damage) and Climate Justice, as well as the climate adaptation, resilience and political leadership of the Global South and what we can learn about the humanitarian, developmental and psychological impact of climate change through the lived experienced of those that are living lives impacted by climate change and displacement.
In June 2016 they were awarded the yearlong Culture and Climate Change: Scenarios networked research residency which was supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation, The University of Sheffield, The Open University and The Ashden Trust. They have since collaborated with a network of Climate Change researchers, NGO’s, policy makers and institutions including but not limited to The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Jesuit Refugee Services Uganda (JRS), The Platform On Disaster Displacement (PDD), Displacement Uncertain Journeys (DUJ), and the United Nations Perception Of Change Project (UNPCP) and the Loss and Damage Collaboration.
In November 2019 they were awarded the COAL Prize on Disaster and Displacement at the Centre De Pompidou and then again at UNFCCC COP25 in Madrid where they presented their proposed film “You Never Know One Day You Too Could Become A Refugee” to negotiators and displacement specialists at the UN mandated side event that reviewed the work of The Task Force On Displacement and at the French pavilion in collaboration with the Platform On Disaster Displacement, COAL and Displacement Uncertain Journeys.
Their work has been exhibited internationally, most recent exhibitions include: Month of Photography in Minsk (2020), Fotobok Festival Oslo (2020), Photomonth Krakow (2020), Noorderlicht Festival of Photography: Taxed To The Max (2019), Ci.CLO Bienal Fotografia do Porto (2019), Kunst HausWien: Museum Hundertwasser (2019), Unseen, Amsterdam (2018), Fotofestiwal, Łódź (2018), Fotograf Festival, Praga (2014). They have presented and lectured at institutions and events including: COP25 Madrid, The Financial Times Weekend, Wilderness Festival, The Royal Geographical Society. They have presented at conferences such as: Anthropocenes 2020 (2020, ESL & A & University of Silesia, PL), TheAnticipation Conference (2018, UK), IDOC's (2018, 2020,UK), 2 Degrees Festival (Artsadmin, 2017, UK).
