Even artists don’t know what the future will bring. While ideas for transformative and liveable futures seem to have faded into the background lately, contemporary art continues to be a sensorium for what futurologists call the “weak signals” of tomorrow. Thanks to its speculative power, art can envision the paths that humans, nature, culture and technology could take that differ from those widely assumed or even feared.

In this issue we present five positions that highlight such scenarios. The idea of using art for experimentation and challenging current opinions is one that is close to our hearts. Indeed, funding art and culture is a commitment to the future. Supporting change in the cultural scene is not about planning for tomorrow, but rather the day after. At a time when looking ahead has become increasingly challenging, we want to continue supporting the art of envisioning the future.

Yours sincerely,
Katarzyna Wielga-Skolimowska
Kirsten Haß

Executive Board of the German Federal Cultural Foundation