Laboratories of the (im)possible

This research project aims to develop formats that strengthen co-creative
future imagination within social transition contexts. In collaboration
with artistic and social actors, practical formats are being developed for this purpose,
including immersive and embodied interventions, future-exploring and vision-forming
workshop formats, and imagination-enhancing tools. These are designed to support local
authorities, social organisations, businesses and citizens in developing in-depth visions and strategies for the future, or in designing product,
service or system innovations. The formats are explicitly aimed at breaking through
imaginative poverty in future thinking and stimulating collective thinking power around
transformation and innovation.
The project is based on a design-led and participatory action research model and investigates
how the encounter between artistic research and future research can contribute to
sustainable transitions. The project is being developed in close collaboration with artistic partners Kunstencentrum VierNulVier, various actors from the Tot in de Stad! network and various artists associated with it.
To guarantee the relevance and applicability of the formats developed within real contexts,
social actors (such as the City of Ghent, AZ Sint-Lucas and others) are also acting as partners in this research project. 
The research process is iterative, practice-based and transdisciplinary. The formats developed
are tested for their artistic
quality and social usefulness through cycles of design, implementation, evaluation and adjustment. 
Through targeted dissemination and valorisation — including a toolkit, an artistic presentation
within the Openbare Werken festival and social applications — the project contributes
to the sustainable and shared anchoring of co-creative future imagination in various
practice-oriented contexts.