Tag: Imagination

It’s Complicated: Futurization, March 17

Galina ZhukovaLeave a comment

What is your relationship with the future, and how is it affecting you right now?

Join Creative Time Lab founder Anna Sircova on March 17 for a deep, live conversation with Johanne Schwensen from It’s Complicated. They’ll explore futurization—a concept that goes beyond simple future-thinking to examine how our images of tomorrow shape our mental health and actions today.

They’ll be tackling questions like:
🤔 How does “futurization” differ from just “thinking about the future”?
🌍 If someone has an apocalyptic view of the global future, how does that show up in their daily mental health?
✨ How can we use imagination not as escapism, but as a real tool for resilience?

Anna brings her unique perspective as a psychologist, researcher, and visual artist to discuss these and other questions.

📅 When: Tuesday, March 17 | 12:00 PM – 01:00 PM CET
📍 Where: Live stream
🔗 RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/dEuu2Bev

Come and futurize with us!

Spoiler alert: a two-plot movie night

Galina ZhukovaLeave a comment

Continuing from the last sneak peek at our installation results..

We invite you to the movies with the theme of exploring the first impressions and images of personal and global futures…

Spoiler alert: It’s a two-plot movie night.


My Personal Future: 🎬 “An Uplifting Coming-of-Age Story”
Starring… me! The script is a little vague, sure. We have the usual plot twists with “Challenges” and “Mystery” sprinkled in — but in that inspiring “I’ll overcome them and grow as a person” kind of way.

32.2% of the reviews are positive and aspirational! A solid three-star film with heart.


The World’s Future: 🎬 “A Stress-Inducing Thriller”
Rated: 😬
Critics are calling it “Disturbing,” “A Merciless Struggle” and just plain “Meh..” The tagline? “Vague… But somehow also Running Out of Time – no dramatic arc just downright chaos and anguish”.

Over 50% of the audience reported pure anxiety or confusion.
Only 18.3% left the theatre feeling good – perhaps a little too dystopian for them. Major studio vibes, zero resolution.

The Director’s Commentary:
Turns out, uncertainty is in both films (about 15% each). But in my movie, it’s a “mysterious opportunity.” In the world’s movie, it’s just… “creepy otherness.” Which sounds like a rejected Black Mirror episode.

The Real Plot Twist:
We’re all living in both movies at once.

Personally? The hopeful lead with character development.

Globally? Nervous extra in the background wondering why they signed up for this.

So, what’s the takeaway?
Are we dealing with an unreliable narrator or maybe just missing the deeper meaning?
Or maybe we need to fire the world’s screenwriter. Or at least pitch a hopeful spin-off.

Your turn: Which film are you starring in right now? And does your global future need a rewrite?

Some insights from the data we collected with our immersive installation last summer…

Galina ZhukovaLeave a comment



To set the stage, here’s something to ponder about. Imagine walking into the Space of Futurization asking yourself: “What is the colour of the future?” and “What is the weather of the future?“

Our results show a fascinating conflict:


🎨 Colour palette:
Cool blues.
Fresh greens.
Elegant greys.
Very Scandinavian. Very calm. Very “we’ve got this.”


☀️ Weather forecast:
🔥🔥🔥 EXTREME HEAT 🔥🔥🔥
(55% of responses. No shade. Literally.)

So on one hand, we imagine the future looking like a peaceful design mood board powered by optimism.
On the other hand, it feels like standing barefoot on asphalt in August and the anxiety rises…

To summarize:
We see a future that’s aesthetically aligned for maximum calm and growth… while physiologically preparing for the ultimate hot yoga session.

This raises a few questions:
– Can we hold on to calm while anticipating disruption?
– Are we optimistic aesthetes who are also pragmatic realists?
– Are we holding onto the hope that rising temperatures won’t erase the natural world’s colour palette?
– Or are we just hoping our future solar-powered indoor air-con units look really nice in mint green?

Or maybe our imagination is already air-conditioned, while our emotions are not.
And maybe the real question is whether this coexistence of calm and anxiety is sustainable…

Or, to put it more bluntly:
Are we determined that if we’ll soon be walking on hot coals, we might as well look chic while doing so?

💬 If you had to explain this contrast in one sentence, what would you say?
💬 What is the colour palette—or the weather—of your future?