An immersive experience to rethink our relationship with the future
The Space of Futurization is an interactive, sensory installation designed to help individuals—especially young people—reflect on their personal and collective futures in a creative, embodied, and emotionally engaging way.
Developed from over a decade of multidisciplinary research by the Futurization of Thinking and Behaviour group within the Time Perspective Network, the installation transforms the abstract concept of future-thinking into a tangible, participatory experience.
Here, visitors engage with colors, sounds, textures, and objects, moving through interactive stations that encourage introspection, emotional expression, and imaginative exploration.
Participants can:
- “Vote” with beans to express their emotions
- See and hear stories through “future objects”
- Write postcards to their future selves
- Interact with the “Menu of the future”
- Imagine what they would like to see out of their window in 100 years from now
Each element supports personal reflection while connecting individual experiences to broader social and global futures.
By witnessing others’ contributions and sharing their own, participants discover shared hopes and anxieties, fostering empathy, connection, and collective agency. The installation hopes to transform climate anxiety and future paralysis into curiosity, creativity, and actionable steps toward change.
Presented in over ten countries—including Denmark, France, Turkey, India, and China—the Futurization Project merges psychology, art, and sustainability research into a unique experiential format that shifts passive worry into active meaning-making. It offers not only insight but also an embodied sense of hope, helping people reconnect with the future with mindfulness, courage, and imagination.
Stage 0: Concept Development – Slovenia, 2018
The idea of the Space of Futurization was brought to life in 2018 at the LJUDMILA Art and Science Laboratory, during the PIF Summer Hacking Camp in Soča, Slovenia (6–13 August, 2018). Here the very first prototype was created while Dr. Anna Sircova learned how to solder:
Stage 1: Prototype – Denmark, 2019
The first version of the installation was realized in Copenhagen in 2019, integrating insights from psychology, creativity, and participatory design. Research tools such as focus groups and interactive exercises helped shape the stations and activities that define the installation today.
This prototype demonstrated the potential of the Space of Futurization to transform abstract anxiety into creative engagement and laid the groundwork for future real-life deployments.
Stage 2: First Deployment – Terres du Son Festival, France, 2024
The installation’s first real-life deployment took place at Terres du Son, a youth-oriented music and ecological festival in France. Realized with partners NFEtudes, Creative Time Studio, and Terres du Son, the festival deployment engaged participants in interactive reflection on personal and global futures.
Visitors explored emotional expression, sinteracted with the objects of the future, and wrote postcards to their future selves. The deployment showcased how immersive, participatory experiences can foster empathy, emotional regulation, and agency, inspiring action on social and environmental challenges.
Stage 3: Second Deployment – Terres du Son Festival, France, 2025
Building on the 2024 success, the 2025 deployment expanded the installation with new modules, including Future Landscapes, Future of Food, and Audio Stories of Objects, alongside enhanced facilitation and evaluation methods. Supported by April Foundation, this stage refined the installation and reached more participants.
With a rigorous evaluation strategy, the 2025 deployment collected data on future anxiety, sense of agency, and emotional resilience, strengthening the installation’s replicability for schools, community programs, and public settings.
Why It Matters
Growing uncertainty about the future fuels anxiety, disconnection, and short-term thinking, especially among youth.
The Space of Futurization provides a safe, inspiring space to reflect, dream, and envision alternative futures, turning collective fear into shared imagination and meaningful action.
Get Involved
- Host the Installation: Bring the Space of Futurization to your festival, school, or community program.
- Partner with Us: Collaborate on research, programming, or creative interventions.
- Support the Project: Help us expand our reach and impact by contributing to our mission.