Research & Readings
A Peak Into The Future
Speculative design is a creative approach that envisions possible futures through the lens of design thinking. It explores alternative realities and challenges existing norms, prompting discussions about societal, technological, and environmental shifts. By crafting provocative scenarios and tangible artifacts, speculative design serves as a catalyst for critical reflection and dialogue on potential futures.
Exploring censorship unveils a rich landscape of potential futures. I can imagine scenarios where evolving technologies and shifting societal values intersect with censorship practices. Provocative artefacts, such as augmented reality filters or algorithmic content moderators, offer glimpses into possible realities where information control takes new forms. Speculative designs challenge us to contemplate the implications of heightened surveillance, restricted expression, and the power dynamics between authorities and citizens. By engaging with these speculative narratives, we foster critical discourse on the evolving nature of censorship, prompting society to proactively shape a more transparent and equitable information landscape.
By poking what I have experienced and know, the idea of censorship snapped into my mind, as of what have happened and will happen in the plausible future in Hong Kong. I am not the first to peek into the future of Hong Kong under CCP’s rule, but the first speculative movie about Hong Kong “Ten Years” (2015), is becoming reality. The movie’s absurd and unreal description of the future society are becoming the ‘normal’ in
today.
Critical in Censoring
Critical design, as a form of thought-provoking creativity, intersects with the challenging terrain of censorship, questioning societal norms and power structures. In this realm, designers wield their craftas a tool for unearthing suppressed narratives and challenging the status quo. Through critical design, artists may confront the stifling impact of censorship, spotlighting its implications on free expression and cultural discourse. Designers, adopting a subversive stance, strive to unveil the layers of control embedded in censorship, sparking conversations about its consequences on individual autonomy and collective understanding.
Critical design, with its capacity to provoke and question, becomes a counterforce against the restrictive nature of censorship. By employing innovative methodologies, designers navigate the boundariesof what is deemed acceptable, offering alternative perspectives and narratives that challenge the very foundations of censorship. This dynamic interplay between critical design and censorship creates a space for reflection, resistance, and the envisioning of a more liberated and inclusive creative landscape.today.
Ten Years (2015)
“Ten Years” is a 2015 Hong Kong dystopian anthology film that presents a collection of short films envisioning the city’s future a decade from its release. Each segment explores different speculative scenarios, examining various aspects of Hong Kong’s political, social, and cultural landscape. Five years later, the grim scenes from ‘Ten Years’ have starting to become a reality in Hong Kong. China’s national security law, imposed after pro-democracy protests, led to purges, activist imprisonments, and intimidation of journalists and teachers. Some, fearing arrest, risk dangerous journeys to leave the city, echoing the dystopian themes in the film.
Research Insight
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Touching upon cultural narrative through daily objects
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The definition of absurdness varies with time, speculative design can be as absurd as possible, as it might become “normal” in the future.
Paper Flower
by Misawa Haruka
Paper Flower by Misawa Haruka is one of the art from the series Subtle. “Subtle – Delicate or Infinitesimal at Japan House London, offers a profound exploration
of Japanese minimalism, delving into the boundless potential of fine paper challenges creator to bring out new potential from paper. Many of the innovative creations on display serve to highlight this delicate craft in a modern and contemporary light.
When Japanese artist Haruka Misawa was sharpening his pencils one day, he discovered that shavings present an arrestingly beautiful form. Curled up in a ring-shaped crown, he observed that they look like the petals of a flower.
Research Insight
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Change what you can get from sharpening a pencil
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Paper have infinite potential, more than just a canvas,but as an art in itself.
About Two Squares (1922)
When writing became risky due to Stalin’s purges, a group of avant garde artists turned to children’s books. One of the book, About Two Squares (1922), is a short story written by El Lissitzky and illustrated by Kazimir Malevich, both prominent figures in the Russian avant- garde movement.
In “About Two Squares,” the story is told through simple geometric shapes, primarily squares, and features characters named “Red Square” and “Black Square.” Through these abstract characters, Lissitzky and Malevich used the narrative to explore themes related to the Russian Revolution and the societal shifts occurring in the aftermath.
Research Insight
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How art in different ages avoid censorship.
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Abstract images can be a tool for powerful concrete message and expressions.