Credit: Schulz, Urban Resilience Walks
Future Forum is an annual conference presented by the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH), New York, that brings together German, US, and global researchers and practitioners at the intersection of the humanities, science, technology, and urbanism. DWIH New York is part of a global Network of six Centers which is overseen by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), guided by several different bodies on both local and international levels including the German Federal Foreign Office.
See the 2024 Night Lab program & presenters HERE. Learn more about DWIH HERE.
For Future Forum 2023: From Crisis to Resilience, I was invited to curate their Night Lab program. The Night Lab was a participatory exhibition, that invited people to learn from scientists, urban designers, artists and cultural actors, and community organizers as to how they address resilience at a hyper-local and human scale (even the molecular level). The Night Lab’s goal was to raise awareness of how different forms of urban, ecological, and cultural resilience are intertwined both night and day. The Night Lab encouraged that it’s possible to approach the most daunting global challenges— from climate to humanitarian crises—through even seemingly small acts of collaboration, creativity, and care.
Night Lab exhibitors & projects:
“Blackout” demo & interactive project
Birgitta Sticher, Professor, Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin)
Tricia Wachtendorf, Professor of Sociology & Director, Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware
“Black Psychogeographies: Participatory Mapmaking” display & interactive project
Cara Michell, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture at Northeastern University, Boston
“Ekos” interactive table game
Christopher Kennedy & Timon McPhearson, Urban Systems Lab, The New School at Parsons, NYC
“Molecular Resilience” video
German Research Foundation featured Walter Benjamin Fellows Mascha Kohen PhD & Arthur Nuerberger PhD”, NYC + Germany
“Resilience Walk” participatory urban walk
Prof. Dr. Henrik Schultz, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, Germany
“Musings from the Margins of a Polychrome Future” video
Lafayette Cruise, NYC, Guild of Future Architects & Rhode Island School of Design
“Nighttime at the Digitope” interactive project
Hilke Berger & Rico Herzog, City Science Lab, HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany
“Overnight Scenario” interactive video
Michael Fichman, Vibe Lab & University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design, Philadelphia
“Preserving Queer Place and History” multi-media display & sound/story booth
People’s Riisearch Group (Jacob Riis Beach), Lex Barlowe, dash pinheiro, Safiyah Riddle, jah elyse sayers, with support from Rita Musello-Kelliher
“Soul Summit Music” video story
Co-founders Sadiq Bellamy, Tabu, and Jeff Mendoza, NYC
“The Lot Radio” video story
Founder Francoise Vaxelaire, NYC
“What We Brought With Us” exhibition & video story
Academy in Exile / University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) / artist: Fatemeh Rezaei