Facing Forward Art & Theory from a Future Perspective

Contemporary visual culture has been dominated by futuristic utopian and dystopian ideas that reflect a longing for a seamless interface between the virtual and real, as well as a desire for a release from the constraints of space and time. Constructed around both speculative predictions and creative scientific arguments, these ideas contribute to a pervasive visual rhetoric that influences our sense of things to come. Delving into the importance of these perspectives and the art that both results from and shapes them, this volume is a spirited exploration of the interface between art and theory in the twenty-first century. The essays reflect collaborative work between the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam, De Appel arts centre, W139-Space for Contemporary Art, and the art magazine Metropolis M. Discussing provocative themes like "Future History” and "Future Freedom,” Facing Forward is an energetic look at how our visions of the future affect how we depict the world around us now.