By Morten Wassini
At the recently held 3rd Seminar In 100 Years, there were several speakers, who through their projects’ success stories, talked about the vital personal input of participants and stakeholders. Personally driven motives had the necessary vigour to get complex system change to succeed. In the Samsoe Energy Academy, the island switch to 140% wind energy has been driven by a high ability to embrace and to create understanding in the individual at the local area. By the direct benefit of being co-creators of the project was visible, the project received a strong momentum. The personal input can be economically based and identity-bearing later in participation and in the co-ownership of the project’s success. Change of minds and acts can be requested by idealistic notions and rational analysis, but to develop self-sustaining drive, a personal gain for the individual in mass, must be obvious to grab.
A shift in paradigm toward an understanding and creating the vision of a sustainable society in 100 years, requires that each participant contributes their private and personal input and realizes a movement by acting. Scientific and professional arguments are only one fabric in the total framework. As Climate and Energy Minister referring a former colonel in the Zimbabwe liberation army: “Traveller, there are no paths – paths are made by walking.”
In 100 Years seminars, sought a new reflective model for ideas and inspiration, for example, by using the arts as an opening for methods of intuition, presence and relative realities. In the midst of the seminar block, all were equipped with maps of the outside area whith drawn target points of interest. We were led out of the auditorium knowledge-based talks. Through the walk in the countryside, we were greeted by people with a tale without a direct logic. It was rather in the experience that the subject was captured as mental openings. Creative exchanges of opinion in a intimacy-room that was established between the performer and seminar participants. The bubbles in the utopia space “ACORN FALLS” was singing forest nymph in inviting tableaus or evocative objects. A shiny and reflective glass bell with cakes in dazzling pink colour was an unattainable goal for oral satisfaction, – Sunk in a swamp with dark water and floating transitory and decomposed autumn flora. It was the field of dreams and unfulfilled desires. But the dream could be detained by grasp or anticipate in the created reality. Realities were only loosely scratched into the physical frame Nøddebo. The rules and meaning were created by the participants. As in the direct image – at a dice game in which dice were pressed in your palm, but the rules and benefits should the participant invent himself?
Participants at the seminar, who are invited, based on their strong expertise in theoretical and professional practice was challenged by the invitation to participate in the performance “world” ACON FALLS. They were presented with a world that does not work according to the rules they know. – A reality where they had to choose individual paths for artistic insights.
They went as seeking individuals or in small groups towards the theatrical narratives, in which they could not use their professional experience, but had to be in an mode of elastic reality where they with primarily personal based empathetic interpretation could participate in the game. Rules and interpretations should be created in this pristine realm. The Future Mind Tours, is in “In 100 Years” seminar series, a tool with threads and handles, that the participants create meaning for in their grip for personal understanding.
In a very ambitious goal of being able to discern a potential reality in 100 years through interdisciplinary seminars with specialized thinkers and actors, it is a powerful and necessary material to use art as fiction-making, as well as a flipping psychological instrument for the individual participant. The potential realities are to be glimpsed through the desired goals and opportunities can’t only be sought through professional experience. The personal identity including opening up to numerous of realities, have to be involved and brought into the visionary workshops to embrace the collective motivation to create paths.