Milan (IT), Toulouse, Paris (FR) Bruxelles (BE) - 2021/22
in co-production with LUIT, BASE Milano, MUST Vimercate, ARTO Toulouse, Espace Peripherique Paris, La Bellone Bruxelles, Avant-Scene Cognac, Atelier 210 Bruxelles, Metropolis Copenhagen.
by Ruggero Franceschini, Zelda Soussan, with Aurélien Izard, Claudia Gambino, Thylda Bares
Project description:
The fiction we will use is this: in the framework of Earth M.A.P. - Maintenance and Adaptation Program, thousands of scientific teams have been deployed simultaneously on the seven continents, for an in-depth screening of all the land surface.
Their mission is to write the Users’ Guide for planet Earth, taking into account the different context of each territory.
They will note down the instructions to make every territory work in a functional way, in collaboration with its experts and inhabitant - because the right and duty of maintaining this territory will be on those who live there. These scientists will act upon the principles of a fair future organisation of resources of each territory, with the aim of creating a global balance without privileges. Each team will have specific scientists like technical geo writers, probability cartographers, adaptation designers, chronological engineers, forecast simulators.
This process will respect each different environmental forecast for each territory: in 20 years some of them will be flooded, or desertified, tropicalised, vulcanized or glaciated. It is quite clear that these territories will be much more isolated one from each other, because the notion itself of State and borders will be flooded. Every territory will have to become independent and autonomous, to organise its own resources according to its own rules.
The scientific teams will have a limited time to comply with their mission - quite short, considering that they have to visit each small community around the world in just 20 years. They will work with them to write the “grey literature” of their territories (general description, user manual, preparation for use, safety instructions, settings, navigation, maintenance, troubleshooting ...).
Before the performance, we will first need to carry out a preliminary on field research, establishing contact with local inhabitants whose knowledge is precious and whose experience can be shared (the “experts of the future”).
We will also select an appropriate public space to host the performance: it should be an open, flat, drawable surface which is sufficiently crowded and walked through. Here, we will establish our basecamp.
The scientists will set up their base camp in an open space or square. They will share with any curious passer-by the extreme weather forecast for their territory, as well as the purpose of their intervention.
Guided tours in the landscape of the future will take place continuously throughout the duration of the intervention, with simple props like coloured glasses to help visualize the future.
These tours will lead to a collective “adaptation design” session, and then the audience, alone or in small groups, will explore the surrounding area to continue this imaginative work, starting from the observation of real urban space.
Upon their return to the activities office, each group will present their adaptation options and each participant will be encouraged to choose an activity in this world under construction.
They will then be directed to the “situation room”, a delimited space where tehy will assume the role they has imagined for themselves, in the company of their new fellow citizens.
There are many topics for discussion that will involve their collective intelligence and imagination: the consequences of their choices will be transmitted to the next generations (i.e. the next round of spectators) and represented through graphic or other visual media.