Futures Present – Symposium on Artistic Research 2026

Futures Present examines how artistic research speculates, envisions, and imagines our current and future societies. Foregrounding interdisciplinarity and engaging with cultural heritages and futures, it seeks to articulate frameworks for shaping desirable societal trajectories amidst conditions of complex and accelerated change.

A collaboration between the Swedish Research Council and Konstfack, Futures Present is organized in partnership with Formas and the Institute for Future Studies. It presents a curated program of projects funded and/or hosted by all four organizations, aiming to create a forum for interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue, as well as opportunities for joint initiatives and future collaborations.

The symposium will feature keynote speakers as well as parallel sessions with thematic clusters. Through its structure, the symposium aims to facilitate critical dialogue on the ways in which knowledge production and creative practices can engage with the pressing challenges of our time, while promoting in-depth understanding of how artistic research contributes to the formation of democratically resilient societies and futures.

Date and time 
2 December (from 12:30 PM ) - 4 December (until 12.30 PM)  

Venue
Konstfack, LM Ericssons väg 14, Stockholm (Look at a map)
Underground station: Telefonplan

All events
The full programme of events will be published shortly. Please note that there has been no open call for contributions for this year’s symposium.

How to participate?
In order to participate as an attendant you need to register in advance. Please follow this link to register. Attendance at the symposium is free of charge; however, seating is limited and allocated on a first-come basis.

Graphic Design by MFA student Hai-Fang-Hu.