╰ About ╮

7 Exercises in Practical Utopia was an invitation to practice utopian thinking and acting in everyday life.

During the week-long event artists and participants tested the usefulness of the concept of Practical Utopia when it is applied to daily life through a series of exercises, prompts, and gatherings. The term “Practical Utopia” reflects the desire for large scale changes to the current system of society by initiating the first practical steps towards such changes right here and now. “Practical Utopia” insists on the necessity of Utopia as an intellectual concept interlinking the fantastical and the pragmatic in bringing about social, political and artistic change.

╰ Exercises ╮

The events has ended. Here you can find all the exercises that were part of the event.

╰ Organizers ╮

7 Exercises in Practical Utopia was the result of an ongoing collaboration between Culture Push, and the Helsinki/Berlin-based collective, YKON.

YKON

YKON is a non profit art organization, that was founded as an artistic initiative and platform for exploring utopian fantasies and the political imaginary in relation to concrete sociopolitical structures and concerns.

Emerging from and working in the field of contemporary art, YKON merges the language and approaches of a number of disciplines, such as game design, scenario development, experimental education, dynamic facilitation, social architecture, and alternative economies. Apart from participating in exhibitions in biennials and exhibition spaces internationally, YKON regularly give lectures and talks on the topics of 'micronations' and utopian communities.
Culture Push

Culture Push is an arts organization that works with hands-on learning, group problem solving, serious play, and creating connections.

The mission of Culture Push is to create a lively exchange of ideas between many different communities; artists and non-artists, professional practitioners and laypeople, across generations, neighborhoods, and cultures. Culture Push supports the process of creating new modes of thinking and doing and serves a diverse community of creative people. The programs of Culture Push focus on collaboration and group learning through active, participatory experiences. Culture Push programs appear in many different locations, taking many different forms, and public presentations are low-cost or free, to give access to the widest audience.

7 Exercises in Practical Utopia was made possible in part with support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

7 Exercises in Practical Utopia is made possible in part with support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.