Over a month, visitors to Swissnex in Japan have been invited to explore speculative futures through the lens of art. Featuring the works of students from ZHdK and HEAD, the exhibition showcased how imagination and critical reflection can intertwine to question our present and envision alternative futures. Through animations, Back in the Future / Forward in the Future encouraged reflection on the role of art in shaping tomorrow’s world.

The exhibition formed part of the broader Swissnex for the Planet initiative, which reimagines diplomacy through art, design, and science, addressing urgent questions around sustainability, technology, and our relationship with the environment.

Between January and June 2025, university students collaborated in small groups, creating artistic narratives that translate speculative research into visual and emotional experiences.

The exhibition opened with an evening of exchange and curiosity, where students and professors from ZHdK and HEAD presented their works and creative processes. Fiammetta Pennisi, Head of Art-Science at Swissnex in Japan, welcomed guests to an inspiring conversation on how artistic practice can serve as a lens to rethink our collective future.

Speakers included Prof. Dr. Swetlana Heger, Director of the Department of Fine Arts at ZHdK, and Frank Westermeyer, Head of Information Fiction in Visual Arts at HEAD and Coordinator of HEAD’s teaching at EPFL, who shared insights into collaborative pedagogies that bridge art, design, and science.

Following the opening, Swissnex hosted a special conference at the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, bringing together artists, researchers, and educators to reflect on speculative design as a means of envisioning future societies.

The discussions explored questions such as:

• How can artistic storytelling spark new perspectives on social and technological change?
• What do aesthetic choices in emerging media reveal about cultural attitudes toward the future?
• How might the concept of “latent space” in AI and art reshape our creative potential?

Contributions from guest speakers, including artist and senior lecturer Arif Kornweitz (ZHdK) and artist Shunsuke Takawo, further enriched the dialogue around generative art and the intersections of computation, culture, and creativity.

Across both events, the collaboration between ZHdK, HEAD, and Swissnex embodied the spirit of artistic research: one that embraces uncertainty, imagination, and interdisciplinary exchange. By inviting audiences in Japan to engage with speculative narratives from Switzerland’s leading art schools, Back in the Future / Forward in the Future fostered meaningful reflection on how we might collectively shape the world ahead.