Only Tomorrow Speculative Laboratory 1.0 at Ars Electronica

The Only Tomorrow Speculative Lab project was part of the Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture, Cultural Programme. "Only tomorrow" refers to the object of the reverie-like states of mind in which one is feeling inspired and hopeful while thinking about the near future with the sense that it is within reach. The exhibition is a foray into the speculative approach to current issues, exploring developments, solutions or diversions of situations through the eyes of young artists. Speculative thinking is a way of embodying the "as if", envisages a scenario about the future or something imagined that does not yet exist, and answers real questions and problems with solutions that combine creativity, imagination with technology and science.

The works were created following 4 guiding lines: speculative thinking (as artistic methodology), relevance to the present (world-based ideas), interactivity (the works should be interactive, usually involving technology), reference to research and laboratory of ideas (the works should be open and transparent regarding the artistic research on which they are based).

The young artists are students from 4 Romanian universities: West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Arts and Design; UNATC Bucharest - Interactive Technologies for Performing Arts and Media, New Media Design; Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj  Faculty of Theatre and Film, Digital Interactive Arts; Aurel Vlaicu University Arad, Faculty of Design.

Project team

Project coordinator: Nicoleta Stoica (Nita Mocanu)
Curator: Marius Stoica
Assistant curator: Cosmin Moldovan
Management: Teodora Vieru
PR: Denisa Ruzsa

Artists:

  • Sânziana Gheorghe, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of West Timișoara, Romania
  • Andrada Băleanu, Simona-Diana Chiru, Lorena Cocora, Radu Condrache, Caty
  • Șamata, Interactive technologies for performing arts and media (ITPMA) UNATC Bucharest, Romania
  • Flavius Coman, Digital Interactive Arts, Faculty of Theater and Film, Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • Ana Farîma, Faculty of Design, Aurel Vlaicu University Arad, Romania; AR app: DARV Collective/ Florian Weinrich; Co-producer: FURNA art & culture/ Mihaela Kavdanska
The project is part of the national cultural program "Timișoara – European Capital of Culture in 2023" and is funded through the Legacy Timișoara 2023 program, carried out by the Project Center of the Municipality of Timișoara, with funds allocated from the state budget, through the Ministry of Culture's budget.