On his website, designer Christopher Butler envisions the future. As a culture, we typically default to two versions: one of less, or dystopia; and one of more, or utopia. What a limited way of thinking, no? The opposites can be the case. “A future of less can be a utopia. Not comfortably, but the case is available. The American dream is not a life that ten billion people can hold at once; the square footage, the car, the wealth per household, the arithmetic has never worked,” he writes. And then he goes on: “A future of more can also be a dystopia. I would argue that this is the corner we presently live in.” His contemplative essay explores limits, growth, creativity, and what he refers to as maintenance futurism.
Which means the idea rests on a distinction that’s easy to state and hard to keep: maintenance chosen is a practice, and maintenance imposed is a lid. Our basement storehouse is a decision we made about our present and future. It would be a different space entirely if someone had measured it out for us.
More writing about the future
Jeff Mills Loves to Forget
“How techno’s most vaunted architect is still building sonic futures.”
Chimes at Midnight
“It’s been an idea for over three decades. How did the clock that will run for 10,000 years become a reality?”
Century-Scale Storage
“If you had to store something for 100 years, how would you do it?”
Meet Me in the Eternal City
“Silicon Valley has always dreamed of building its own utopias. Who’s ready to move in?”
What Kind Of Future Does De-Extinction Promise?
“De-extinction promises not a true reversal of time but a selective one.”
Futures From Ruins
“A burgeoning, surrealist art hub on the shores of a toxic lake hints at how disaster can foster new degrees of care.”
