This thesis, “Designing for Death in a Divided Future,” by Hillevi Hesseldahl, is a speculative design project which explores the ideological dichotomy in addressing climate crises within the Anthropocene epoch. The study highlights two major frameworks: Posthumanism together with Anthroposophy, advocating for a harmonious integration with nature, and Transhumanism together with Eco-Realism, emphasizing technological solutions and a geologial separation between human and wild ecosystems. The project uses speculative design to visualize future death rites, presenting two contrasting scenarios for Stockholm in 2050. The first scenario, “Gaian Sympoiesis,” envisions a society deeply connected with nature, employing local, community-based solutions. Here, death rites involve the “Vessel of Return,” an urn designed to return human essence to the earth, symbolizing a cyclical view of life. The second scenario, “Cybernetic Ascendancy,” portrays a technologically advanced society where humans withdraw from nature, relying on digital innovation and conservation of natural habitats. This scenario introduces the “Orb of Descendancy,” a digital artifact encapsulating a deceased person’s life data, reflecting a rational, data-driven approach to memorialization. By examining these speculative futures, the thesis sheds light on current ideological divides and the potential impacts of our choices on the trajectory of human civilization. This project combines artistic methods, personal interviews, and design theories to create tangible representations of possible futures, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of the present and stimulate discourse on navigating the Anthropocene.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:konstfack-9782 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Hesseldahl, Hillevi |
| Publisher | Konstfack, Industridesign |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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