There is much to be said about the discoveries generated by imagination in the minds of those outside of the scientific discipline. Sci-fi novels, cartoons, films, music, art, and video games are fantasy worlds to a certain degree. They’re labeled as such by virtue of the counterfactuals they explore. But how often have we seen prophecies in art come true decades or centuries after their initial imaginative expression? Art and Imagined futures examines the role that counterfactual and speculative art plays in contributing to future scientific pursuit and technological innovation.
On the precipice of becoming a spacefaring civilization, recognition of the relationship between imagination and investigation is more important than ever. It is an attempt to inspire the perpetuation of an art-science symbiosis on Earth, and beyond.