With The Craftocene, Vienna's Weltmuseum presents an exhibition that deliberately positions itself between the present and the future. In collaboration with the internationally acclaimed London-based design studio SUPERFLUX, it creates an immersive space where artistic research, technology, and ecological questions intersect—opening up new ways of thinking.

Speculative Practice

Vienna's The Craftocene Exhibition Imagines a Future of Care and Craftsmanship

Founded in 2009 by Anab Jain and Jon Ardern, SUPERFLUX is one of the defining voices in speculative design. Their work translates complex social and ecological dynamics into tangible future scenarios. This is precisely where the exhibition begins: it reimagines the museum not just as a place of preservation, but as a platform for actively engaging with what lies ahead.

Three Perspectives

For the first time, three key works by the studio are shown together. Refuge for Resurgence (2021) envisions a reconciled future in which humans, animals, and plants meet as equal actors. Nobody Told Me Rivers Dream (2025) explores ecological intelligence as knowledge passed down through generations, using technology to translate natural phenomena into new forms of perception. Finally, Relics of Abundance (2026) is an installation developed specifically for Vienna, critically examining the era of mass consumption as a cultural and mythological system.

New Narratives

In dialogue with selected objects from the Weltmuseum's collection, these works unfold an additional dimension. Artifacts from different world regions point to diverse ways of coexistence between humans, nature, and the environment. Past and possible futures thus enter into direct exchange—opening a space for thought that places questions of responsibility, cooperation, and care at its center.

Giveaway

Our website is giving away five pairs of tickets to The Craftocene at the Weltmuseum. Enter now until May 6, 2026, at: ourwebsite.at/giveaways—terms, conditions, and details can be found there.

The term Craftocene, coined by SUPERFLUX in 2020, describes a potential era beyond exploitation and resource waste. Instead, it centers on craftsmanship, mutual care, and ecological restoration. The exhibition thus also serves as an invitation to question existing narratives and imagine new ways of living together.

As part of the Vienna Climate Biennale 2026, The Craftocene builds on this idea, underscoring the museum's role as a space for reflection and dialogue. Visitors are encouraged not just to observe, but to think along—and perhaps even begin drafting their own visions of the future.