Abstract: This exposition explores the concept of speculative utopias within artistic research, offering glimpses into potential futures at the intersection of artistic imagination and futures thinking. Developed as textual concepts, these speculative utopias serve as vehicles for envisioning inclusive and sustainable futures, addressing complex socio-economic, cultural, and environmental challenges. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach by integrating aerial photography of Iceland’s landscapes with futures thinking methodologies and artistic research practices. These photographs function not merely as documentation but as speculative utopias that prompt critical reflection on climate adaptation, socio-political transformation, and public engagement. A unique aspect of the research is the use of artificial intelligence (ChatGPT), which supported iterative narrative development and reflexive inquiry. Through this exploration, the research offers alternative visions for resilient futures catalysing transformative dialogue and deepening reflection on the politics of the present while imagining possibilities for the world to come.
1. Introduction and Theoretical Context
Iceland’s breathtaking landscapes, captured through aerial photography, become canvases for envisioning pluriversal futures that reflect diverse and coexisting perspectives on possible worlds. Rooted in the concept of the pluriverse (Escobar, 2018), these futures embrace multiple, localised visions rather than a singular, dominant trajectory. Expanding on this vision, this study employs a multidisciplinary approach that integrates aerial photography of Iceland’s landscapes not merely to document environmental change but as a speculative utopia for imagining alternative futures.
By linking visual speculation (Dunne & Raby, 2013) with futures thinking (Harb & Celi, 2023; Inayatullah, 2008; Miller, 2018), this research illustrates how artistic practices can generate critical and collective reflections on contemporary challenges. Artistic research provides a means to explore possible futures by integrating visionary narratives with contemporary realities. The concept of futures thinking (Bierwisch & Schmitz, 2024; Gannon & Naidoo, 2020; Inayatullah, 2008) plays a crucial role in this study, offering tools to critically engage with possible, probable, and preferable futures. Futures thinking encourages the exploration of alternative visions, stimulating dialogue on diverse pathways forward. Within the framework of pluriversal futures, these possibilities are not abstract speculations but situated, relational, and culturally embedded perspectives on the future. Reeves-Evison (2021) defines speculative thinking as encompassing counterfactual and prefactual reasoning, serving both preparatory and non-preparatory functions in shaping perceptions of past and future possibilities. In this context, these images facilitate discussions about socio-political transformations and the role of art in shaping public consciousness.
Drawing from the work of Levitas (1990) and Sargent (2010), utopias can be understood not as perfect or unreachable societies but as critical tools for imagining alternatives to the present. Levitas conceptualises utopia as a method—a way of interrogating the present by envisioning transformed futures. However, Sargent distinguishes between utopianism, utopian literature, and intentional communities, highlighting utopianism as a mode of social dreaming that challenges the status quo. These perspectives position utopias not as distant fantasies but as frameworks for engaging with possibilities, values, and desires for better worlds. When situated within artistic and pluriversal practices, utopias become speculative instruments that foreground diversity, justice, and sustainability. This broader understanding of utopia aligns with Jameson’s (2005) call for critical-utopian thinking and complements speculative artistic practices that seek not only to represent the future but to provoke reflection and instigate change. Furthermore, the work of scholars such as Appadurai (2013) and Harvey (2012) provides additional insights into how alternative futures can be materialised through cultural, urban, and social interventions.
Dewey (2005) argues that art serves as more than a means of connecting to our environment. It deepens insight into human experience, encompassing sensations, emotions, inquiries, uncertainties, and conflicts. Through artistic engagement, individuals develop a heightened awareness of both their inner selves and the world around them, fostering empathy and reflection. Dewey’s perspective underscores the multifaceted role of art, not only as an expressive medium but as a catalyst for reimagining societal structures and relationships. This dual role aligns with pluriversal thinking, which values interconnected, community-driven approaches to world-making. Art is more than a medium of expression. It holds the power to provoke thought, inspire action, and foster a deep reverence for nature. These qualities are central to transformative thinking, as discussed by Pepper (2005). More than a means of expression, art fosters a deep reverence for nature and resonates with futures thinking approaches that envision sustainable, community-driven relationships between humanity and the environment. Pluriversal futures emphasise proactive, community-centred approaches to sustainability, where human actions align with ecological well-being, cultural resilience, and social equity. This approach shifts decision-making away from top-down models and toward localised, participatory frameworks, ensuring that multiple voices contribute to shaping sustainable futures.
Alongside these theoretical orientations, this research adopts speculative design and placemaking as methodologies that bridge artistic imagination with socio-environmental realities. In particular, memory mapping and emotional engagement with landscape are explored as participatory tools that ground speculation in personal and cultural experience. A unique dimension of this study is the iterative use of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically through interaction with ChatGPT which supported the development of narratives and reflexive questioning throughout the speculative process. This dialogic approach (Lewis, 2023), reinforced the role of interdisciplinary and emergent technologies in expanding the imaginative and critical capacities of artistic research.
Speculative artistic engagements have the potential to ignite public dialogue and inspire social transformation by reimagining sustainable and inclusive futures. Thus, the following research questions arise: How can imagined futures be translated into concrete actions? and, can artistic interventions reshape public discourse, inform policy, or mobilise communities toward sustainability? These inquiries frame the exploration of how alternative futures might materialise in practice, further analysed through the lens of speculative urbanism (Hepburn et al., 2024) and experimental cityscapes (Miles, 2007). By weaving together artistic and theoretical perspectives, this research connects creative speculation with socio-political realities, illustrating how artistic interventions can act as blueprints for reimagining ways of living and coexisting. By embracing plural ways of knowing and imagining, artistic research plays a critical role in catalysing change, broadening our understanding of what is possible, and actively driving transformation by shaping speculative visions into meaningful dialogues and actions.
Limitation While speculative visual material is not included, the study includes selected aerial photographs (Figures 1–6) that serve as a foundation for textual speculation. They serve as the primary method of engagement, fostering an interpretative and imaginative exploration of speculative futures. This approach aligns with speculative design and futures thinking methodologies, where narrative speculation functions as a critical tool for envisioning alternative worlds. Future iterations of this research may incorporate visual documentation to complement and expand upon these speculative narratives.
2. Futures Thinking as a Speculative Methodology
Iceland was chosen as the location for aerial photography because of its dramatic and unique landscapes, which creates a strong sense of vastness, isolation, and geological energy. Its glaciers, volcanic terrain, black sand beaches, and geothermal features offer a visually striking and symbolic setting for artistic research. These elements make Iceland an ideal place for exploring speculative ideas and imagining alternative, pluriversal futures. The photographs in this study were taken by the author in June 2023 during a commercial flight from Helsinki to Reykjavik.
In this study, Futures thinking serves as a methodological approach that allows for the exploration of multiple possible scenarios. By reflecting on the long-term consequences of present choices, it encourages a deeper awareness of potential trajectories. In this exposition, the author employs futures thinking not only as a tool for anticipation but also as a creative strategy for innovation. Through this lens, readers are invited to step into the journey of speculative imagination that empowers them to envision and actively shape more inclusive and sustainable futures. As part of the speculative process, the author also engaged in reflective dialogue with ChatGPT, using it to test ideas, challenge assumptions, and expand narrative possibilities. Rather than generating content, the AI served as a conversational partner supporting the iterative and imaginative nature of futures thinking in this study. As Lewis (2023) suggests, integrating AI into academic discourse is both timely and relevant, reflecting broader emerging conversations in the field.
Aerial Photography as a Speculative Narrative for Placemaking
Aerial photography can serve as a speculative tool for envisioning possible futures by offering a transformative perspective on place, capturing the identity and character of landscapes. This perspective aligns with Tuan’s (1974) concept of topophilia, which describes the deep emotional and imaginative connections between people and place, shaping our perceptions of the world and its future possibilities. Similarly, Layton and Ucko (1999) argue that landscapes are not merely physical spaces but cultural constructs shaped by historical narratives, memory, and human intervention.
In this study, aerial imagery is not used solely for documentation but as a methodological approach to constructing speculative narratives that engage with environmental stewardship and heritage preservation. This approach draws on Relph’s (1976) conceptualisation of place, emphasising the experiential and symbolic dimensions of landscapes. The selection of photographs is guided by their ability to highlight environmental transformations, including the effects of climate change, shifting landscapes, and urban interventions. These images serve as a foundation for speculative discussions, memory mapping, and artistic interventions, shaping the exploration of alternative futures.
Through the lens of futures thinking, aerial photography can extend beyond its traditional documentary role to function as a speculative medium for reimagining sustainable development and preservation strategies. This method can enable a critical engagement with contemporary decisions and their implications for the long-term viability of natural ecosystems. By capturing environmental transformations over time, these images can facilitate discourse on the relationship between human activity, natural events, and the speculative future of landscapes.
Community Engagement and Memory Mapping
Memory mapping, when applied through futures thinking approach, can become a speculative method for engaging communities in envisioning possible futures for their landscapes. Artists can facilitate collective storytelling by presenting aerial images in public exhibitions or on interactive digital platforms, linking personal experiences with broader environmental narratives. This engagement can boost community identity and strengthen emotional and cultural connections to the landscape.
Memory mapping through aerial perspectives can serve as a methodological approach for exploring personal and collective experiences of place, revealing hidden layers of meaning within the landscape. Layton and Ucko (1999) highlight how landscapes act as repositories of cultural narratives where past, present, and future imaginaries converge. This perspective reinforces the role of memory mapping in speculative futures. Thus, allowing participants to envision how landscapes may evolve in response to cultural, social, and environmental transformations.
When integrated with futures thinking, memory mapping can expand beyond retrospective analysis to invite participants to imagine possible futures for the landscapes depicted in aerial imagery. By investigating speculative pathways for environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and community development, participants can actively contribute to shaping narratives that reflect their shared experiences of place. This forward-looking approach not only deepens emotional and cultural ties to the landscape but also fosters a sense of collective agency in shaping its future. Ultimately, this speculative method can enhance the transformative potential of aerial photography as a tool for community engagement, enabling participants to co-create meaningful narratives that articulate their aspirations for a sustainable and resilient future.
Emotional and Cultural Connections
Aerial photography, when used as a speculative tool, can evoke strong emotional responses by immersing viewers in visual narratives that deepen their appreciation of their surroundings. As a methodological approach, it can facilitate collaborative projects in which community members contribute to memory mapping, strengthening social bonds and fostering a sense of belonging. Such projects can document local histories, celebrate cultural heritage, and reinforce landscapes as repositories of cultural meaning and memory, which are essential for sustaining community connections. Stewart and Strathern (2014) further emphasise the role of landscapes in preserving collective memory, demonstrating how they function as dynamic sites of cultural identity and continuity.
Building on these emotional and cultural ties, futures thinking offers a way to not only honour the past but also to imagine what else might be possible. It treats landscapes as living spaces shaped by memory, meaning, and aspiration. By weaving together past experiences and future visions, this approach invites communities to co-create speculative narratives that reflect their evolving identities and values. More than a method of preservation, it becomes a space for reimagining how people relate to the land and to each other.
This aligns with Escobar’s (2018) concept of the pluriverse, which advocates for a world where many worlds fit, where diverse ways of knowing, being, and relating to the environment coexist. By integrating emotional and cultural dimensions into speculative practice, communities can challenge dominant narratives and articulate situated, relational futures rooted in care, memory, and place.
3. Speculative Utopias as Artistic Interventions–Envisioning Alternative Futures
The speculative utopias presented in this study are developed as textual concepts for potential physical artistic installations. They are not yet realised visual works, but suggest the potential to function as speculative solutions that encourage readers to imagine alternative futures as possible interventions. These utopias serve as artistic provocations, merging futures thinking, speculative design, and environmental consciousness. Through narrative and conceptual framing, each speculative future offers a unique perspective on sustainability, resilience, and the intersections of culture, technology, and the environment.
The speculative design approach employed here positions these utopias not merely as theoretical constructs but as catalysts that stimulate public discourse, participatory engagement, and critical reflection. Rather than offering fixed answers, they pose open-ended questions inviting readers to consider their own values, experiences, and hopes for the future. By engaging with these scenarios in textual form, readers are encouraged to imagine, interpret, and respond from their own perspectives, reflecting on the relevance of these imagined worlds to sustainable development, cultural preservation, and ecological adaptation in real-world contexts.
The Luminous Fjords
This speculative concept envisions a future where renewable energy seamlessly integrates with natural landscapes, transforming Iceland’s fjords through the imagined use of sustainable bioluminescent algae that replace artificial lighting. For example, digital paintings and augmented reality installations could depict the fjords glowing with vibrant, organic light, accompanied by immersive soundscapes that replicate the serene yet dynamic atmosphere.
As an artistic intervention, this speculative utopia explores the intersection of technology and nature, illustrating how energy innovation could be both functional and aesthetic. Engaging with Relph’s (1976) concept of place, this scenario emphasises the importance of preserving natural identity while embracing emerging technologies. Readers are invited to speculate on how current decisions around energy use and environmental preservation could lead to a future where renewable solutions harmonise with natural ecosystems.
Could emerging bioengineered organisms, such as bioluminescent algae, offer viable, non-invasive alternatives to conventional energy infrastructure in fragile ecosystems? In this vision, light becomes not only a source of power, but a symbol of harmony between human imagination and the living earth.
Glacier Gardens
Imagining a future where climate change has been mitigated, this speculative concept envisions Iceland’s glaciers transformed into botanical gardens thriving with cold-resistant flora. For instance, in this conceptual intervention, the concept draws on imagined large-scale photographs and interactive 3D models that depict the transition from ice formations to biodiverse sanctuaries, where live plant installations and projected imagery could create an immersive experience.
Engaging with Dewey’s (2005) theory of art as a transformative experience, this speculative utopia encourages reflection on conservation and climate resilience. It presents an alternative vision in which human intervention supports ecological regeneration rather than degradation.
How might speculative ecological recovery efforts translate into actionable policies and environmental practices? This future scenario invites readers to consider the role of artistic research in shaping climate discourse and driving sustainable action.
The Volcanic Sanctuaries
This speculative concept addresses geopolitical instability, displacement, and climate change by reimagining Iceland’s volcanic regions as sanctuary cities powered by geothermal energy. Visualised through mixed-media elements such as volcanic rock, geothermal steam, and holographic projections, these self-sufficient communities embody resilience, ecological balance, and social care. Dormant volcanic zones are maintained through advanced monitoring and sustainable land-use strategies, enabling long-term habitation.
Drawing on Stewart and Strathern’s (2014) insights into landscape and memory, these sanctuaries serve as sites of both refuge and cultural continuity. By connecting natural resource use with climate adaptation, migration, and geopolitics, this vision offers a reflection on how future settlements might emerge from converging environmental and social crises.
How might we reimagine displacement not as a rupture, but as an opportunity to design futures grounded in care, memory, and mutual resilience? In this imagined future, sanctuaries rise not only from the earth’s fire—but from a collective will to survive, adapt, and belong.
Aurora Communes
In this speculative future, clean energy becomes a cultural force, with Icelandic communities living under the aurora borealis, which is harnessed as an energy source and a medium for communal storytelling and rituals. Immersive light installations and VR experiences allow visitors to engage with the daily rhythms of these speculative societies, experiencing how technology might enhance cultural practices rather than disrupt them.
By integrating technological advancements with intangible heritage, this installation challenges the dichotomy between innovation and tradition. Drawing on Dewey’s (2005) concept of art enriching human experience, this speculative solution invites reflection on the role of artistic speculation in preserving cultural practices in an era of rapid technological change. This aligns with speculative design methodologies that use imaginative scenarios to question assumptions, explore alternatives, and provoke dialogue about possible futures (Dunne & Raby, 2013).
How might current innovations support and sustain cultural heritage rather than replace it? This imagined future encourages speculation on how speculative artistic interventions could bridge the gap between cultural continuity and emerging technologies.
The Silent Plains
This speculative utopia envisions a world where nature-integrated technologies enable silent, eco-conscious transportation and communication systems, preserving the tranquillity of Iceland’s open plains. A series of kinetic sculptures and sound art installations capture the interplay between human presence and the natural environment, demonstrating a future where progress exists in harmony with silence.
Rather than portraying technology as inherently disruptive, this speculative solution challenges assumptions about urbanisation and development, emphasising minimalist, eco-friendly lifestyles. By avoiding Relph’s (1976) notion of placelessness, this installation highlights the importance of maintaining cultural and ecological identity while innovating for the future. Viewers are invited to speculate on how emerging technologies might be designed to support the intrinsic character of landscapes and communities.
What would it mean to design technologies that not only serve our needs, but also listen—to the land, to silence, and to the stories embedded in place? In this imagined future, silence becomes a form of resistance and an intentional design choice that honours both the land and the lives connected to it.
4. Conclusion
The exploration of speculative utopias as textual artistic concepts and imagined interventions offers critical insights into how artistic research can provoke reflection, inspire action, and propose alternative futures. By merging futures thinking, speculative design, and environmental consciousness, these narrative provocations provide a means of engaging with pressing global challenges, from climate adaptation to cultural sustainability. Through the integration of placemaking, community participation, memory mapping, and emotional connections, this research demonstrates how speculative artistic practices can serve as catalysts for interdisciplinary engagement and transformative change.
Although the speculative futures presented in this study are not realised visual installations, they function as imaginative frameworks that foster public discourse, participatory engagement, and dialogue around urban and environmental planning. These concepts challenge dominant paradigms by presenting situated, culturally embedded, and ecologically sensitive alternatives to current trajectories. They invite readers to consider how artistic interventions might inform sustainable development, policy-driven urbanism, artistic research, and technological innovation. Yet, the realisation of such speculative futures is not without complexity. Institutional disinterest, economic constraints, and socio-political barriers often limit the transition from imaginative speculation to practical implementation. Despite these challenges, artistic research plays a vital role in advancing speculative methodologies by fostering critical inquiry, community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Future research should explore how speculative artistic concepts can be translated into experimental urban prototypes, participatory sustainability initiatives, and policy frameworks that test the viability of these imagined futures. By further developing the relationship between speculative utopias and tangible applications, artistic speculation has the potential to reframe how we envision, design, and co-create sustainable and resilient futures.
Significantly, the integration of ChatGPT in this study contributed to the iterative development of ideas, functioning not as a passive tool but as a dynamic conversational partner. Through this engagement, the AI supported the speculative process by challenging assumptions, extending narrative possibilities, and fostering reflexive thinking. However, the extent to which inspiration was drawn from the AI remained at the discretion of the author, underscoring the continued importance of human judgment and creativity in the research process. While AI can outperform humans in certain domains, such as processing large datasets or generating logical patterns, its intelligence operates fundamentally differently from human cognition, which is shaped by emotional, cultural, and contextual understandings (Korteling et al., 2021). Rather than aiming to replicate human thought, this collaborative dimension illustrates how AI can complement and extend human capacities. As speculative design increasingly intersects with digital tools and participatory methods, such partnerships open new pathways for shaping futures thinking, where imagination, technology, and artistic inquiry converge to inspire systemic change.
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