Futurescapes Interactive Public Gallery Event, January 17th

What does the future hold for Portland? Which technologies, both old and new, matter most to you and your community? How does technology affect the issues you care about, such as equity and sustainability?


You are invited to explore these questions and more during an interactive public art event based on the Futurescape City Tours, a community-driven research project on how technology shapes our lives, our communities, and the future of Portland. Last fall 18 Portland residents explored and took photographs of the past, present and future of Portland during a walking tour co-designed by Portland State University researchers. This event will feature local artists (including live art) interpretations of the research outcomes, photographs taken by citizen research participants during the tour, and archival documents. The interactive space is designed to inform and promote discussion about the past, present and future of Portland from a wide group of community members, researchers and other stakeholders.

Come participate in this one-time interactive public art event on Friday, January 17, 6:00-9:00PM at Recess Art Gallery (1127 SE 10th Ave., Portland, OR). There will be some food and beverages on hand.

This project is part of a national large-scale deliberative exercise at the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University and co-sponsored in Portland by the Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning and the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at Portland State University. The tours rely on a set of methods that feature citizen-driven agendas, the importance of place and materiality, the relevance of multiple timescapes, how path dependencies shape our present, and the use of photography as a tool for deliberation. Here is a blog post from FCT Portland director, Dr. Thad Miller, on the recent Portland tour.

Some questions include: How do our values shape decisions around technology in the city? Where do we want to see past structures, values and developments persist? What are we excited about now and in the future? What are our fears for future developments?

RSVP is not required, but we’d like to know if you’re coming so that we may appropriately order food and beverages.

If you need to reach us before the reception, email [email protected]. Please distribute this information to interested colleagues and friends.

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