Istanbul Okan University

Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture

Manifest’ou 3rd International Symposium on Art and Design

9–11 December 2026

"REIMAGINING THE FUTURE: THRESHOLDS, POSSIBILITIES AND NEW EXPLORATIONS IN ART AND DESIGN"

Organized in a hybrid format by the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at Istanbul Okan University, the Manifest’ou 3rd International Symposium on Art and Design aims to bring together contemporary discussions on the future across the fields of art and design under the theme “Reimagining the Future.”

Art and design are not merely practices that interpret the present; they are creative modes of inquiry that generate imaginaries of the future, open new fields of possibility, and challenge established ways of thinking. Technological developments, ecological crises, and ongoing social transformations are creating fertile ground for new questions, methodologies, and forms of expression within artistic and design practices.

The symposium, “Reimagining the Future: Thresholds, Possibilities and New Explorations in Art and Design” approaches the future not as a fixed or predictable destination, but as a dynamic field of thought continuously reshaped through uncertainties, shifts, disruptions, and emerging encounters. Within this framework, the symposium seeks to explore how art and design formulate new questions about the future, develop alternative possibilities through creative and critical practices, and contribute to the transformation of existing paradigms.

By fostering a shared intellectual and creative platform, the symposium invites artists, designers, academics, and researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to present and discuss theoretical, practice-based, critical, and experimental work.

THEMES

Technology and Creativity

Digital art, artificial intelligence in art and design, augmented and virtual reality, digital identities, NFTs, and the art economy.

Ecology and Sustainable Futures

Ecological crises, regenerative design, biodesign, innovative materials, and local production models.

Body, Space, and Experience

Posthumanism, human–technology relations, interactive experiences, and future cities and spatial environments.

Speculation and Future Imaginaries

Alternative future scenarios, utopias and dystopias, speculative practices, and narratives of the future.

Ethics, Social Transformation, and Inclusion

Design ethics, social responsibility, participatory practices, gender equality, and the role of art and design in times of crisis.

Education, Institutions, and New Pedagogies

The future of art and design education, curatorial approaches, and the transformation of exhibition practices.

Culture, Memory, and Digital Technologies

Archives, cultural memory, and the transformation of traditional practices in the digital age.

Theory, Research, and Development

The relationship between theoretical approaches and creative practice in art and design, research-driven modes of production, and emerging forms of knowledge creation.