FINTOPIA

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Rethinking money and its systems

An experiential space with stories from the future. As a project-based team member/intern at Cerca Research and Design Lab, I had the opportunity to contribute over the course of three months to the development of several utopias and concepts for the exhibition Fintopia (2023). Most of the texts and images on this page are taken from the final report of the exhibition.

Abstract

With the exhibition Fintopia, we explored one of the main drivers of our actions: money. What happens when we redesign its rules to support a healthier world? How do our current systems function – and how could we imagine our (financial) world differently? Where do we draw the line between plausibility and utopia? And where can we already trace glimpses of desirable futures?

Fintopia presents future scenarios full of ideas, inspirations, and stories. It opens up a space for discussion, critical thinking, and imaginative exploration. A space of possibilities that sparks curiosity and invites us to venture into the economic unknown. An exhibition for anyone who has ever dealt with money – professionally or personally…

Facts & Figures about the Exhibition

  • Duration: 3 months, November 17, 2023 – February 16, 2024
  • Location: WE ARE AIA, Löwenbräu Zurich
  • Number of visitors: 940
  • Number of public events: 20

In addition, the exhibition space hosted various panel discussions and lectures, guided tours, a children’s workshop, a writing workshop, a concert, several private tours and events, a Christmas dinner, and multiple working sessions by different organizations.

The exhibition was made possible through cultural funding, donations, sponsorships, voluntary admission fees and event contributions, as well as unpaid voluntary work.

Internship Details

  • Duration: July 24, 2023 – October 31, 2024
  • Workload: 60%
  • Field: Eco-Social Design
  • Framework: Flexible scheduling, both in-office and remote work
  • Topic: An exhibition on regenerative future money and financial systems
  • Approach: The project applies methods from futuring and speculative design to provoke thought and spark dialogue among visitors
  • Digital tools: Affinity Suite 2, Adobe Premiere Pro, Miro

Excerpt from My Responsibilities

  • Conducting research and clarifying content-related questions
  • Participating in regular brainstorming sessions and review meetings on scenarios and exhibition planning with the team
  • Creating positive future visions based on scenario thinking
  • Conceptual development of future scenarios and elements for the exhibition context
  • Coordinating the production of exhibition materials
  • Designing an alternative exhibition currency and banknote, including conceptualizing and implementing a hands-on, interactive printing process
  • Writing, editing, and proofreading texts, such as future scenarios, exhibition and booklet texts, newsletters, and speculative interviews
  • Contributing to graphic and typographic design work (both analog and digital)
  • Assisting in video production, including scripting, filming, cutting, and editing
  • Exhibition architecture: space measurement and participation in exhibition planning (Due to a schedule change, the exhibition was opened after my internship had ended, so I was not involved in its finalization, setup, or on-site support.)