"Urban Prophecies" ceramic tile
Are we capable to think the future?
The future is shaped by our expectations. The questions we ask today about the future as a society guide our attention and priorities – and in doing so, they change the future itself. This is especially true for cities. A forecast of population growth can lead to new neighbourhoods, kindergartens, and schools; a forecast of increased traffic can result in more roads or a tramway. Urban planning emerged from the recognition of the need to anticipate the future, yet in recent decades it has shifted from a visionary practice to a more pragmatic adaptation to individual spatial initiatives.
Urban Prophecies are fired onto ceramic tiles. As a durable medium, ceramic has proven throughout history to be an effective carrier of messages across time.
A variety of different prophecies is available. Open the tab below to view the full list.
Avaliable only in Slovene!
Only a few left (1)
1. Osnovna bivalna enota bo samopreskrbni vrt. [The basic residential unit will be a self-sufficient garden.]
6. Javni promet, kulturni dogodki in muzeji bodo brezplačni za vse. [Public transport, cultural events, and museums will be free for everyone.]
8. V Ljubljani ne bo več brezplačnega parkiranja lastniških avtomobilov. [There will no longer be free parking for privately owned cars in Ljubljana.]
9. Rožnik bo eden od najbolj znanih in obiskanih arboretumov v Evropi. [Rožnik will become one of the most renowned and visited arboretums in Europe.]
10. Država bo vedno manj pomembna – pomembno bo, v kateri občini živiš. [The state will become increasingly less important – the municipality you live in will matter most.]
13. Vsak meščan bo upravičen le do določene kvote prepotovanih kilometrov na leto. [Every city resident will be entitled to only a limited annual quota of travelled kilometres.]
17. Drevesa bodo ob polnoletnosti dobila poseben status, ki bo tudi njim zagotavljal določene pravice. [Upon reaching maturity, trees will be granted a special status that will also guarantee them certain rights.]
22. Prišlo bo do postopnega opuščanja manj prometnih cest, prebivalci se bodo naseljevali bliže železniškim povezavam. [Less frequented roads will gradually be abandoned, and residents will settle closer to railway connections.]
27. Naravi bo odmerjen prostor, v katerega ljudje ne bodo imeli vstopa, parki in zelene površine v soseskah bodo ograjeni in dostopni le izbrancem. [Nature will be allocated areas inaccessible to people; parks and green spaces within neighbourhoods will be fenced and accessible only to selected groups.]
28. Degradirana urbana območja bodo prizorišča divjega razraščanja in zakladnice biotske pestrosti, zato bodo razglašena za varovana območja narave. [Degraded urban areas will become sites of wild overgrowth and reservoirs of biodiversity and will therefore be designated as protected natural areas.]
WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER, PLEASE INDICATE IN THE ORDER FORM NOTES WHICH TILE YOU WOULD LIKE.
The Urban Prophecies project addresses the audience through words. Language has the power – more so than visual representations – to leave room for imagination. The ability to envision different futures is, as is becoming increasingly clear, essential for confronting the challenges that lie ahead.
The tiles were created as part of the exhibition Urban Prophecies: Life in Ljubljana in 2100, which was on view at the City Museum of Ljubljana from 27 January to 17 April 2022.
Exhibition authors: Maja Farol (Miran Mohar, Marko Peterlin, Jernej Prijon, Arne Vehovar).