After Abundance

For the 2017-2018 Studio brief, imagine that we are living in a future where some of the most severe impacts of climate change have already affected Austria, disrupting life as we know it. In this future, Austria will move from abundance to scarcity. Where we can, today, buy food from supermarkets whenever we want, access endless and consistent supplies of energy and water by pressing a switch or turning a tap, this future will be different: frugal, scarce, deeply uncertain, perhaps even chaotic. We might experience heightened levels of social inequality, riots over food and scarcities of other, once-cheap amenities. We might also see the emergence of alternative economies and currencies, thriving grey and black markets, new occupations, and salvaged infrastructures. What will this post-abundant future feel like? We want you to visit this future, a time and place where things have changed, often in radical ways. Show us what you have done to mitigate the shock and combat uncertainty.