Crises harbour potential for the future. Visionary ideas and seismic changes often first arise in troubled times. Such thoughts are clearly deserving of our attention. In the spirit of the Archive of the Future, we featured five people during the Corona Summer of 2020, who perceived the crisis as a motor for their ideas and visions. In five multimedia online feature stories, they talk about their projects: what inspired them during the lockdown and what opportunities they envisage for the future.
Their ideas have lost none of their poignancy, making these visionary perspectives well worth reading:
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Benedikt Hartl
on
post-pandemic architecture
Millennial architect Benedikt Hartl from Munich has attracted a lot of attention with his idea for a Corona Superhospital. Using Berlin Brandenburg Airport as an example, Hartl highlights the feasibility of his concept of repurposing vacant buildings on a grand scale. In his multimedia feature he also walks us through his manifesto for “post-pandemic architecture” and speaks about what inspires him during the lockdown.
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Tobias Gantner
on
the democratisation of health care
Transplant surgeon Dr Tobias Gantner became active early on during the pandemic as part of the “Maker vs. Virus” initiative, producing respirators with a 3D printer. He launched the site www.fasterthancorona.org, which his feature story covers in greater detail. In his interview Tobias Gantner, who founded the company “HealthCare Futurists,” tells us how the “Without a Doctor’s Office” concept can work, and how interdisciplinary networks can help promote innovation. He also discusses ways in which healthcare in Germany can become more democratic.
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André Lampe
on
Science for all
Dr André Lampe is a physicist, biochemist, moderator and science communicator. He is passionate about talking science and pursues it through many different channels. His goal is for scientific topics to truly trickle down and touch the broad base of society as a whole. He sees massive potential for this idea to emerge out of the current crisis because Corona has suddenly elevated scientists’ niche topics to an unprecedented new level of popularity. The task now is to take hold of this development and expand it further. In his feature André Lampe explains the essence of guerrilla science communication, he takes us behind the scenes of his last science slam in June, and he discusses how he’s handling the current crisis.
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facesbehindplates
on
the Berlin Food Collective
Cooperation not conflict!
The answer to the crisis lies in working together. This is the essential idea that united 13 Berlin restaurants and hotels into founding the Berlin Food Collective last May amid the pandemic. The food service industry is one of the hardest hit by Corona. The members of the Berlin Food Collective decided to spin the sudden hard luck attention they were getting into something positive by focusing on the vital cultural and economic role the restaurant and hotel industry plays for our towns and cities. Not only is it an employer for countless behind-the-scenes producers and service providers, it plays an indispensable role in society’s social and cultural life.
And the collective’s call to action asks that we recognize this intrinsic economic and cultural value by showing a willingness to pay fair and sustainable prices so that the high standard of dining culture in Berlin and across the country can flourish long into the future.
Three representatives of the Berlin Food Collective explain how this can be achieved, both in our interview and in their online feature:
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Into the Wild
on
nature experiences in 2020
The crisis is redirecting our gaze – to the things that are really important, to things that are close at hand or even on our doorstep, to the world of nature. If the natural outdoors drew large numbers during the first lockdown as an important place of retreat this spring, then certainly the close regional landscapes and the mountains, lakes and forests of our immediate national neighbours were highly desirable holiday destinations during the Corona Summer of 2020. The managers of South Tyrol’s nature preserves and national parks took advantage of this opportunity. Reacting very quickly, they created a wide range of offers that taught children and young people about the special value of nature in a very local sense. Through workshops, hikes and mountain tours, the “Nature Experiences 2020” program conveyed a deep sense of joy and appreciation for nature while underlining the great importance of nature conservation for our transnational ecosystem.
“Awakening a love and understanding for the importance of nature preservation, and developing a sustainable connection with nature among children – that’s our ultimate goal! The Corona crisis has heightened a certain sense of mindfulness in all of us, and we want to harness and promote that.”
In our interview, South Tyrolean District Administrator Maria Hochgreuber Kuenzer and Nature Park House Director Barbara Brugger tell us more about their vision for interacting with nature in the future.
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