The anthropocene style

Talking Head with Philippe Rahm

Back to summary

Drawing on his climaticist approach, the architect and initiator of this programme of conferences, Philippe Rahm, concludes this series by recalling the current challenges for creation. Rahm stresses the importance of taking global warming into account in the field of culture, and of mitigating global warming by organising, and giving priority to, a framework of material and practical thought and action. Re-engaging with the dialectical principle of historical materialism leads him to imagine the perhaps inevitable scenario of an Anthropocene cultural style, where films would be shot by candlelight so that projectors consume less electricity during screenings; where contemporary dance would be less acrobatic so as to limit the food consumption of performers; and where designers and architects would invent objects with components that would limit heat loss in winter and keep us cool in summer.