Imagine a world where everyday objects are imbued with the power of generative AI. What possibilities and challenges would emerge? ThingsCon aims to explore this frontier by inviting designers to create provotypes of the near future “generative things”.
To ignite imagination and foster meaningful discussions, we like to use the concept of “provotypes” – provocative prototypes of generative things. These tangible glimpses into tomorrow are catalysts, opening up critical dialogues about our impending relationships with AI-infused objects.
The exhibition “Generative Things” premiered at TH/NGS 2024 on 13 December 2024 in Volkshotel Amsterdam and will travel to other places in 2025, sparking conversations and imagination. ThingsCon organizes this initiative in collaboration with Master Digital Design of Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Waag Futurelab, and is part of the Amsterdam 750 futures program.
14 April: exhibition and workshop
Next up, we’re taking Generative Things to Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Our next public event, scheduled for late 14 April, will feature:
- An updated exhibition with new and refined provotype designs
- An in-depth reflection workshop relating the provotypes to city life
We’re revisiting the provotypes to create “situated designs” that respond to Amsterdam’s unique context. By partnering with local societal organizations, we’ll develop specific scenarios to test our provotypes in real-world settings, bringing the future of Generative Things to life in our city’s streets and spaces.
The outcomes will be an inspiration and a point of departure for a speculative design workshop on 15 April to create a future zine. We have a separate RSVP for this workshop day.
The program of the Salon:
14:00-15:00 Visit the exhibition with provotypes
15:00-17:00 Workshop to sketch out interactions in the city with each provotype
- introduction on the backgrounds
- short 3 min pitches by designers of the provotypes
- discussing the provotypes in relation to the categories
- formulate takeaways
17:00-19:00 Share results, drinks
If you can not make it to the workshop but like to see the results, feel free to drop by at 17h.
Location
The Salon and the Makeathon will take place Monday 14 April at the location of Master Digital Design, Theo Thijssenhuis building, 4th floor, Wibautstraat Amsterdam.
Read more about the background of the project on the website.
