INTRODUCTION

BY ERIC DIEBEL

The future will be imperfect; of course, it will be How could it be otherwise? There are no terms and conditions, no pre-determined moment where you click I agree and it is delivered to you, as if it were, under control, or, even better, a wish that was granted a long time ago

Grammatically speaking there s no tense form in English called the future imperfect Yet, English also manages to get across in other ways that in the future there will be an action or a state characterized by repetition, something continuous, incomplete and not defined by a precise starting point or characterized by an exact number of events In the future things will be imperfect” comes close enough, if we read it like a prediction that challenges us to think, investigate, discuss our ability to make our plans without knowing precisely what is the point its starts and without closing down what the future holds

We called it cybioses”, which is the name of our study circle, a seminar series with intense meetings twice a year, part of the Nordic Summer University (NSU) The NSU is a nomadic organization that supports seminars across the Baltic and Nordic region Our study circle can trace its existence back to 2017 with its continuity going back somewhat further as it is a merger of two other circles, one artistic with a focus on the future, and another doing theory/critique and technology There are still a few contributors who have been active that long, but only a few, the others join as they are interested in the topics, the dynamic or developing collaborations

That is, already, what the title stands for; it combines a reference to cybernetics, its many offshoots and their hold on future with the concept of “life” and “living together” (as in: bios/symbiosis, plural, symbioses) Consequently, our events and collaborative efforts like this book are illustrations of cybioses