Plural Futures — Global Call for Creators — Official Partner Exhibition of the 2025 London Design Festival

Event Background

The future is not a straight timeline. It emerges in fragments, displacements, and overlaps across different technologies, cultures, and bodily experiences. We invite you to tell the story of the future as you perceive it.

As an official partner exhibition of the 2025 London Design Festival, Plural Futures is co-curated by the London Design Festival and Synonym Lab, with special support from the MANA Global New Media Art Platform and Kitto. The exhibition launches an open call to creators worldwide.

This exhibition focuses on “plural futures” at the intersections of technology, society, and culture. In the asynchronous evolution of technology, in overlooked identity experiences, and in expressions across diverse media, we hope to see futures unfold through multiple, intersecting perspectives. Whether you come from art, technology, design, or cross-disciplinary fields, we welcome you to share your own “version of the future.”

Open Call

Who can apply:
This open call is directed at artists, designers, and university students from around the world.

Introduction to Plural Futures

Plural Futures | A Map of Asynchronous Tomorrows

What does the “future” really look like? Plural Futures invites you to imagine a world where tomorrow does not arrive at the same time, or in the same way, for everyone. Inspired by science fiction writer William Gibson’s famous observation, the exhibition brings together artists from across disciplines and cultures to explore multiple possible futures—fragmented, overlapping, and at times, asynchronous.

Plural Futures does not offer a single vision but reveals the complexity of change in a rapidly developing world. Some works examine how technology shapes who gains access to tomorrow. Others reimagine traditional media as tools for speculation or trace identity shifts across time and space. The result is a rich tapestry of ideas, each offering a different path, speed, or perspective on the future.

This exhibition seeks to answer a pressing question: If “the future” has already been written across multiple contexts, bodies, and structures simultaneously, are we ready to listen to these parallel, non-hierarchical timelines? We do not predetermine the direction of the future, nor emphasize any single speed or form. Instead, we present creative perspectives from diverse backgrounds, media practices, and time zones—sometimes displaced, delayed, resistant, or subtle—together forming the multifaceted refractions of the future we are already living.

Timeline

Submission Deadline: September 5, 2025 (24:00 Beijing Time)
Exhibition Dates: September 15 – September 18, 2025

Call Directions

We welcome submissions in all forms of new media and cross-disciplinary practice. Artists, creators, and collectives are encouraged to propose works that engage with the ideas of asynchronous or fragmented futures from any angle—technological, material, or social.

We particularly welcome submissions from creators with unconventional or cross-disciplinary backgrounds, especially those interested in exploration and experimentation.

All works must be original to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the exhibition. For artists outside the UK, please plan your shipping accordingly, as international logistics may require additional time.

We encourage exploratory, cross-media, and boundary-blurring works, including but not limited to:
New media art / Multimedia performance / Digital experimental film / AI-generated works / Algorithmic art / Data visualization / AR / VR / MR / Projection and light installations / Bio-art / Smart wearables / Sound spaces / Immersive storytelling / Digital cultural products / Nonlinear video / Interactive experiences / Cultural tourism technology / Public space interventions.

Whether you work with code, materials, sound, the body, or images, we welcome your reconstructions and expressions of the “future.”

Participation Requirements

A demo video of the work (resolution no less than 1280×720, H.264/265 compression, MP4/MOV format).
A detailed title and description of the work (in both Chinese and English).
Each creator may submit up to three works.

Benefits for Selected Works

✅ Exhibition at a recognised venue of the London Design Festival 2025
✅ Promotion across London Design Festival, Synonym Lab, and MANA platforms
✅ Official participation certificate from the London Design Festival
✅ Media promotion, social media exposure, and press release support (domestic and international)
✅Priority consideration for future residencies, publications, and international exchange programs
✅Exhibition support — from equipment and installation guidance to potential subsidies for making or transport (subject to project review)

Partner Institutions

London Design Festival
Synonym Lab
MANA Global New Media Art Platform
Kitto (a sub-brand of KitMapper)

FAQ

Q: Can non-art professionals submit?
A: Absolutely. We welcome creators from all fields, especially those with backgrounds in technology, design, research, or education.

Q: Can unfinished projects be submitted?
A: Yes. As long as you can provide a clear concept, explanatory framework, and visual materials.

Q: Are there language requirements?
A: Submissions in either Chinese or English are welcome. The exhibition will provide bilingual (Chinese-English) presentation support.

For inquiries or further information, please contact us via WeChat: artmana or email: info@synonym-lab.com