004 - Solarpunk Imaginaries
Excerpts from a discussion session with (@experimentalrealism) on the 11th of April 2025.
GIF from Chobani’s “Dear Alice” Advert.
Cyberpunk: an acute and narrow De-Facto Future?
Today, it feels like most our technological visions, (both fiction; and products given to us by big tech companies) are all acute, narrow, and pointing at a kind of future that has us locked to digital products and services. Moreover, they all feel like variations on “Cyberpunk”, which has now whittled down to an aesthetic featuring neon highlights and “AI” avatars.
To illustrate my point, here are three separate images from a film, a game, and a TV show:
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Altered Carbon (2018)
Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)
Solarpunk
“The very act of trying to look ahead to discern possibilities and offer warnings is in itself an act of hope.” – Octavia Butler
While writing a Solarpunk themed story for Eliza - The Ghost in Every Machine, my Speculative Design and Fiction project, I couldn’t help but think that an act of optimism in writing a utopian story was naive and rejected problems at hand. However, the world today lacks better visions, and I wanted to use Eliza as a means of imagining bolder futures. If we can imagine them, we can make them too.
In a pure / reductive sense, designers are good at
Imagining better futures (through diligent design research, signal scanning, concept creation, co-creation, producing many iterations, etc.)
Demonstrating how to make them real (through prototypes, visualisation, film-making, storytelling, etc.)
There are woefully few examples of Solarpunk as well, outside the now classic Chobani advert.
ExRe Discussion Highlights
Prompt 1: Does technology always have to come at the cost of the planet?
Prompt 2: Does it always have to be “punk”? Can it be top down?
It is strange that solarpunk feels bold and non-conforming; despite a communal betterment in mind. Alex shared an anecdote of a South African communal allotment of vegetables was “encroaching” public space, and the allotment was asked to be taken off.
Giovanni referenced Kris De Decker’s Low Tech Magazine. Great example! https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/
Mariam wondered if the global east may be better at more community driven narratives and initiatives than the west.https://solarthoughts.substack.com/p/studio-ghibli-and-solarpunk
Mariam also wondered that if “AI” is Cyberpunk coming to life in a meaningful way, what is the one design / engineering artefact or product that exemplifies Solarpunk and can be used to get people together and build.
I remember a quote (but not where I heard it) – You can wear neon and cosplay cyberpunk, but to cosplay Solarpunk, you need to be Solarpunk. [Write to me if you know the source?]
The discussion quickly pivots into being a critique of capitalism; Solarpunk is also decidedly techno-optimistic – we just can’t imagine “technology” that doesn’t harm the planet, can we? I’m reminded of “Hypernormalisation”.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUiqaFIONPQ
21st Europe’s Starline project is a nice way to demonstrate utopian intention and to wear it on your sleeve – and also a way to put “speculation” “out there.” https://21st-europe.com/blueprints/starline
How might we imagine solarpunk futures?
”Turn everyone into a solarpunk.” Instill a sense of community into everyone. – Agata Kowalska
“Radically re-imagine power structures and value structures.” – Ramla Anshur
“Effort and commitment are required to do this. Solarpunk should be in our willingness and disposition.” – Giovanni Caruso
“Look at our lives, and see where we can bring in Solarpunk approaches under a common ground.” (Sounds almost like a rallying cry.) – Mariam Merchant
“Start small and be a prepper – almost like the guy from that Last of Us episode.” – P Unnyan Kumar
”Make effort cool again!” – almost the opposite of the instant gratification that the world has gotten us to do.– Alex Bernatzky
Until the next one!
V.