Project

Two Mobility Futures 0∞

Two Mobility Futures 0∞ is a research project that encompasses storytelling, a democratic decision making platform, a city model, and an immersive exhibit. It will be on display at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao from April 8 through September 18, 2022 as part of an exhibit titled Motion. Autos, Art, Architecture, curated and designed by Norman Foster.

Two Mobility Futures 0∞ 

We are now glimpsing two divergent mobility futures. The 2020 pandemic instantly halted most human travel while products, food, information, and experiences were delivered to each household. At the same time, fantastic new land, air, and space mobility modes may enable humans to move frictionlessly to wherever they desire. We explore the impact of extreme versions of these futures on relationships, possessions, and urban environments. 

The Stories

Window, Luggage and Love imagine the impacts of mobility using three different lenses.

Visual production

The stories of Two Mobility Futures 0∞ are displayed in nine vertical screens arranged in a circle with gaps in between, all anchored by a miniature city made out of parts of a car engine. The project has many different aspects and the team had to build an entire world inside for filming purposes. 

Research

The MIT City Science team aims to enable more equitable, innovative and resilient communities by creating data enabled platforms, new mobility modes, and sensorized and transformable spaces. Two Mobility Futures 0∞ is an opportunity to explore these research directions through  immersive storytelling. This urban cinema explores the impact of potential technologies on our collective futures. It also reveals a decision support platform explored in the city model and in the stories themselves which allow researchers to continually question and evaluate the proposed systems.

Two Mobility Futures 0∞ presents profound challenges related to the climate, infrastructure and systems, and the human condition. The premises remain inconclusive, encouraging further discussion and debate regarding our cities, our communities, our mobility modes, and our relationships. The viewer is asked to become a part of the research as they define, for themselves, our optimal future. The City Science group will continue to explore storytelling as a research area and communication platform while also deploying technologies globally in collaboration with local communities via the City Science Network. As we connect with new audiences and perspectives we aim to better inform our perspectives and ideals. 

Supported by the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST).