LTAP ASSOCIATION OF LONG-TERM ART PROJECTS

What Can Art Do for the Future?
A Symposium with the Association of Long-Term Art Projects

Monday, 29 June 2026
Nordic Black Theatre, Oslo, Norway
9:30 am – 5:00 pm

Art has reflected and shaped our societies for millennia, but can it help ensure a fair, livable future for distant generations of people?

The policies and governance needed for intergenerational fairness require deep emotional support. That’s where Long-Term Art Projects (LTAPs), like Oslo’s Future Library, come in. They make the future tangible, build empathy for generations that don't yet exist, and prompt us towards concrete actions for the world we want to leave behind.

In conjunction with the 2026 Future Library manuscript handover ceremony, the Association of Long-Term Art Projects (LTAP) is hosting a special symposium to dive deep into these ideas. Join creatives, policymakers, and custodians of long-term art projects to discuss how art can contribute to the emotional foundation needed for effective long-term policies.

Our work has already resonated with the UN and the European Commission through the Good Ancestors exhibition. Now we want to explore these ideas with you. Come help us imagine what’s possible to build a livable future!

Custodians from several LTAPs will participate, including Future Library, Clock of the Long Now, Ekokathedraal, Letters of Utrecht, the Uffington White Horse, and Zeitpyramide.

A detailed agenda is forthcoming.

The program will include:

• Morning: Speakers and panel discussions, including:
  
• Anne Beate Hovind
  Chairperson of the Future Library Trust
  
• Cornelius Holtorf
  UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures, Linnaeus University
  
• Lydia Caldana
  Foresight Policy Analyst, EU Policy Lab
  
• Martin Kunze
  Artist and founder of Memory of Mankind (LTAP)
  
• Michael Münker
  Co-founder of the Letters of Utrecht (LTAP) and
  founder of milliongenerations foundation
  
• Richard Sandford
  Professor and Chair of Heritage Evidence, Foresight and Policy
  University College London
  
• and more to be announced soon!
  
• Lunch: A plant-based lunch of minestrone with wild greens and fresh bread will be catered by Wilder Kitchen, an Oslo-based creative food studio that aims to connect people with one another and the nature that surrounds them. For that reason, seasonal ingredients are sourced locally.
• Afternoon: Participatory sessions including
  
• What Can Art Do for the Future, Right Now?
  Led by Bette A. (writer and visual artist; co-author with Brian Eno of What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory) and Vidya Giridharan (creative strategist and human rights practitioner)
• Long-term Design: Cultural Transmission and Continuity as a Design Practice for Long-term Futures
  Led by Lukas Pfaller (long-term designer and custodian of Zeitpyramide LTAP) and Johann Schmitt (UX designer) of Digital Long View
  
• How Can Long-term Art Projects Help Us Become Better Ancestors?
  Led by Michael Münker
  Co-founder of the Letters of Utrecht (LTAP) and
  milliongenerations foundation

Registration

Space is limited to 50 attendees, so please register now to reserve your seat!

The registration fee of 250 NOK covers catering and supplies for the day. Catering will include morning coffee + pastry, lunch and afternoon cake from Wilder Kitchen, and fruit.

Accessibility

The symposium will be held in English. There will not be a sign language interpreter. The venues are not wheelchair accessible.

Questions?

Contact us at symposium2026@milliongenerations.org. Please note that we are a volunteer team and will answer your message as soon as we are able.

This symposium is supported by the Future Library Trust, the Nordic Black Theatre, the European Commission, the Association of Long-Term Art Projects, and the milliongenerations foundation.