WHAT // “Protopia” is a non-binary state of becoming. Coined by Wired co-founder and futurist Kevin Kelly, the term indicates “a state better than yesterday” characterized by incremental developments towards a regenerative future, through intentional and purposeful disruption achieved with experimentation, innovation, and collaboration. Our heteronormative binary programming automatically places it within a constrained framework, somewhere between Utopia and Dystopia. Yet perhaps Protopia is on its own timeline, evolving in real-time, not bound between Utopian and Dystopia. The prefix “pro” denotes its forward-leaning with a reverberating pro-activism towards progress and innovation. In Latin “prō” is in favor, therefore FOR not against the future. Thus far the discourse remains focused on the intersection of science and technological innovation by Kevin Kelly and progressed towards prototyping equitable, socially-engaged future world designs by Monika Bielskye Protopia Futures. Yet we can go beyond “Speculative Fiction” and outside of the aesthetic hindrances of “Sci-fi.” We are living and breathing Protopian visions in the present-future tense. My curation is my invitation to define it as a culture through artists in practice. It's an opportunity to bring it further into the public vernacular. And who makes culture? Artists do.

WHO // This exhibition features hybrid, multidisciplinary, non-binary perspectives in a cross-pollination of ideas that allows space for growth and experimentation. Society's frequent flippant use of “Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one” without the second line attached completely misinterprets the meaning of the phrase. This has created a derogatory narrative and cacophony of shame toward multidisciplinary creators. This excerpt from 1592 by Robert Greene is referring to playwright William Shakespeare loitering around the theater helping with every aspect of production. I am ready to debunk and rewrite the narrative around this phase. This curation yearns to take back “jack of all trades,” into the highest compliment. Futurists, innovators, worldbuilders, and artists that can hold space between complex concepts are the ones that push us forward in ways that the programmed commoner can not envision. That perceptual shift in awareness and the connection of new dots form Protopian visions.

WHY // Protopia and the power of a perceptual shift in society at large. Nihilism is a pervasive force in current discourse, festered as a consequence of the collective trauma of a near-dystopian global pandemic. Society is in desperate need of an operating system upgrade in consciousness to realize these new futures that are currently stuck from evolution impeded by the obsolete systems of the past. The collective is comprised of micromovements (and microaggressions) that rise to climactic behavior. Meme-culture of existential dread has become a pop-culture resonance that acts as a premonition; forewarning us that society is at risk of a disengaged, apathetic nihilistic next-gen, suffering from chronic mental illness and burnout induced by social media and progress Capitalism, and are in desperate need of attention, purpose, meaning, and love. People have to believe in their power in a democratic society. Nurturing a relationship to hope by furthering the dialogue of Protopian futures is essential for the survival, growth, and mental well-being of our species now more than ever. Fearless artists are playing a crucial role in rewriting the narratives and reshaping these outdated systems. Through the creative practices of these artists, we can contextualize Protopian futures, moving beyond the verbosity of the discourse and into the realm of active engagement of the language in practice, synthesizing Protopia into our current reality.