AFFECTIVE EPISTEMOLOGY                         Hyperobject Sculpture.                          NeganthropomorphOSIS                           Xenopoetics      



        


Speculative
Ðesign
     
ABOUT


















Speculative Realism



Speculative materialism or realism is a contemporary philosophical movement that transcends anthropocentrism by asserting that reality exists independently of human thought. Introduced by Quentin Meillassoux, speculative realism is founded on two key principles. (1) Being exists autonomously from thought, rejecting anthropomorphism, animism, and spiritualism; and (2) rational thought can access reality without relying on human-centered correlationist perspectives. This marks a departure from classical and modern materialism, which historically positioned humans as privileged interpreters of the material world. Instead, speculative realism aligns with posthumanist thought, emphasizing that objects, entities, and systems possess their own existence, withdrawn from human perception. This shift challenges traditional epistemological frameworks, advocating for a perspective that recognizes the autonomy of matter, independent of human cognition and intention.  







Speculative Design



Speculative design, popularised by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby as a subsidiary of critical design,  extends these philosophical ideas into artistic and design practices, challenging the conventional notion of design as a purely problem-solving tool. Rather than functioning within the constraints of traditional design thinking, speculative design operates as a critical, imaginative, and discursive practice that reveals, questions, and critiques contemporary realities. It transcends utilitarian problem-solving by envisioning multiple futures, raising ethical questions, and responding to social and ecological transformations.

This approach situates speculative design within the broader discourse of posthumanist aesthetics and new materialist methodologies, rejecting hierarchical binaries between nature and culture while embracing the agency of nonhuman entities.

By navigating between possible, probable, preferable, and speculative futures, speculative design fosters an alternative framework for artistic and design practices. It integrates ecological, technological, and philosophical perspectives, serving as an experimental tool for questioning dominant paradigms and developing alternative modes of existence, interaction, and meaning-making. In doing so, speculative design not only engages with emerging technologies but also critically interrogates socio-political structures, envisioning futures that challenge anthropocentric and oppressive paradigms imagining a future for the well-being of all with unexpected solutions.

Speculative design can be seen as a contemporary form of surrealism in a way that disrupts reality by exposing the paradoxes within it. Heavily influenced by Guy Debord’s notion that “in a world really upside down, the true is a moment of the false,” speculative design operates at the intersection of art and design, where meaning is not just created but also deconstructed, counter-designed, and reimagined.  

As a conceptual and critical practice, speculative design challenges dominant narratives through unlearning and relearning, evolving alongside human culture. It is where art, design, technology, and nature merge - forming new possibilities, questioning the present, and shaping futures beyond the constraints of anthropocentric thinking.







Speculative Forms



Pop-Spec Aesthetics

A visual and conceptual approach merging popular culture with speculative design, creating accessible yet critical engagements with future-oriented, posthuman narratives.

Affective Epistemology

Affective epistemology is an approach that integrates knowledge and emotion, challenging the traditional separation between intellect and affect. It emphasizes how experiential feeling, memory, and the emotional impact of information shape cognition and perception. This framework rejects the notion that emotions hinder rationality, instead recognizing them as fundamental to ethical reasoning and learning. Affective epistemology also critiques digital media’s role in desensitization, advocating for a more embodied and empathetic engagement with knowledge. Rooted in a non-binary perspective, it seeks to dissolve rigid distinctions between subject and object, fostering deeper, interconnected ways of knowing.
  
Hyperobject Sculpture

Sculptural practice engaging with vast, non-localized entities that exceed human perception, embodying Timothy Morton’s concept of hyperobjects through material and spatial interventions.  

Neganthropomorphization

A counter-anthropomorphic strategy that resists human-centered perspectives by foregrounding alternative agencies, speculative lifeforms, and nonhuman ontologies.

Xenopoetics

A counter-anthropomorphic strategy that resists human-centered perspectives by foregrounding alternative agencies, speculative lifeforms, and nonhuman ontologies.