"Not Yet" a gathering on futurity, the in-between, and the city

Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic the experience of space and time have immeasurably shifted. Modes of communicating and interacting with others “in-between” real and virtual spaces has become the new norm. Social distancing measures ask us to consider more carefully and critically our spatial relations (and the privilege that comes with this), or the thresholds thereof, and the politics that come with (re)orienting and positioning ourselves in an inherently social world. In the context of COVID-19, how are the temporal and spatial affects of the “in-between” resonating with our research and creation practices in and with the city?

“not yet” is a curated platform for gathering and hosting performative works, manifestos/ statements/ narrations, and research creation projects that do not fit neatly into the current discourses and paradigms on urban futures, and from fields outside (but pertinent to) the study of the city and urbanism.

We draw inspiration from feminist scholar and philosopher Elizabeth Grosz, for whom “the space of the in-between is the locus for social, cultural, and natural transformations: it is not simply a convenient space for movements and realignments but in fact is the only place – the place around identities, between identities – where becoming, openness to futurity, outstrips the conversational impetus to retain cohesion and unity… the in-between defines the space of certain virtuality, a potential that always threatens to disrupt the operations of the identities that constitute it.” (2001)

Within the context of COVID-19 and the revolutionary work of Black Lives Matter, in what ways are ideas of futurity currently being circulated? In what ways can futurity ground us in the possible, point to unrealized desires and to that which we do not yet know, while living, working, creating, and socializing otherwise; in the virtual, in-between, and spaces of uncertainty?

Please join the Institute for Urban Futures for a day of conversations on the theme of “not yet: a gathering on futurity, the in-between, and the city.”

Participate in the discussion by registering for our Zoom webinar or watching live on our Facebook.

Have questions? Send them to info.4@concordia.ca

Program 

10h00-10h15      Welcome by Shauna Janssen

10h15-11h45      Geographies of Fear
                            With José Alavez, Sadie Gilker, Stefan Hodges and Eimear Rosato,

12h15-13h45      Est-ce que le show must go on?
                            With Camille Gascon and Sylvain Lavoie

14h15-15h45      Virtuality as critical spatial practice 
                            With Sahar Alinezhad, Andrew Forster, Amanda Gutiérrez and Shauna
                            Janssen

Panelists

José Alavez

Sahar Alinezhad

Andrew Forster

Camille Gascon

Sadie Gilker

Amanda Gutiérrez 

Stefan Hodges 

Shauna Janssen 

Sylvain Lavoie

Eimear Rosato