1+1=3: Natality, Avenir, and Corecore Ontology

Simon Lindblom, Mälardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden

Design and arts operate between the experienced present and the imagined future, acting as creators of ontologies by pulling perceived futures into our shared reality. This video essay presentation explores the ontological base of creating by contrasting two approaches to time and risk: Futur (the predictive, closed continuation of the normative status quo, or "Historical action") and Avenir (the open-ended, indeterminate journey, or "Aesthetic action").

Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s concept of natality, Florian Klinger’s aesthetic action, and Emmanuel Levinas’s encounter with the "Other," this research argues that authorship is fundamentally emergent. When two subjects meet, they do not merely interact; they author a third, shared world, a pragmatic claim encapsulated as "1+1=3."

To embody the "posthuman layer" and decentralise traditional academic authority, this presentation is formatted as a "Corecore" digital video essay. By juxtaposing this philosophical inquiry with a hyper-stimulating remix of contemporary digital artefacts (TikToks, doomscrolling, AI, and found cinematic footage), the video directly interrogates the question: Who speaks? It demonstrates how technological assemblages and anonymous digital actors increasingly co-author knowledge and futures.

Ultimately, this presentation challenges the Western hegemonic paradigm that treats ontology as a fixed scientific truth. Instead, it posits that embracing the open-ended indeterminacy of Avenir allows us to share power with the "Other," creating temporally fugitive worlds that can radically alter our futures.

Simon Lindblom is a PhD candidate at Mälardalen University exploring creativity, societal transformation, and how we navigate uncertainty. Blending academic research with grassroots action, his work focuses on how marginalised voices can drive creativity to challenge the status quo. Inspired by Katarina Taikon, James Baldwin, and bell hooks, Simon grounds his research in practical methods like participatory design and art-pedagogics. His approach emphasises actionable change, demonstrating how small, creative interventions can spark larger societal transformations. Simon is dedicated to building inclusive, creative futures by bridging theory and practice in meaningful ways.