A visualization of Bruce Sterling’s Closing Key note Dark Euphoria- the cultural temperament of the coming decade: Gothic High-Tech and Favela Chic “It is neither progress nor conservatism because there's nothing left to conserve and no direction in which to progress. So what you get is transition. Transition to nowhere.'" http://video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruce-sterling-reboot-11 He defines four quadrants for the coming decade and neatly discards this half as being irrelevant for the audience (which equates to the majority of the world's population): the financial crisis of the Boomer generation, the BRICs, the emerging economies and the 'fundies' of all persuasions

1. Dark Euphoria
A visualisation of Brue Stirling’s notes
on the cultural temperament of the
coming decade: Reboot 11

2. Where did the future go?
• We’ve known since the
12th century what
progress is: Master
nature, more security,
better health.....
• What we’re going to get:
No money, scarcity,
financial collapse, low-
intensity global warfare,
and a climate crisis.
• We’re deliberately
moving backwards.

3. the cultural temperament of the coming decade
• Aging Baby • Gen x:
Boomers. things falling
Have the apart,
votes. everything
is possible
Crisis Gothic
Capitalism High Tech
Shock of Dark
the old Euphoria
Emergent
Favela
countries Chic
• BRICS, • Gen x:
fundies- action is
globalising but cheaper
not progressing than control

4. Who is? What is?
GOTHIC HIGH TECH

5. Steve Jobs
•brilliant but dying of
something secret and horrible
•got both hands on the
steering wheel
- but death is waiting

6. a heroic 18th
century gothic
novel
brilliant
poly-ethnic
with no
ideology

7. will cheerfully
campaign against themselves

8. no lie holds sway
-but nothing
holds

9. position
themselves
in the narrative
rather than
build any
permanent
infrastructure

10. cheerleaders not leaders

11. why are gen x goths?
why do they like to dress up like dead
people?
don't blame me
because
I'm already dead
don't blame me
I'm a vampire

12. And on the flipside
FAVELA CHIC

13. lost everything
material-
everything
they've built and
every thing they
have but
wired to the gills

14. no children
no relationships

15. but big
on facebook

16. Facebook is a favela- the
whole thing is going south,
no civil rights, you can't
make money there,, you live
there until they pull the plug

17. an emergent structure
action is cheaper
than control

19. you can't insure it or
get title to it
-no inspections
-it's a slum that you
built yourself with
play labour

20. a civilized squat a stuffed animal:
a smokestack
industry,
repurposed

21. there isn't
any other
place to go
the old new
an urban intervention

22. References IMAGES
• Bruce Stirling’s Closing Key note Dark 1. Your Personal "Flying Carpet”
Euphoria- the cultural temperament of the http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollywoodplace/3016264752/
2. "buy this new thing, suckers"
coming decade: Gothic High-Tech and http://www.flickr.com/photos/jarod_uses_film/2576845129/
Favela Chic 3. The Watchers Ruin:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mwest/215218600/
• “It is neither progress nor conservatism 4. Confrontation?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jarra/1350029316/
because there's nothing left to conserve
5. Banksy http://www.flickr.com/photos/simon-
and no direction in which to progress. So crubellier/147034740/
what you get is transition. Transition to 6. Lobbyists for McCain
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darynbarry/2831975838/
nowhere.'" 7. cheerleaders
• http://video.reboot.dk/video/486788/bruc 8.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthdog/31471319/
eat the people who piss me
e-sterling-reboot-11 off.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bitca/2280075391/
9. Electrical http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurman/2199563743/
• He defines four quadrants for the coming 10. My social Network on Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and MyblogLog
decade and neatly discards this half as http://www.flickr.com/photos/luc/1824234195/
11. James, I think your cover's blown!
being irrelevant for the audience (which http://www.flickr.com/photos/23912576@N05/2962194797/
equates to the majority of the world's 12. The moon belongs to everyone...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mauronascimento/2606241050/
population): the financial crisis of the
13. Jumping into the new dimension
Boomer generation, the BRICs, the http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutterhack/2328014257/
emerging economies and the 'fundies' of 14. always in beta
http://www.flickr.com/photos/russelldavies/375434178/
all persuasions 15. http://www.treehugger.com/2008-01-14_110939-TreeHugger-
wigglesworth1.jpg
• length 45 minutes 16. http://steampunkworkshop.com/stunning-etched-brass-
modular-synth