Future School’s Generative Dialogues are a core part of its overall programming, providing occasions for exploratory, process-oriented engagement with various subjects central to Future School's ethos. The shape and direction of each dialogue is determined by its participants.
Within Future School, the term Generative Dialogue describes a planned moment in which diverse parties come together in an open conversation that generates new ideas, actions and chains of thought for participants and audience members alike. It is conceived as a tool to find a way forward in times of crisis – a way to bring people together towards positive action.
Future School's Generative Dialogues are built on a tradition that pre-dates written history. The simple act of gathering, listening and exchanging ideas and perspectives has furthered human knowledge for millennia, whether in the form of storytelling, rhetorical debate or teacher-pupil style interactions.
This tradition remains strong in Korea. The pyeong-sang—a common piece of furniture in Korea—is an elevated, modular platform, delineating a communal gathering point. In this spirit, Future School’s Venice campus will host many of its Generative Dialogues on a circular carpet created by landscape architect Ah-Yeon Kim, laid out in the heart of the Korean Pavilion. This will be complemented by Future School Online, a digital environment co-created by all participating exhibitors to serve as both a space for active debate and as a publicly accessible archive of past Generative Dialogues.