The Polemocene – The Human-Forest War

The Polemocene, Greek for "The Era of War," is a project that, based on contemporary research, experiences, and reflections, explores a hypothetical future where the human-forest relationship is not only unsustainable, but the forest itself has declared war on humanity. Through an interactive future prototype, a visualization that resembles a reverse archaeological excavation not of the past but of the future, we aim to provoke reflection, dialogue, and action regarding sustainable business models, governance tools, and approaches in the forest value chain. The goal is to inspire both within and outside the forest value chain towards long-term and preventive actions in response to future and contemporary ecological and social challenges concerning humans and the forest.

Today's model of expansion, increased yield, and technological innovation to balance industrial, ecological, and cultural goals entails contradictions, conflicts, and risks. The forest is assumed to be a passive object and underestimated as an active and unpredictable force that reacts beyond human control. Everything from invasive species to zoonotic diseases and geological changes demonstrates the forest's response to human actions.

By pushing the question to its extreme, we create conditions to collectively develop new solutions. We do this in four steps: environment and signal scanning, development of future scenarios and prototype concepts, production of an interactive experience, and exhibition and dialogue. Through interdisciplinary collaboration between design, research, and stakeholders within, around, and outside the forestry sector, we design a speculative future prototype that challenges and inspires sustainable transformation.

The project is expected to lead to new strategies, business models, and governance tools for a sustainable forest value chain. Through dialogue and reflection on the future scenario and its relevance to our present, the project contributes to systemic change through cross-sector collaboration and strengthened innovation capacity in the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy, in line with and beyond sustainability goals.