Posted 28 Feb
Brooke Ferguson 
Different systems for different futures
MOD.’s Beyond BROKEN is a collection of essays that explore better systems for better futures. It’s themes follow that of BROKEN the exhibition, including nature and Country, long-term collaboration, universal services, housing, democracy, and learning. These topics emerged from MOD.’s 2022 Future Themes Forum, a day of conversations led by guests from different personal, generational and professional backgrounds that explored how the group felt about the future. System-wide issues like climate change, cost of living, war and democracy were common themes of concern. There was a clear sense of overwhelm and hopelessness in the way many people were feeling about their individual and shared futures.
Our 2024 exhibition BROKEN, acknowledges this sense of brokenness, but then seeks to take visitors on a journey underpinned by hope, exploring possible alternatives for how we could live differently.
Beyond BROKEN accompanies the exhibition, delving deeper into the conversations with researchers that led to some of the ideas told in the galleries. Dr Ariella Helfgott and Paul Hermans explore what it means to hope in the 21st century. Professor Anne Poelina, Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, shares her role advocating on behalf of this very significant body of water and ancestral being. Learn about non-anthropocentric moral philosophy from Elizabeth Damoah, sufficiency from Prof David Ness, and cross-generation collaboration with Prof Pauline Harris. Additionally, read about the possibilities of young people in politics from Dr Sarah Moulds and Tabitha Stephenson-Jones. Gain insights into emerging education practices such as Learning on Country, experiential learning and how schools can be more inclusive, among many other emerging ideas.
Beyond BROKEN, also takes you behind the scenes with insights from the exhibition design team, on the process of creating the exhibition and the hope theory that underpins it.
Different systems can lead to lead to different futures. If you would like to learn more, Beyond BROKEN is available for purchase at MOD.