Historical vs statistical prophecy – only doom-mongering can be reasonably optimistic.

Cultural scholars, aesthetes, philosophers and artists are more capable of precise prophecies for the future of society than the entirety of economic research institutes, glorified finance experts and professional advisory boards in the advertisement industry. Human history has seen literary figures, artists and film makers come up with more precise scenarios of future developments than governments. Since the Old Testament, it is well-known that the methods of prophecy are practiced by virtue of anticipation. This lecture will give fascinating insight into this traditional knowledge practice.

Bazon Brock, professional philosopher and oeuvre-less artist, is professor emeritus at the ‘Department of Aesthetics and Cultural Education’ at the University of Wuppertal. Other positions he previously held include: professor at the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg (1965-1976) and professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (1977- 1980). He received honorary degrees from the ETH Zurich and Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG) in 1992 and 2012 respectively. In 2014, he was also made Honorary Professor of Prophecy at HBKsaar in Saarbrucken. He has developed the technique of ‘action teaching’, which transforms the seminar room into a theatrical setting for self-dramatization or dramatization of others. From 1968 until 1992, he initiated and headed his own ‘Besucherschule’ (school for visitors) at documenta. From 2010 until 2013, he was director of studies for ‘The professionalized Citizen’ at HfG Karlsruhe. He is part of the ‘Institute of theoretical art, universal poetry and prognostics’ and founded Denkerei / Amt für Arbeit an unlösbaren Problemen und Maßnahmen der hohen Hand in Berlin.