Economia – The Limited Edition is a conference taking place at Natlab, the former Philips physics laboratory, aiming to invent new avenues for playful and imaginative future developments in Economics. The first Economia festival, organised in 2017 by Baltan Laboratories pushed the boundaries of our thinking about the economy. On 15th and 16th of May 2020, we will explore new ideas and delve into the ways in which we could meet the needs of everyone within the means of our (human) resources. Economia – The Limited Edition will examine alternative value systems, such as abundance and scarcity, and growth and degrowth.
The theme of the conference derives from Homo economicus, a concept in which man is first and foremost an economic being, directed towards the satisfaction of his needs in an efficient, rational and logical manner. Economia will examine which systems maintain this deeply held belief and prevent real change. Moving away from a world driven by profits over everything else, Homo economicus could fulfil its role as an economic being in relation with the world, exploring the new ideals of saving the planet, preventing the exploitation of people and fantasising about inverting the paradigm of unlimited growth.
Economia – The Limited Edition is a laboratory of ideas; a place where, for a while, we can step out of the existing frame and approach Economics in an unexpected, playful and fundamental manner. Let’s take another look at our economic system and globalised society with the fresh and sometimes detached view of the visitor, researcher, gamer, alien and artist. Let’s reclaim the economy as a social and cultural construct that we created, ridding us of the idea of the economy as an inevitable law of nature.
Call for Papers & Ideas
In the search for new economic insights and alternatives to the current model, why not start by treating the economy like any other social and cultural construct, taking ownership so that we can reshape and rework it as we see fit? We welcome academic researchers, designers, artists, scientists, students, scholars, (social) entrepreneurs, visionaries and other creative thinkers and practitioners to submit proposals for Economia – The Limited Edition with regards to the following themes:
- The economy as evolution
- The economy as a game
- The economy as magic
- The economy as a playground
- The economy as a caretaker
- The economy of the commons
Proposal Requirements
Proposals should explore at least one (or more) of the proposed themes. The selected participants will be invited to present their paper/research as part of the conference in Eindhoven.
• Proposal requirements: max 400-word and a short 100-word biography.
• Deadline for submission: 31st of December 2019.
• Notifications of acceptance will be sent no later than the 20th of February 2020.
Details and more information > www.baltanlaboratories.org/library/call-for-papers-and-artworks-economia-2020
