Dialogues with the Future (2026)

Many of the ideas underpinning democracy (such as liberty, equality and fraternity) were forged in the 18th century, during the European Enlightenment. But how were these foundations laid? In this video, Ursula goes back to the year 1703, when the young French diplomat, the Baron de Lahontan, had a conversation with the indigenous leader Kondiaronk, who was critical of absolute monarchy and social inequality in Europe. It was Kondiaronk’s ideas that reached the European elites and helped to shape Enlightenment thought.

Ursula Biemann is a Swiss artist, author, and video essayist whose research-driven practice explores climate change and ecologies. Combining documentary footage, cinematic landscapes, science, and speculative storytelling across video, photography, text, and installation, she examines the changing realities of our planet.