Peter Tränkle, Marius Förster

Conversing alps in times of climate crisis

3000peaks.com

As a result of human-made global warming, the permafrost soil also thaws in the Swiss Alps. The alpine rock becomes unstable, and events such a rockfalls, smaller rock avalanches, or even massive landslides increase. In an open call, 3000Peaks invites to develop ideas for redesigning and reusing 3000 affected peaks in the Swiss Alps. The perspectives and narrative generated in this way should activate and connect potential actors through public discussions: to broaden the horizon of what is imaginabl and to negotiate the complexity of design processes.

The alpine „peak loss“ affects not only residents and economic interests, but erodes the identity-creating capacity of the Alps. Both the regional and national self-image, as well as the external perception, are up for negotiation 3000Peaks asks how the pressure of the climate crisis can be transformed in order to counter presupposed lack of alternatives and injustices by openin up thinking and creative spaces.

How can imagination and capabilities of action be multiplied?

The joint speculative exploration expands the idea of what is possible in thinking and acting. Limiting assumptions of the realistic, normal, an self-evident are objected, overcome, and reflected upon. Hence, it is explicitl not intended to convert speculative ideas directly into the realm of practical application and implementation. The speculative narrative rathe aims to facilitate (and felicitate) a transdisciplinary mutual understanding and thus contributes to possible common grounds of expanded societa alternatives, willingness and competence for action.

Currently 3000peaks is part of the residency program mLAB at the Institute of Geography of the University of Bern and taking part in the School of Commons with the offshoot Material Conversations.