Jackson Pollock, Going West (1934-35). Image via Wikiart. — Jackson Pollock, *Going West* (1934-35). Image via Wikiart.

New New Deal: Towards a New Era of Social Imagination

The community-centered approach of the Federal Art Project can be an inspiration in a time when the current system must be rethought.

Hans Ulrich Obrist, May 5, 2020

Hans Ulrich Obrist speaks at the Serpentine Galleries Autumn Exhibitions Press conference on September 28, 2016 in London, England. Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Serpentine Galleries.

I recently came across a collective document called “The Grey Briefings,” written by the Special Circumstances Intelligence Unit, a global group of 90 futurists, writers, designers, technologists, and policy makers. The question they ask is this: “What would happen to Europe and North America if COVID-19 lasted a year or more?” Using software from MIT, they uncover three scenarios, all of which mean saying goodbye to the world as we know it.

All three begin with massive unemployment. Scenario One is the Pyramid Scenario, where governments enact policies that benefit the rich, which will result in exacerbated inequality, poverty, and violence. Scenario Two is the Leviathan Scenario, where governments expand their powers and use them to deliver social goals and collective benefits. The third is The Village Scenario, where ineffective and unsustainable state responses lead to fragmentation and fragile local DIY solutions and support.

According to the briefing, the scenario that pays off in the end is the Leviathan Scenario, where everyone makes sacrifices and is mobilized to develop local solutions, creating bottom-up experimentation with government support. There is a focus on public goods and social welfare, transforming the economy and creating a more resilient and sustainable foundation. This will lead to post-crisis recovery and result in a New New Deal.

Based on the Works Project Administration introduced in America in 1935, such projects would focus on new public networks, digital services, widely accessible next-generation health-care systems, and climate-resilient energy, transport, and housing projects. Governments would act as both guides and delivery partners.

The briefing ends with some pertinent questions. What might a Post-COVID-19 Renaissance look like? Could a long-term COVID crisis provide stimulation for a new era of social imagination? How can we imagine a more healthy, satisfying, and fair world in light of the challenges posed by this “Great Transition”?