Solarpunk: Futures of Hope. Students imagine habitable futures in an exhibition in the heart of Paris
What would the world be like if everything went well? At a time when eco-anxiety is on the rise, some fifty students from PSL University are proposing to imagine a different tomorrow with the exhibition "Solar Punk: Futures of Hope," on display from April 3 to June 18, 2026, at the Mazet Student Life Center. Through a collection of works inspired by the Solarpunk and Hopepunk universes, the exhibition invites us to rethink our relationship with the future: no longer as an impending catastrophe, but as a habitable, desirable, and hopeful horizon.
When Science Fiction Imagines Repair Rather Than Destruction
After decades dominated by dystopia, the works in this exhibition explore the possibility of futures that are not catastrophic, but habitable: futures of hope. The protagonists are no longer survivors, but artisans, mediators, and builders of micro-communities. Mutual aid and cooperation are at the heart of these narratives. In these futures of hope, resources are produced collectively and integrated into sustainable ecological cycles. Cultivating, repairing, and passing on knowledge become essential values once again in a world focused on everyday life and collective dynamics.
An exhibition driven by student talent
“I applied to the ‘Futures of Hope’ exhibition competition to have fun and improve my skills in what I love to do, which is drawing and storytelling. I also wanted to challenge myself to create something polished and relevant in a very short timeframe on a subject that affects everyone: the future. I tried to convey a sense of hope for humanity, with a touch of melancholy for the main character,” explains Soren Richard, a student at the École des Arts Décoratifs-PSL, specializing in drawing and animation.
“The ‘Solar Punk’ project is a continuation of my architectural investigations. I work with children, and this project allowed me to question the nature of the ruins we will leave them tomorrow. This new city is a dialogue between past and future; the present is yet to be lived.” “explains Marthe Kohler, a second-year scenography student at the École des Arts Décoratifs-PSL, specializing in painting, dance, video, and installation.
Throughout April, a program of events accompanies the exhibition dedicated to Solar Punk.”
