Not Plan B

Not Plan B examines aquatic and terrestrial environments as sites of contemporary crisis, seeking new understandings of interactions for challenges that are so close to life. Showcasing works by students from the Master Interaction Design and the complementary Minor in Experimental Interaction at ZHdK, the exhibition probes novel approaches to systemic and ecological issues, establishing new perspectives on multispecies coexistence. In times of calamity, how might we begin to listen, attune and respond to these challenges—not with panic—but with empathy and care?
Dancing in Aquatic Vibrations explores auditory perceptions of aquatic animals through particle motions, inviting visitors to perceive underwater soundscapes with their bodies. Proto-Lichen proposes lichens as collaborators for future cities, connecting species and architecture; CalciCoral brings species together through their shared calcium carbonate. Where the River Hides investigates the hydro-logics of the river Töss, formulating design responses for a river disrupted by geoengineering. CHORNOZEM confronts us with the contamination of Ukrainian soil, demanding socio-planetary caretaking and advocating for the recognition of ecosystem destruction as a crime.
Revealing how oceans, rivers, and soils subvert the discipline of Interaction Design, these works dismantle social, political, and individual borders. They offer a response to cultural paralysis in the face of planetary crisis—and are an invitation to re-enchant a world in transition.