Alain Bublex and Élie During's 'The Future Does Not Exist'

Philosopher Élie During and artist Alain Bublex have co-authored a book titled 'Le futur n'existe pas : rétrotypes' (English: 'The Future Does Not Exist: Retrotypes'), published by B42. The work, born from a meeting at the contemporary art center of Pougues-les-Eaux, combines philosophical essay and artist's book. It argues that the future does not exist as a pre-existing reality but is a linguistic mirage; instead, the true futures are those of the past, or 'retro-futures,' which persist as virtual forces in the present. The book explores retro-futurism in contemporary culture and the concept of the 'project' in artistic creation, using Alfred North Whitehead's philosophy. Bublex's ongoing project 'Glooscap' serves as a practical example: a fictional North American city (inspired by Canada's east coast) documented through maps, plans, photographs, and archival materials, creating a 'counter-catalogue' that accumulates unrealized futures. The city, suspended in the mid-1970s, is a palimpsest of projects, a 'trompe-l'œil' that reveals its constructed nature. The authors reject nostalgic retro-futurism, instead advocating for a 'retro-futurism of the present' that sees the present as a dreamed future from a parallel time. During is a philosophy lecturer at Université Paris-Ouest Nanterre; the book is scheduled for 2014.