The Pythian School of Futures

The Pythian School of Futures is an exhibition, learning program and podcast series produced by Avenir Institute. This body of work sets out to critically examine past conceptions of the future to propose plural, inclusive and participatory understandings of it. Its title refers to the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi who also served as its oracle. Also known as the Oracle of Delphi, Pythia (and the cult around her) was a powerful mechanism in ancient Greece which engineered the future for its time through delivering prophecies.

Seeking to elaborate a subjective take on the future conceptualized as avenirology, the first chapter of the Pythian School of Futures is the podcast series. Consisting of seven episodes, it will unfold by unpacking past and new works of Avenir Institute. Co-founder of the institute, Denis Maksimov will pose questions regarding various subjects that have a definitive impact on our collective future such as normality, state politics, futurology, historiography, and language.

Episode 0 will be available at www.avtoonline.org, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify soon.