Overview

Liam Young: Planetary Imaginaries 2026 is an exhibition exploring speculative futures through design, fiction, and worldbuilding. It will be held at the SCI‑Arc Gallery in Los Angeles from January 30 to March 16, 2026. The exhibition features films, models, costumes, speculative architecture, and narratives that span micro- to planetary scales. For a look at similar thematic explorations in design, see Interior Design Furnishing Expo 2026.

Focus

The exhibition investigates imagined worlds that challenge conventional visions of the future. It combines contributions from designers and science fiction authors to map fictional infrastructures, landscapes, and ecological narratives. A comparison of thematic exhibitions can be found in ArchUp’s coverage of DesignTO Festival 2026. The project highlights intersections between architecture, culture, and ecology, similar to discussions found in ArchUp’s analysis of Salone del Mobile Milano 2025.

Program

The exhibition includes films, cinematic miniatures, ceremonial costumes, action figures, and speculative architectural models. These works explore visions of renewed planetary environments, massive restoration projects, and urban ecosystems shaped by imagination.

“Planetary Imaginaries presents a chorus of imagined worlds, from megacities folded inward to create planetary parks to geoengineered skies and infrastructures.”

Audience

The exhibition is aimed at architects, designers, artists, students, and anyone interested in speculative design, future imaginaries, and narrative-driven visual culture.

Event Details

✦ Insight from ArchUp

From an analytical perspective, Liam Young: Planetary Imaginaries 2026 serves as a conceptual laboratory for exploring speculative futures rather than a conventional architectural showcase. The exhibition emphasizes narrative-driven design, ecological imagination, and worldbuilding strategies that provoke critical thinking about urbanism and planetary systems. It provides architects, designers, and students with frameworks for considering infrastructure, culture, and ecology in speculative scenarios, highlighting the intersection of fiction and design as a tool for conceptual experimentation and visionary practice.

Closing Note

The Planetary Imaginaries exhibition reframes futuristic narratives through design and architecture. Its speculative approach positions it as a conceptual showcase rather than a traditional design exhibition, offering inspiration and critical reflection for designers and thinkers interested in future worlds.

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