Online Course
Black Canvas: A Radical Imagination Course
7th - 28th July 2025
Online Course
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The Black Canvas is a unique methodology designed to break through conventional thinking and cultivate radical imagination. Based on the insight that "it is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism" (Fredric Jameson), this course addresses our collective imagination crisis and equips you with the tools needed to envision paradigm shifts for our most pressing global challenges.
Developed by KOSMICA Institute and inspired by artists who envisioned space travel before science deemed it possible, the Black Canvas methodology takes you on a conceptual journey to a point of darkness - a fertile void where new stories, paradigms, and possibilities can emerge unconstrained by earthly limitations.
Throughout this course, you will conceptualise and prototype a tangible work, whether it’s a new innovation, a manifesto, a blue paper, an artwork, or another format aligned with your practice, turning imagination into a tangible product in just 4 weeks that can inspire action and change.
What You’ll Overcome With Us
Do you find yourself:
.Limited by conventional thinking when facing complex challenges?
.Struggling to imagine radical alternatives to current economic, social, or environmental systems?
.Unsure how to turn bold, visionary ideas into actionable proposals?
.Wanting to drive meaningful change but not knowing where to begin?
.Lack of imagination to envision new worlds?
.Searching for a community of visionary thinkers and changemakers?
The Black Canvas offers a structured pathway out of these impasses. Through radical imagination, social dreaming, and creative disruption, you'll gain tools, insights, and practices to develop a tangible prototype, one that embodies your boldest vision and catalyses deep transformation.
Information
.Mondays: 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th July 2025.
.Time: 7pm CET / 11am CDMX / 12pm CT
.Duration: 1.5 hours each session
.Language: English
Enrollment Options
Standard Ticket
€95.00Add to cart
✓ Access to all four course sessions
✓ Course materials and resources
✓ Community forum access
✓ Certificate of completion
Enhanced Experience
€165.00Add to cart
✓ Everything in Standard
✓ One additional small group coaching session
✓ Personalised feedback on your radical imagination project
✓ Extended resource library access
Special Offers
Early Bird Discount
Register by 5th June and get 20% off with the code "3arlyb1rd" during checkout.
Payment Plans
Flexible instalment options are available. Email us at elevate@kosmicainstitute.com to discuss what works best for you.
Artists at risk
We offer a limited number of spaces in our programme for artists at risk. An artist at risk is any artist who faces threats to their safety, freedom, or well-being due to their creative work, or who is affected by war or displacement. If you qualify, please send us an email to elevate@kosmicainstitute.com with a brief explanation about your situation.
Course Structure
SESSION 1: Foundations of Radical Imagination
.Introduction to the Black Canvas Methodology
.Historical analysis of artists' visions of the future
.Potential applications across different fields and challenges
.Practical exercise: Conceptual journey to darkness
.Introduction to prototype development: Identifying your focus area
SESSION 2: Re-storying the Future
.Techniques for reimagining narratives and paradigms
.Exploration of different futurisms (Afrofuturism, Indigenous)
.The practice of radical imagination in historical context
.Hands-on exercise: Applying radical imagination to a specific challenge
.Prototype development: Conceptualizing your work and initial sketching
SESSION 3: Collective Dreaming and Critical Consciousness
.Social dreaming methodologies
.Developing critical consciousness
.Techniques for identifying and disrupting thought patterns
.Practical exercise: Collaborative imagination workshop
.Prototype development: Peer feedback and refinement
SESSION 4: Creating in Chaos and Uncertainty
.Embracing non-linearity, chaos, and ambiguity
.Strategies for creating within the unknown
.Bold storytelling techniques for radical ideas
.Finalization of your prototype project
.Integration exercise and future applications
.Final reflections and community building
Who is this for?
.Creatives and artists across all disciplines seeking to develop originality and explore new horizons
.Visionaries committed to creating new solutions for addressing pressing global challenges
.Activists looking to enhance their impact through creative thought and action
.Innovation professionals wanting to push the boundaries of possibility in R&D work
.Journalists and communicators dedicated to crafting inspiring narratives for the future
.Authors seeking to enhance their world-building creativity
.Change-makers who believe solutions won't emerge from the same thinking that created our problems
In the Black Canvas, we will ignite radical imagination to envision new possibilities for addressing challenges both in our world and beyond
WHAT YOU WILL GAIN
.A comprehensive understanding of radical imagination methodologies
.Practical techniques for disrupting conventional thinking patterns
.Creative strategies applicable regardless of your inspiration level
,Communication skills for bold storytelling of complex ideas
.Methods to identify assumptions and biases in your own thinking
.Ability to embrace ambiguity and create within uncertainty
.Connection to a community of visionary thinkers
.Certificate of completion from KOSMICA Institute
.A completed prototype of your radical imagination work
Commitment
.Attendance at all four 1.5-hour sessions (recordings available if needed)
.Completion of between-session assignments including reading articles and basic research
.Active participation in group discussions and brainstorming sessions
.Openness to challenging your own thinking patterns
We developed the Black Canvas methodology inspired by the visionary artists who dreamed of space travel before it was possible - and now we want to share it with you.
MEET THE INSTRUCTOR
The course will be led by Nahum, Director of the KOSMICA Institute.
His work goes deep into the human experience, challenging our perceptions through unusual perspectives. He produces works that reframe the way we engage with the universe with a wide range of media. Nahum's work has been exhibited in countries such as the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, UK, France, Sweden, Russia, Australia, Taiwan, China, Japan and Brazil.
Nahum was chairman of the Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space (ITACCUS) at the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) in Paris. He was the first artist to be awarded the Young Space Leader in 2014 and the Karman Fellowship in 2021 for his unique cultural contributions to astronautics and space exploration. He has designed space missions for artistic purposes with the European Space Agency, SpaceX, NASA and Roscosmos.
Since 2019, Nahum has been a Faculty Member at the International Space University in Strasbourg, France. He has given lectures at prestigious universities such as Boston University, Central Saint Martins, Tec de Monterrey, the Academy of Arts and Design in Karlsruhe, and the University of the Underground. He has been published by Penguin Books and Bloomsbury Publishing.