global challenge

floating futures challenge

from competition to collaboration…

This is an Open Call for a global design-sprint: envisioning, prototyping, designing and realizing modular floating islands for multiple purposes and regions. The Institute for Art and Innovation (IFAI) and the Makers For Humanity (M4H) together launch this collaborative process to inspire and cocreate a multitude of selfmade floating islands worldwide.

“The demand for floating islands rises proportionally to the sea-levels.”

Joy Lohmann, German artist and initiator of the Open-Island projects.

Let´s say, you had a floating platform – what would you do with it, which problem could be solved?

Think Big – let´s Cocreate – and Float!

We invite all creative minds to

  • Design architecture above or under water
  • Face global problems and raise resilience
  • Develop or share technical solutions
  • Create artistic and educational spaces
  • Invent floating jobs and business concepts
  • Or just have fun and float with your friends

All relevant ideas and solutions will be published in a wandering exhibition+catalogue. Some feasible floats will get professional project coaching and some material budget to realize their island. (Depends on funding) This challenge constitutes a collaborative global makers-community and open database for online cocreation and humanitarian real-world action.


Open-Source Construction

Over the last years, the Makers For Humanity have developed an easy open-source manual for modular float platforms, that can be built worldwide with upcycled and natural materials. – Open-Island 1.0 is a rectangular framefloat with pallets and float-cushions, stuffed with plastic bottles or industrial foams. – Open-Island 2.0 consists of hexagonal floats (HexaFloats), replacing the frameset. As floaters, this construction uses discarded waste containers and can be built with a wood or metal platform. For the challenge, you can either use one of these constructions or design for any other float. But we recommend the HexaFloat, as this island system can be endlessly enlarged with additional modules. As all challenge entries will be shared among the participants, you´ll get and contribute to an open, collaborative catalogue of different functional platform designs.


Welcome aboard

Team: People from around the world can join the team on a voluntary basis. (Better rewards than money are waiting for you). Get in contact for more details or let us know your idea. Partners: Cooperate with your organization/company as a

  • Funding Partner (get the sponsorship-benefits)
  • Co-Host (spread the challenge in your networks)
  • Technical Partner (share your expertise with the teams)
  • Float Angel (Help or sponsor specific floats)

Participants: join in, submit an idea or register your float

  • Join the Float-hackathon to enter the challenge with your own idea or float as a team or organization.
  • Join a participating Float-team or help other floats with your skills.
  • Register your existing float in the future-fleet, inspire us and share your experience.
  • Or submit a humanitarian problem to be solved.

Estimated timeline: Sure, we have a roadmap. But it is flexible 😉as this vibrant project develops with the flow of the community and expert participation. The project budget so far is mostly our cocreative “Social-Capital”, which always is the best energy! If you f.e. join in, we´ll be faster, create a bigger wave and have more fun and impact altogether… So, if we team up with this challenge, the needed financial capital is only about 20% of the total value. Please get also in contact, if you only want to help financially 🙂

  • Feb. 22: Concept ready for cooperation & funding
  • April 22: Team completed, project planned
  • May 22: Call for Action
  • June 22: Challenge starts
  • July – Nov. 22: Design + Cocreate the Floats
  • Dec. 22: And the winners are… all of us
  • Feb.- Oct. 23: Coaching, Camps, Community
  • Nov. 23: First islands will be ready and floating
  • Dec. 23: Float-book + open online repository

Contact: Floating Futures Challenge: challenge@open-island.org Makers For Humanity e.V. : float@m4h.network IFAI Institute: institute@art-innovation.org