Rooting Solarpunk: from visionary narratives to community empowerment

Serbanescu, Anca

Abstract

This contribution explores the Solarpunk narrative (Flynn, 2014; Stephenson, 2011) and its hopeful vision of the future, emphasising its multifaceted nature as a genre, aesthetic, philosophy, and activist movement. Solarpunk is part of a broader spectrum of alternative future movements, such as Ancestral futurism and Indigenous futurism (Krenak, 2024; Panchoaga, 2025), Andean futurism (Montenegro, 2017), Amazon futurism (Gama et al., 2023), Seapunk (Chua, 2024) and regenerative futures (Camrass, 2023; Vargas et al., 2022). These movements explore diverse cultural and ecological narratives, emphasising sustainability, rituality, and interconnectedness. At its core, Solarpunk embodies two key dimensions. The first is its commitment to a sustainable and harmonious ecosystem, where all entities coexist peacefully, embracing a multi-species (Keune, 2021) perspective that transcends capitalist anthropocentrism in favour of a more utopian vision. The second is its dynamic and rebellious spirit, which I refer to as the "seeds of rebellion”, actionable yet still-unrealised steps that bring us closer to this future. Rooted in activism, Solarpunk draws inspiration from movements such as permaculture and hydroponic systems, embodying its "punk" ethos through peaceful yet transformative actions. This talk will explore the existing narrative and foresight tools, gamified card games, and interactive design methods that can help embed Solarpunk principles into everyday life. Additionally, I will introduce Solarpunk Design Rituals, a DIY card game I am developing. This game serves as an inspirational tool, encouraging small but meaningful daily actions that contribute to a better world, aligning with the Solarpunk vision. Through this game, I aim to provide an engaging and accessible way for individuals to participate in shaping a Solarpunk future, one small action at a time.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: “Sustainability and Social Justice in Speculative Fiction” Local Practices – Transatlantic Conversations
• Start Date: Apr 16, 2025
• End Date: Apr 17, 2025
• Deposit Date: Apr 28, 2025
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed