• What is the cultural mutation that needs to take place? 
• And how can we ignite it?

Project 7 aimed to invite 9 young artists and creative thinkers in the Nordic countries, to work together in 4 workshops, in 4 countries over the course of 1 year, with the aim to set up an exhibition in Sweden, – a kind of a universe displaying the world they envisioned in 7 generations from now.  Seven generation stewardship is a concept originating from the Iroquois Indians and urges the current generation of humans to live and work for the benefit of the 7th generation into the future.

The young artists would be challenged and mentored by scientists, thinkers, artists, scholars and future foresight experts to build a strong research base for a powerfully, imaginative future dream.

After setting up the exhibition, in an old nuclear factory in the outskirts of Stockholm, Project 7 and its extensive network would invite policy makers and decision-makers at local and global levels to discuss their future vision in the hope to find ways to get, – at least close enough, to their future vision. Today’s democracy is locked in a 4-year election cycle, which is stopping us from thinking long-term. Project 7 wanted to harness long-term thinking that children and adults could relate to and make their own.

Project 7 wanted to provide people with a unique opportunity to dream new dreams for the 21^st century, by creating the universe of our dreams.

By experiencing this universe and allowing it to infiltrate our senses and brains, we are more likely to embody its vision and turn it into reality in the future.

Among Project 7 Advisors were Hans Ulrich Obrist, Director of Serpentine Gallery, UK, Olafur Eliasson artist, Mette-Marit Crown Princess of Norway, Gemma Mortensen, CEO of Crisis Action and Yana Peel, Founder of Intelligence Squared.

In an extensive public outreach and strategic multi-stakeholder engagement, including the production of TV series, Project 7’s goal was to create a dialogue and action that would inspire people to envision what the future could be like and how we could get there.

Project 7 was founded by Hrund Gunnsteinsdottir and Sasja Beslik, CEO at Nordea Investment bank, at an executive leadership course at Harvard University in the US in 2012. As sometimes happens with great ideas, Project 7 never took flight because it didn’t raise enough funds to become as it had been ambitiously envisioned. However, it continues to inspire the people behind it and the idea to harness people’s dreams to make the world a better place has gained momentum.