The notion of the “future” as a distinct category of time emerged gradually over the course of the modern era, which began in the 16th century and extends to the present day. During this period, there were major changes in economic, social, and cultural structures that led to the emergence of new ways of thinking about time and the future.
Since the Enlightenment, the idea of the future has become a central aspect of modern culture and society. From science fiction to futurism, from strategic planning to personal goal-setting, the future is a pervasive and powerful concept that shapes the way we think about our lives and our world.
Once upon a time, there lived an adventurous young man. Being an explorer and ethnographer at heart, he longed to travel and make great discoveries. Then it happened one day that he heard a tale about some curious developments among the natives of the Old World. A new style in the making and decorating of art objects, it was said, had been spreading among the craftsmen of various tribes. The movement was already dying out, however, and soon it would slip into oblivion. Intrigued, the explorer immediately organized a series of expeditions across the ocean. He visited all the important places, collected paintings and other exotic objects from the natives and recorded the stories they told. Impressed with what he saw and heard, he brought back many artifacts and decided to establish an ethnographic museum, naming it the Museum of Modern Art.
What was Modern Art? 