Abstract
In an age defined by ecological fragility and political polarisation, the arts hold renewed power as catalysts for sustainable transformation and civic dialogue. This paper introduces Design Chaos as an anthropological framework for understanding how creative systems operate within — and respond to — the complex interplay of sustainability, politics, diplomacy. Rather than conceiving chaos as disorder, the study reframes it as an adaptive condition through which new political and ecological imaginaries emerge. Drawing from inclusive design research and transnational collaborations across Europe and South Asia, the paper explores how artistic and design practices engage with sustainability as a form of cultural and diplomatic negotiation. It examines community-based projects and creative education initiatives that foster ecological literacy, social cohesion, and political agency. Reflecting on Greece’s historical and contemporary role as a crossroads of cultures, the study situates creative diplomacy within the Mediterranean context, a region where sustainability, migration, and cultural identity intersect. Greece’s position, balancing between continents, is used as a lens to explore how arts mediate political tensions, strengthen regional cooperation, and express shared environmental responsibility. The research argues that creative ecosystems, when rooted in empathy, plurality, and responsibility, can become instruments of both environmental and political regeneration. Ultimately, Design Chaos proposes a model of creative leadership that reframes sustainability as a relational practice — one that integrates ecological ethics, political participation, and cultural collaboration. In doing so, it envisions design as a civic and diplomatic force for negotiating the uncertainties of the Anthropocene with imagination, empathy, and care.
Presenters
Anastasios MaragiannisPro Vice-Chancellor Research and Creative Education and Professor of Inclusive Design, University for the Creative Arts, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Modeling Life Systems: Art, Algorithms, Ecologies
KEYWORDS
Sustainability, Cultural Diplomacy, Greece, Inclusive Design, Political Ecology, Creative Leadership
