Research Nights: Role Play and the Bleeding Edge of DesignResearch Nights: Role Play and the Bleeding Edge of Design

Step into our magic circle and join OMSK Social Club and other guests as we explore the possibilities and limitations of role-playing as a social and artistic practice. The evening will be facilitated by james taylor-foster. Every version of yourself is welcome!

The OMSK Social Club brings people together to tell stories through ‘real game play’, a method of improvisation and immersion in which participants imagine and create new worlds. From these live sessions they draw inspiration for films, scripts and video installations that explore the boundaries between fiction and reality, and test virtual identities, popular experiences and possible futures.

james taylor-foster is a writer, cultural critic and curator of design and digital culture, with a background in architecture. At the Nieuwe Instituut, they are researching and curating the exhibition Worldglimpsing: Role Play and the Design of Alternate Realities.

Worldglimpsing: Role Play and the Design of Alternate Realities is a collaboration between the Nieuwe Instituut and the ArkDes centre for architecture and design in Stockholm. Two exhibitions will explore how we create and experience alternative worlds. The first, at ArkDes, opens on 3 October 2025, with the second opening in the autumn of 2026 at the Nieuwe Instituut.

Research Nights are recurring events that focus on emerging interests, ongoing research and lines of research currently being explored by the research team of the Nieuwe Instituut. In an intimate and collaborative setting, the audience gains insight into the different stages of projects and shares ideas through dialogues, workshops, screenings or other experimental activities. During these evenings, the audience is invited to contribute to collective forms of research.

Combine this event with a visit to our exhibitions – admission to the museum is free on Thursday evenings. Fancy a bite to eat? Join us in the Nieuwe Café!