Conferences / Symposiums
Conferences
Conferences
VST convenes critical conversations across India and internationally — bringing together designers, thinkers, policymakers, and communities to interrogate the spirit of our age and chart more humane futures for design and place.
VST convenes critical conversations across India and internationally — bringing together designers, thinkers, policymakers, and communities to interrogate the spirit of our age and chart more humane futures for design and place.
Upcoming
Genius Loci Revisited — Bucharest
Genius Loci Revisited — Bucharest
INTERNATIONAL
VST is co-convening Genius Loci Revisited, a conference in Bucharest exploring the enduring relevance of place-spirit in contemporary architectural and urban thought. The conference brings together European and South Asian voices to interrogate what “the spirit of place” means in an age of rapid globalisation, climate disruption, and digital mediation of physical space.
VST is co-convening Genius Loci Revisited, a conference in Bucharest exploring the enduring relevance of place-spirit in contemporary architectural and urban thought. The conference brings together European and South Asian voices to interrogate what “the spirit of place” means in an age of rapid globalisation, climate disruption, and digital mediation of physical space.
[Further details — Students : 1500, Faculty PhD Scholars :2500, Professionals : 3500]
Concluded
Zeitgeist — “The Caring City”
Zeitgeist — “The Caring City”
February 2026 · Shimla, India
ZEITGEIST 2026, organised in collaboration with the World University of Design, emerged as a significant international platform for critical dialogue at a time when art, architecture, and design are being reshaped by unprecedented technological, environmental, and social transformations. Drawing inspiration from the meaning of Zeitgeist—the spirit of the times—the conference explored how creative disciplines can respond to contemporary challenges while envisioning more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient futures.
Bringing together scholars, practitioners, educators, artists, designers, architects, and researchers from across the globe, ZEITGEIST 2026 fostered conversations that connected digital innovation with cultural memory, sustainability with ethical responsibility, and local knowledge with global perspectives. Through its diverse range of papers, exhibitions, and interdisciplinary exchanges, the conference reinforced the role of creative practice as an active force in shaping societal change rather than merely reflecting it.
The outcomes of ZEITGEIST 2026 establish a strong intellectual foundation for continued inquiry into cultural, spatial, and sensory futures. As a collaborative initiative with the World University of Design, the conference stands as a vibrant testament to the power of interdisciplinary engagement and collective imagination in addressing the complexities of our rapidly evolving world.
ZEITGEIST 2026, organised in collaboration with the World University of Design, emerged as a significant international platform for critical dialogue at a time when art, architecture, and design are being reshaped by unprecedented technological, environmental, and social transformations. Drawing inspiration from the meaning of Zeitgeist—the spirit of the times—the conference explored how creative disciplines can respond to contemporary challenges while envisioning more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient futures.
Bringing together scholars, practitioners, educators, artists, designers, architects, and researchers from across the globe, ZEITGEIST 2026 fostered conversations that connected digital innovation with cultural memory, sustainability with ethical responsibility, and local knowledge with global perspectives. Through its diverse range of papers, exhibitions, and interdisciplinary exchanges, the conference reinforced the role of creative practice as an active force in shaping societal change rather than merely reflecting it.
The outcomes of ZEITGEIST 2026 establish a strong intellectual foundation for continued inquiry into cultural, spatial, and sensory futures. As a collaborative initiative with the World University of Design, the conference stands as a vibrant testament to the power of interdisciplinary engagement and collective imagination in addressing the complexities of our rapidly evolving world.
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi
Member Secretary, IGNCA
Mr. Sanjoy Roy
Managing Director, Teamwork Arts
Prof. Nic Clear
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Huddersfield, UK
Dr. Ashok B. Lall
Mr. Samar Jodha
Founder, Red Balloon
Programme
Provocations
Six 18-minute talks from practitioners and thinkers across disciplines. No panels, no moderation — just ideas placed in the room for the audience to hold.
Studio Conversations
Smaller breakout dialogues (40 participants each) on five sub-themes: care infrastructure, informal housing, public space and gender, climate grief in design, and non-western modernities.
Exhibition Opening
A curated exhibition of design work responding to the conference theme, with contributions from emerging designers across India selected through an open call.
Community Voices
A specially facilitated session in which community members— residents of Shimla's informal settlements, local artisans, schoolteachers—spoke on the conference theme in their own terms, without academic mediation.
The Shimla Declaration
A collective drafting session producing a non-binding but publicly released statement of commitments from the conference community.