Times Ahead (Were Once an Optimistic Place) is an interdisciplinary project by Merlin Modulaw which explores the longing for another time—our paradoxical nostalgia for a future that never was. It employs various forms of expression: sound, images, the written word, and spaces. The accompanying album lends a sonic dimension to this inquiry into “future nostalgia”, while a dozen aspiring artists contributetheir own perspectives on this phenomenon. The upshot is a multifaceted interplay of the past, the present and possible futures, combining theoretical with artistic reflections to make this elusive state intelligible and palpable. It shows how our conceptions of the future change over time and the emotional traces they leave behind. Featuring contributions by Jean-Vincent Simonet,Hanne Lippard, Marc Asekhame, Roman Selim Khereddine, Cosima von Moreau, Jiajia Zhang, Rodell Warner, Kim Laughton, Warren Jones, Benoît Gilles Michel, Jazmina Figueroa, Tyler Cala Williams.