The world is changing rapidly and its current state is worrying. What if all our systems fail? How can we survive a natural or man-made disaster? Is it even possible to prepare, and if so, what should we do? While most people hope that nothing too catastrophic will happen, preppers take action. They strive to control the uncontrollable, preparing for what they call ‘TEOTWAWKI’ – the end of the world as we know it. Their goal? To survive the end and rebuild a new world order. The ‘We Will Survive’ exhibition at the Musée cantonal de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains (Mudac) in Lausanne, which runs until 9 February 2025, offers a glimpse into the world of the preppers. It examines the risks that threaten our existence and the measures taken by governments to protect their citizens. The exhibition explores how design is helping neo-survivalists prepare for an uncertain future and ensure their survival. Visitors are also invited to consider whether they are already a ‘prepper’ in some way – or whether they should become one.

The concept behind the exhibition design comes from the military acronym ‘SNAFU’ – ‘Situation Normal All Fucked Up’ – which describes chaos as the new normal. The exhibition features over 400 works, including architectural models, photographs (of bunkers), drawings, magazines, historical footage and film clips of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic dreamscapes. There is even a reconstructed Swiss shelter, complete with bunk beds, toilets and canned food. Speculative design objects and more than 300 examples of popular product design from the prepper community are also on display. Works on display include pieces by Atelier Van Lieshout, Erwan & Ronan Bouroullec, Julian Charrière, Dunne & Raby, Martí Guixé, Simo Heikkilä, Fabien Roy, Tapio Wirkkala and Martin Szekely. Renowned figures from the worlds of design, film, photography and art, including AATB, Reed Kram, Tapio Snellman, Studio Folder and Charles Negre, have created new works specifically for the exhibition.

The ‘prepper movement’ emerged in the United States during the Cold War, driven by distrust of an increasingly powerful and seemingly indifferent government. Since the 1960s and the looming threat of nuclear annihilation, fears have multiplied: climate change, economic collapse, cyber-attacks, social unrest, possible asteroid impacts, extreme solar storms and pandemics. What began as a fringe group of paranoid radicals has now become a global phenomenon. Today’s preppers come from all walks of life, ages and subcultures: ‘What unites this community – which has doubled to around 23 million in the US alone since 2017 – is their firm belief in the importance of self-sufficient, individual preparedness, rather than relying on others to save them.’

A companion publication (in French and English, CHF 25.00) includes texts by theorists, researchers, designers and preppers, highlighting different perspectives and lifestyles within the prepper movement.