In a time marked by ecological collapse, socio-political fragmentation, and epistemological instability characteristic of late modernity in western societies, the concept of common sense calls for renewed critical attention. Often dismissed by Western rationality as conservative or static, common sense can instead be reimagined, following philosopher Isabelle Stengers, as a relational, dialogical, and collective form of knowledge. This paper argues that common sense is not merely inherited wisdom, but a political space of intergenerational encounter where memories of the past, the urgencies of the present, and the possibilities of alternative futures converge.
This paper explores the necessity of rethinking common sense as a collective process of sense making across times, generations, and geographies, made urgent by the contemporary ecological, social, and political crises. Drawing on the case study of the New Futures artistic residency, this research explores the conditions under which a renewed common sense can be collectively forged, across differences of age, race, class, gender, and culture, within a context of environmental justice shaped by mining extractivism. In the fractured landscape of Johannesburg, artist participants engaged with the roots of contemporary crises, tracing historical harms and geological layers, questioning present structures and narratives, while speculating on the possibility of a shared future. Far from implying consensus, this example seeks to highlight that the creation of common sense demands the negotiation of disagreement, the recognition of otherness, and the cultivation of shared imaginative spaces across generations and contexts. The residency functions as a microcosm for examining the tensions and practices involved in the co-construction of meaning, using artistic dialogue and collaborative creation as integral parts of an intergenerational methodology. Ultimately, this contribution seeks to advance broader conversations about the politics of knowledge and the essential role of intergenerational exchange in shaping collective futures amid systemic crises.