From in illo tempore to 1984 and beyond: insights from the Oral Presentation Round Table #1 chair

Abstract

This text tried to reflect upon the three presentations of Round Table #1 at the 'What If'22 International Conference of 'What If?...' The theme was "World History". The presentations range from the ethnography and mythology of the Nagas, around Buddhism and Brahmanism, to the book Nineteen-Eighty-Four (1948), by George Orwell. It also discussed Brazilian artists who opposed the Military Dictatorship (1964-1985). Bound by the premise of counterfactuality, i.e., the "what if", the presentations gave rise to a long debate about current times and how art and literature continue to be decisive. In a word, to what extent do art and literature give us warnings or even predict the future? Or, on the other hand, how they influence events, and feed our imagination.