V2 LAB - ROTTERDAM
09 JULY 2009
Featuring: David Hahlbrock (DE) Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Cesar
Harada (FR/JP), Dot Mancando (TH), Thomas Thwaites (UK) Royal
College of Art, Sander Veenhof (NL) Gerrit Rietveld Academy.
Opening: Mieke Gerritzen, Respondent: Koert van Mensvoort.
Performance: TokTek vs VJ MNK.
Test_Lab is a bi-monthly public event organized by V2_ Institute for the Unstable Media that provides an informal setting for the presentation, demonstration, testing, and discussion of artistic Research and Development (aRt&D).
Newspaper headlines report that our world is in crisis, but while the
front page illustrates how bad the global situation is, a few pages
down, positive tongues claim that the current global crisis provides us
with unprecedented opportunities for creative technological innovation,
social transformation, revisions of financial systems, environmental
change, and entrepreneurship. But did we really need this crisis to
generate these opportunities?!
We think not. Our world is continuously
in crisis, and therefore constantly requires critical reflection and
rethinking. However, as the world's future is said to be in the hands of
the truly creative and critical thinkers, we are more than willing to
soothe away any worries about the crisis by revealing a whole new
generation of artists' and designers' views on the current state of affairs.
While elsewhere the crisis is being tackled by young scientists, policy
akers, and entrepreneurs, through initiatives such as think tanks and
campaigns, in this edition of Test_Lab, V2_ will create its own special
think tank for young artists to address issues of a world in crisis with
artistic reflection and creative vision. In order to do so, V2_ has made
a selection of several outstanding graduation projects from this past
academic year, that were proposed for the program by teachers and
coordinators from various European art and design academies.
The
demonstrated works will lay out a young generation's artistic view on
our current conditions and ways of living: Featuring a truly objective
coin-flipper, a revolutionary strategy for urban gardening, the first
ever open source international ocean station, toast from a toaster made
from scratch, and an interactively controlled greenhouse for growing
graduation bouquets.
As is custom to Test_Lab, the audience is invited to assess these young
artists' reflections by testing the demonstrated artworks and designs
themselves. So prepare for an evening of trying thought provoking
electronic art and design that deals with urgent (and less urgent)
aspects of a world in crisis. If after this any worries about the crises
should remain, then TokTek vs. VJ MNK will soothe your cares away by
performing live at Test_Lab: What Crisis?!
http://live.v2.nl
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