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foam_newsletter_winter_2013 [2013-12-10 11:26] – [Towards a draft] alkanfoam_newsletter_winter_2013 [2013-12-10 13:30] – alkan
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-===== Foam Newsletter Winter 2013 =====+=== Winter Newsletter 2013 draft ===
  
-==== Outline ==== +While we contemplate slowing down and revaluing silence as the northern hemisphere turns inwards and descends into wintry hibernation, we'd like to look back on FoAM's bustling activities over the last six months while looking forward to a new year where distillation and transmutation are on the cards. Travels, talks, workshops, celebrations, residencies (punctuated by copious EC reporting and accounting) -- there’s been much interesting ferment (and fermentation), some of it simmering down, more bubbling up, and much that is quite new to all of us.
- +
-Intro, summarising 'topics', looking back and forward.  +
- +
-=== Food culture === +
- +
-  * biochymickal arts http://fo.am/biochymickal-arts/ +
-  * smoke & vapour http://fo.am/smoke_vapour/ +
-  * foodprints online http://fo.am/foodprints-book/ +
- +
-=== Speculative culture === +
- +
-  * FF - outline of what we want to achieve, why ff, plans for 2014 and insights from: +
-    * improving reality - http://fo.am/improving-reality/ +
-    * practical utopias - http://fo.am/summit-practical-utopias/ +
-    * small revolutions - (needs details) +
-    * parenzana residency +
-  *   * http://lib.fo.am/improving_realities - conference paper, video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZEX8q4HUkI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUCZHVgTT_EpA9-pBaP1aotg +
- +
-=== Citizen Science – FoAM Kernow === +
- +
-  * Future of Live coding (Kernow) +
-  * The Farm Crap App (Kernow) +
-  * "Where is that Nest? (Kernow) +
-  * Smartphones in ecology and evolution: a guide for the app-rehensive (Kernow) +
- +
-=== Synaesthetic experiences – FoAM Amsterdam ==== +
- +
-  * sphaerae +
-    * in linz & todaysArt +
-    * http://fo.am/sphaerae/ +
- +
-=== Supporting a community of generalists === +
- +
-  * hosting craft http://lib.fo.am/hosting_craft +
-  * doing nothing +
-  * residencies +
-    * 3 families (lies, sarah, mexicans) +
-    * macro: luea, michka +
-  * coaching (available spots in 2014) +
- +
-=== Misc === +
- +
-  * EITC Homecoming +
- +
-for orientation and/or comparison here is last winter's edition: http://fo.am/blog/2012/12/22/foam-newsletter-winter-2012/ +
- +
----- +
- +
-==== Towards a draft ==== +
- +
-=== Winter Newsletter 2013 === +
- +
-While we contemplate slowing down and revaluing silence as the northern hemisphere turns inwards and descends into wintry hibernation, we'd like to look back on FoAM's bustling activities and look forward to a new year in which distillation and transmutation are on the cards. Travels, talks, workshops, celebrations, residencies (punctuated by copious EC reporting and accounting) -- there’s been much interesting ferment (and fermentation), some of it simmering down, more bubbling up, and much that is quite new for all of us.+
  
-In FoAM Brussels we continue deepening and broadening our work with food systems, speculative culture and synaesthetic experiences. FoAM Kernow has found its niche in blending science, technology and the arts and thereby benefiting both the scientific community and wider society. FoAM Amsterdam is touring the world with Sphaerae, and FoAM Nordica consolidates its work on Foodprints. We feel that some of these are peak experiences not only of the last few months, but indeed of our work at FoAM as a whole. So without further ado, here’s a short guided tour of the highlights. We hope you’ll be inspired, and be in touch! +At FoAM Brussels we continue deepening and broadening our work with food systems, speculative culture and synaesthetic experiences. FoAM Kernow has found its niche in blending science, technology and the arts and thereby benefiting both the scientific community and wider society. FoAM Amsterdam is touring the world with Sphaerae, and FoAM Nordica consolidates its work on Foodprints. So without further ado, here’s a short guided tour of the highlights. We feel that some of these are peak experiences not only of the last few months, but indeed of our work at FoAM as a whole. We hope you’ll be inspired, and be in touch! 
  
 == Food culture == == Food culture ==
Line 83: Line 30:
 == Speculative culture == == Speculative culture ==
  
-In our previous newsletter we celebrated the closure of Resilients and PARN, two projects that put our work in speculative culture on the map. Since then the PARN publication has been printed and distributed (if you'd like a copy email us at bxl@fo.am), and we've started **Future Fabulators**, a European project that combines our work with alternate reality narratives and future preparedness and continues our fertile collaboration with Time's Up in Linz.+In our previous newsletter we celebrated the closure of Resilients and PARN, two projects that put our work in speculative culture on the map. Since then the PARN publication has been printed and distributed (if you'd like a copy email us at bxl@fo.am), and we're full swing into **Future Fabulators**, a European project that combines our work with alternate reality narratives and future preparedness and continues our fertile collaboration with Time's Up in Linz.
  
-In Future Fabulators we're extending our research into speculative culture, scenario building, future pre-enactments, physical narratives and other forms that embody possible futures today. We began by reflecting on our current work, first at the **Improving Reality conference** in Brighton, where Maja discussed using future preenactments and alternate reality narratives as ways to guide us through the swarm of possible futures. Following this Nik and Maja headed off to the Brionian islands in Croatia for the **Summit of Practical Utopias**, a four-day workshop where participants playfully designed and experimented with the seemingly paradoxical notion of creating a utopia that can be practical. We realised that creating and maintaining FoAM is an exercise of practical utopianism, always balancing on the fine edge of becoming impractical.+In Future Fabulators we're extending our research in speculative culture, scenario building, future preenactments, physical narratives and other forms that embody possible futures today. We began by reflecting on our current work, first at the **Improving Reality conference** in Brighton, where Maja discussed using future preenactments and alternate reality narratives as ways to guide us through the swarm of possible futures. Following this Nik and Maja headed off to the Brionian islands in Croatia for the **Summit of Practical Utopias**, a four-day workshop where participants playfully designed and experimented with the seemingly paradoxical notion of creating a utopia that can be practical. We realised that creating and maintaining FoAM is an exercise of practical utopianism, always balancing on the fine edge of becoming impractical.
  
 [[http://fo.am/improving-reality/|Improving Reality conference]] and [[http://libarynth.org/improving_realities|Transcript of Maja's talk]]\\ [[http://fo.am/improving-reality/|Improving Reality conference]] and [[http://libarynth.org/improving_realities|Transcript of Maja's talk]]\\
 [[http://fo.am/summit-practical-utopias/|Practical Utopias]]\\ [[http://fo.am/summit-practical-utopias/|Practical Utopias]]\\
  
-A few days afterwards, Maja and Nik welcomed the **residency** of Sarah Neville and her daughter Florence in Castelletto Parenzana, FoAM's temporary residence in Istria, Croatia. These residents spent a couple of intensive weeks exploring the past, present and future of weather lore in a time of turbulent climate changes.This residency will continue in our mobile studio in Adelaide, Australia in February 2014, and may involve Sarah's possible return to Europe as part of a Future Fabulators public event.+A few days afterwards, Maja and Nik welcomed the **residency** of Sarah Neville and her daughter Florence in Castelletto Parenzana, FoAM's temporary residence in Istria, Croatia. These residents spent a couple of intensive weeks exploring the past, present and future of weather lore in a time of turbulent climate change.This residency will continue at our mobile studio in Adelaide, Australia during February 2014, and may involve Sarah's return to Europe as part of a Future Fabulators public event.
  
 [[http://fo.am/family-residency-sarah-neville/|Sarah Neville and family in residence]]\\ [[http://fo.am/family-residency-sarah-neville/|Sarah Neville and family in residence]]\\
 [[http://lib.fo.am/parenzana_residency_notes|Parenzana residency notes, in Progress]]\\ [[http://lib.fo.am/parenzana_residency_notes|Parenzana residency notes, in Progress]]\\
  
-Since the start of Future Fabulators in September, we've facilitated several scenario planning workshops, fine-tuning the method to different audiences and subject matters. We worked with the Vooruit to design the future of the Possible Futures festival. At the Future Fabulators kick-off in Linz, we investigated what we'd like the legacy of the project to be and more widely -- what will happen to fear in about thirty years. With Timelab and Lisa Ma we focused on the future of invasive species in Ghent and beyond. Nik Gaffney participated in AltArt's version of forecasting in Cluj, Romania, looking at the future of the city. We're currently designing a series of scenario workshops with Madeira Institute of Technology to assist their staff, students and sponsors in designing technologies and programmes that could be used in some of Future Fabulators' physical narratives and pre-enactments. We're also plotting and scheming workshops and seminars for the spring, summer and autumn of 2014, but first we'll take a couple of months to delve into the research of the philosophy, ethics, aesthetic and methodology of speculative culture that will inform most of our activities in 2014. Keep your eyes on the Future Fabulators wiki to find out more as the project develops.+Since commencing Future Fabulators in September, we've facilitated several scenario planning workshops, fine-tuning the method for different audiences and subject matter. We worked with the Vooruit to design the future of the Possible Futures festival. At the Future Fabulators kick-off in Linz, we investigated what we'd like the legacy of the project to be.<del>and more widely -- what will happen to fear in about thirty years.</del> With Timelab and Lisa Ma we focused on the future of invasive species in Ghent and beyond. Nik Gaffney participated in AltArt's version of forecasting in Cluj, Romania, looking at the future of the city. 
 + 
 +We're currently designing a series of scenario workshops with the Madeira Institute of Technology to assist their staff, students and sponsors in designing technologies and programmes that could be used for some of Future Fabulators' physical narratives and preenactments. We're also plotting and scheming workshops and seminars for the spring, summer and autumn of 2014 -- but first we'll take a couple of months for research into the philosophy, ethics, aesthetics and methodology of speculative culture that will inform most of our activities in 2014. Keep your eyes on the Future Fabulators wiki to find out more as the project develops.
    
    
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 Soon after the library was catalogued, our first residents after the summer recess in 2013 used it in the most creative manner. Lies Declerck and her two-year-old son Adi spent a week in FoAM cooking from recipes found in FoAM's food-related books. This was one of the most unique and generous residencies we have ever experienced. Lies experimented with the fine line between work and life, art and housework and took care of FoAM and our guests for a week. In exchange we took care of Adi and involved both of them in the daily life of an arts lab. Soon after the library was catalogued, our first residents after the summer recess in 2013 used it in the most creative manner. Lies Declerck and her two-year-old son Adi spent a week in FoAM cooking from recipes found in FoAM's food-related books. This was one of the most unique and generous residencies we have ever experienced. Lies experimented with the fine line between work and life, art and housework and took care of FoAM and our guests for a week. In exchange we took care of Adi and involved both of them in the daily life of an arts lab.
  
-Aside from short-form residencies, the library is used extensively by our two current macrotransients, Luea Ritter and Michka Melo. Luea is working on how to deal with transitions on personal, organisational and even societal scales, and Michka (having just started a few weeks ago) has wallpapered a loft in Post-Its outlining plans to disentangle from a scientific career and explore the boundaries between self-sufficiency and interdependence. Their transiencies will continue well into 2014, so you can expect further updates in coming newsletters. Both Luea and Michka are supported through FoAM's coaching programme, lead by executive coach and FoAM board member Vali Lalioti. There are still a few places left for cultural workers in Flanders and Brussels who feel the need for coaching, so if you're interested, drop us an email at bxl@fo.am.+Aside from short-form residencies, the library is being used extensively by our two current macrotransients, Luea Ritter and Michka Melo. Luea is working on how to deal with transitions on personal, organisational and even societal scales, and Michka (having just started a few weeks ago) has wallpapered a loft in Post-Its outlining plans to disentangle from a scientific career and explore the boundaries between self-sufficiency and interdependence. Their transiencies will continue well into 2014, so you can expect further updates in coming newsletters. Both Luea and Michka are supported through FoAM's coaching programme, lead by executive coach and FoAM board member Vali Lalioti. There are still a few places left for cultural workers in Flanders and Brussels who feel the need for coaching, so if you're interested, drop us an email at bxl@fo.am.
  
 [[http://fo.am/services/|Services]] offered at FoAM bxl\\ [[http://fo.am/services/|Services]] offered at FoAM bxl\\
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 hosting craft http://lib.fo.am/hosting_craft --> i don't know how to fit this in... maybe leave it out until the next newsletter? hosting craft http://lib.fo.am/hosting_craft --> i don't know how to fit this in... maybe leave it out until the next newsletter?
  
 +Finally -- you might laugh after reading all of the above -- we're working hard on a new project: Doing Nothing. In view of the malaise fuelled by stress, overwork, financial and social uncertainty and other well-known pain points pervading the cultural sector but also throughout the wider society of Europe and beyond, FoAM has initiated a practice-based research programme on how to do nothing: creating space and time to decompress amidst our hectic lives. So far the research has looked at how how to do this on a daily basis at a microcosmic scale, in FoAM and our networks, but in 2014--2015 the programme will be extended. In the spirit of Doing Nothing, we may not document it explicitly or extensively, but we do encourage you to browse some of the exercises and inspirations have begun to amass on the project's dedicated Libarynth page. 
  
-Finally -- you might laugh after reading all of the above -- but we're working hard on a new project: Doing Nothing. In view of the malaise pervading the cultural sector but also throughout the wider society of Europe and beyond and fuelled by stress, overwork, financial and social uncertainty and other well-known pain points, FoAM has initiated a practice-based research programme on how to do nothing: creating space and time to decompress amidst our hectic lives. So far the research has looked at how how to do this on a daily basis at a microcosmic scale, in FoAM and our networks, but in 2014--2015 the programme will be extended. In the spirit of Doing Nothing, we may not document it explicitly or extensively, but we do encourage you to browse some of the exercises and inspirations have begun to amass on the project's dedicated Libarynth page.  +[[http://fo.am/doing-nothing/|Doing Nothing]]\\
- +
-http://fo.am/doing-nothing/\\+
 [[http://lib.fo.am/doing_nothing|Idleness in progress]] [[http://lib.fo.am/doing_nothing|Idleness in progress]]
  
 To conclude this newsletter, we'd like to wish you a wonderful Yuletide and a beautiful 2014, with much space for speculation, experimentation, good food, fun, games and inspiring culture, and above all else plentiful time to do nothing and enjoy the abundance of life, whatever it may bring. See you on the other side of the holidays, in person or online… To conclude this newsletter, we'd like to wish you a wonderful Yuletide and a beautiful 2014, with much space for speculation, experimentation, good food, fun, games and inspiring culture, and above all else plentiful time to do nothing and enjoy the abundance of life, whatever it may bring. See you on the other side of the holidays, in person or online…
 +
 +----
 +
 +==== Outline ====
 +
 +Intro, summarising 'topics', looking back and forward. 
 +
 +=== Food culture ===
 +
 +  * biochymickal arts http://fo.am/biochymickal-arts/
 +  * smoke & vapour http://fo.am/smoke_vapour/
 +  * foodprints online http://fo.am/foodprints-book/
 +
 +=== Speculative culture ===
 +
 +  * FF - outline of what we want to achieve, why ff, plans for 2014 and insights from:
 +    * improving reality - http://fo.am/improving-reality/
 +    * practical utopias - http://fo.am/summit-practical-utopias/
 +    * small revolutions - (needs details)
 +    * parenzana residency
 +  *   * http://lib.fo.am/improving_realities - conference paper, video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZEX8q4HUkI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUCZHVgTT_EpA9-pBaP1aotg
 +
 +=== Citizen Science – FoAM Kernow ===
 +
 +  * Future of Live coding (Kernow)
 +  * The Farm Crap App (Kernow)
 +  * "Where is that Nest? (Kernow)
 +  * Smartphones in ecology and evolution: a guide for the app-rehensive (Kernow)
 +
 +=== Synaesthetic experiences – FoAM Amsterdam ====
 +
 +  * sphaerae
 +    * in linz & todaysArt
 +    * http://fo.am/sphaerae/
 +
 +=== Supporting a community of generalists ===
 +
 +  * hosting craft http://lib.fo.am/hosting_craft
 +  * doing nothing
 +  * residencies
 +    * 3 families (lies, sarah, mexicans)
 +    * macro: luea, michka
 +  * coaching (available spots in 2014)
 +
 +=== Misc ===
 +
 +  * EITC Homecoming
 +
 +for orientation and/or comparison here is last winter's edition: http://fo.am/blog/2012/12/22/foam-newsletter-winter-2012/
  • foam_newsletter_winter_2013.txt
  • Last modified: 2023-05-08 11:42
  • by nik