These are summaries of the discussions that happened during the Luminous Green Symposium on the 30th of April 2007 in Malderen

see also wiki entries at > http://luminousgreen.org/

• CHANGE

In terms of re-examining Massive Change, it's not so much about design economies - that is, solid, stagnant categories that divide up our world for examination of the latest, greatest technological innovations - it's about design ecologies. Design ecologies are fluid, dynamic conditions that intersect and overlap and intertwine. Design ecologies are diverse whole systems with predominant themes, e.g. The “urban ecology”; the “energy ecology”; the “information ecology”. What we can take from this insight, going forward in the direction of a luminous green future, is that interconnectivity is a new way to approach problem-solving, or design. It's also true that interconnectivity is a way to sustain communities. We learned from the Barefoot College that its participants are cultivated to self-sustain by reaching out to others, sharing skills and strengthening local knowledge. Interconnectedness is a key piece of pro-active, conscious change. In our global commons, in which the only constant is change, it's human stories that will sustain us.

• COMMUNICATION

Power that comes from advertising is generated from profit-centric spin. If the medium is the message - and the message, no matter what it is, comes from the world of advertising - can advertising ever have a sustainable edge? Or are its messages always slightly contaminated, or green-washed? On the flip side, power that comes from a carefully curated mix of art and science is generated from human-centric curiosity. Can human curiosity be just as reckless as a corporation's profit motive? Does our existence in extreme environments, for our own benefit, diminish the positive effects of intellectual exploration? For both advertising and art/science projects, “if it's going to happen anyway”…we should do it with utmost integrity and honesty. We need to examine motives. In the case of advertising, the consumers are skeptical - it's a tough road to traverse. In the case of cross-disciplinary projects like Marco's, his polar test labs are intended to support our pursuit of a sustainable future. There is hope is such courageous, committed endeavors. Is there also hope that his findings get the same communication oomph that the ad world would give it if it's client were big business? Hmm…

• MATTER

Building on the sentiment that sustainability as a word has lost its pure meaning…it's a tricky modifier in the world of textile design. Organic does not necessarily mean sustainable, nor does simply naming an effort sustainable make it so. Sometimes this word ostracizes; sometimes it serves only to deepen its already committed audience. Sustainable design should be the way it simply is from here on out, i.e. No need to say “sustainable” design. And within this, aesthetics is not lost. Aesthetics is critical in conveying the value of sustainability. We also need to reconcile our desire to build, make, craft and put ever-more matter into the world. As we create, we contribute to the beauty and excitement of the world, but we also contribute to waste. How can we use textiles to raise issues about energy? Or community? Or heritage? How can we use materials to delight not only our senses but also sustain our ecosystem? Finally, can we find a compelling way to transform the sense of guilt that's woven through the notion of sustainable living? Can it be reframed as responsibility? Can it be more fun?

• CHANGE

For sustainable design, development and community to be meanigfully enacted participantds to it need to belive in a fundamental, situated dramaturgy.

• COMMUNICATION

One of the issues we need to keep a watchful eye on in the growing of care-ful communication is how advertisers, corporations and finaincal groups orient and mediate their own interests via Ôgreen washingÕ.

• MATTER

Spirit and matter both matter in our conceptualisations and practices of the interrelationships between design and technology. Concerning flexible, agile and adaptable matter, we might ask: how luminously green a word is sustainability?

Libarynth > Libarynth Web > LuminousGreenSummaries r1 - 25 May 2007 - 15:37 -