FoAM v0 - Starlab Cultural Department - (March 2000 - September 2000)
(NOTE: in need of editing and fact-checking)
Members
FoAM v1 - Starlab non-profit spin-off - (September 2000 - June 2001)
Structure type
Mission / Purpose
The mission of this spin off was to
Connect Starlab’s scientific research with art & culture¨
Put Starlab’s research out in the world
Explore forms at the frontier between art & technology
Quickly make an organization in Belgium to receive money for the project (from Flemish government + Ars electronica) (October 2001)
Create a structure to work with others in the Netherlands (April 2002)
Members
FoAM v2 - Non-profit with possible commercial spin-offs - (June 2001 - March 2010)
Structure type
This structure was designed by FoAM’s crew, in the post-Starlab era
A non-profit with possible commercial spin-offs
Non-profit as a playground
Develop services and products that could generate income
Feed part of the money back in the non-profit
The creation of spin-offs was not a core mission, but an economic feedback implementation to get revenue in case one was created
Creating multiple FoAM studios rather than one big FoAM
Mission / Purpose
Members
Formally, regarding membership
It started with Nik, Lina, Maja on the board + 1 belgium person in the general assembly
But funders did not like it
Informally, regarding membership
Very horizontal way of working
Everyone involved was invited to be part of the decision-making
The group came together when it was needed, people not wanting to come did not
All kind of decisions were taken in these assemblies
About 8-10 people were gathering around the table, up to 20 when gathering all the participants of an EU project
It worked well when things were working, but an implicit power structure (mostly based on legal responsibilities) was revealed as soon as difficulties were showing up
FoAM v2.1 - (2001-2005)
Activities
FoAM v2.2 - (2006-2009)
Structure type
Mission / Purpose
After the LETHA project (presented at the Fuckup night), the focus was re-directed on environmentally/socially sustainable projects
For instance, luminous green
The mission was redefined around a broader social/cultural/environmental sustainability vision
The circles were opened further
The mission also shifted contentwise
In late 2009, FoAM became a lab for speculative culture
Activities
FoAM v3 - Funding-induced structural change - (2010 - 2016)
Structure type
Core team
([?] TBChecked) This institution is designed to manage FoAM Brussels laboratory on a daily basis
This institution was created in 2010
Its size stayed in the 4-8 people range
The representation of projects was stopped in 2012-2013
Centralizing the core team on people running the organization
Board
This institution is designed to be in between FoAM and the external world
It started by including FoAM members only, and then some external advisors were added ([?] post-2010 ?)
Its size stayed in the range of 6-9 people
Mission/Purpose & Activities
[?]
[TODO]