Workshop report by: Mamdooh Afdile, Doctoral Student at the Media Lab, Aalto University, Helsinki
Title of workshop: Oslo Fjord Ecologies (View page)
Dates and place of workshop: 21st to 27th of November 2016, ANX exhibition and seminar space, Grünerløkka, Oslo.
Organized by: Professor Kristin Bergaust, Art in Society research group at HiOA, Oslo.

Workshop description:

“Oslo Fjord Ecologies” workshop is part of “RENEWABLE FUTURES – Building New European Creative Alliance and Think Tank”. Renewable Futures is a network and Creative Europe project. The Renewable Futures (RF) project aims to invent new avenues for developments of tomorrow – in culture and creative sector on the European level. Project partners in RF are: Baltan Laboratories (The Netherlands), Ars Longa (France), HOGSKOLEN I OSLO OG AKERSHUS (Norway), Media Lab / Aalto University (Finland), Hangar (Spain), Liepaja University (Latvia).

“Oslo Fjord Ecologies” workshop is built around participating presenters from the art and education field. Participants working together on shared themes where organized in to clusters. The workshop program included, Art education, Artistic research and the everyday action and agency of art. In addition, exhibitions, artist talk and practical workshops took place (see program).

Participation in the workshop:

During the one week workshop, I attended all the presentations, and was an active part of the artistic discussions in regards to the role and effectiveness of future art and art education to the ecological wellbeing of society. The role of art in society was a focus topic in the workshop that was discussed from different perspectives; with the artist role as an observer, educator and an active agent.

Contribution to the workshop:

During the workshop, I gave two presentations as part of the Art-education cluster.

My first presentation was “Teaching art to understand the brain and studying the brain to empower art” (20 min). Here I discussed the potential of using art as a means to contribute to understanding science, as well as the experience of integrating scientific knowledge in my artistic work.

My second presentation was “How do you like me know? – Using movies to unmask the biased brain” (20 min).  Here I presented the results of the first paper of my Doctoral studies, the research question as well as the future direction of using scientific methodology in art research.

Contribution of the workshop to my studies:

The workshop was a great opportunity for me to network and take part of the current debate on the role of art in society. It was an enriching experience where I had the chance to be exposed to different artistic perspectives and approaches related to my topic of interest. I believe such international workshops are an essential initiative to bring together a variety of artists and educators to engage in a multi-disciplinary discourse.

“Listening to the fjord”. Hydrophonic listening with Siri Austeen and others:

Here are the final presentation materials from the participants at the Hybrid Lab 2: 3D Open-source Digital Heritage and Sustainable Technologies Workshop (Helsinki).

Cindy Kohtala:

Juan Duarte:

Justin Tyler Tate:

Maija Demitere:

The Water Garden

Installation, 2015

 

The exhibition work “The Water Garden” is an end result of my masters study in Liepaja University New Media Art  programme. My research questions were – is it possible to make a self-sustaining growing system, that could be used (and adapted) in anyones living space? How to present process-based “slow” media art work in a gallery space?

“The Water Garden” is based on any aquaphonic-type growing system, only instead of using synthetic chamicals to feed plants, I used fish. The fish waste, together with flowing watter (and oxigen in it) can provide all the necessary food for the plants growin in tubes. I can grow tomatoes, salad, kale, spices (anything that doesn’t mind growing indoors and with limited light). The plants produce average amount of fruit.

The failing

As a short-term growing system it needs a lot of power for the growlights and constant attention (feeding the fish and cheching if the tubing doesn’t get blocked). As a long-term system it needs exactly the same level of attention; and in addition – the water (around 300 l) needs to be changed at least once in 2 weeks, because the plants cant filter enough of the biological material.

The roots of plants growing next to each other will eventually get tangled together in a way that makes it impossible to clean the tubes and will start collect a lot of slime and fish waste (and will start to smell of an old and shallow pond).

Rasma:

Black Box failure

Last semester in university we had to learn programming and as usual at the end of our study year we have to make exhibition about the subject that we have been learning. So we had to make something that includes programing in concept with black box (idea of our teacher). I had almost no background in programming and we only had 4 months to learn basic programming thigs, so my project was already destined to fail.
In my mind ocean has always been mystical unknown place so I decided to go with concept of deep deep waters.  Even at the beginning when making physical box i ran into some difficulties, but it was noting comparing to the actual programming. I had to connect light sensors with arduino and then send the data to computer. My idea was when you point your light source into the sensor holes, the sounds(recorded at the deepest place in ocean) would start to play, in that way representing exploration of the ocean.
But because of the lack of time and knowledge i didn’t turn my idea to life and couldn’t participate in exhibition. So you can say my black box project was one big failure. But after all I gained more knowledge than in case when everything would have worked out in the first place.

Synne Blomli Johnsen:

What I did not do or spoke of
I failed when I did not even try

to make it

and create it

I failed when I did not trust

my idea and product

I failed when I did not ask for

advice and feedback

I failed when I did not separate good ideas from bad

and made decisions

to follow the “read thread”

ahead

My failure can be recognized as avoiding failure

I have learned that I can share my

ideas and work

Without compromising my frame of design

I recognize that my missing link, my forth leg of the stool

is communication with

my customers and the community

I could use a sparring mate sometimes

I have learned that sharing ideas and experiences within

a community or network

of shared interest

i can learn new things

and maybe even create new things

in a collaboration

 

Will van Twuijver:

1) accumulating data related to cultural heritage
2) the creation of artefacts related to cultural heritage.

Workshop Design ( Facilitation )

** 2.12. workshop session **

We sit in a roundcircle and say briefly your name, associative context and about which leg you think you stand on, and why. If both or contested you can say why. We will try to mix up people of both legs & complicated others into groups of 4-5.

You will in your smaller ‘safer’ group of 4 tell about your project to each other which didn’t work out as planned (failed). There are 3 legs this time, although maybe more.

Technical/data sustainability; Social/human sustainability; Material/ecological sustainability.

One person in the group will tell, one person in the group will listen, one person in the group will act as scribe, and one person in the group will make a mind/relationship map accordingly.

Each person will have about 30 mins each to tell, and there can be a little pause in between each for a breath of fresh air. As the teller changes other persons can change roles also.

Conversation with details, reflecting on making things better for the future in each case. Robert & Raul will be able to go round the groups and listen in, give consultation if desired.

** 3.12. workshop session **

Individually concentrate on each own narrative, that is shared as a short presentation in the post-lunch period.

Your presentation at the last session will be short – 5–8mins – which aims to tell concisely a narrative about your project which is not only a PR-tale, funding pitch or necessarily good-reportage. Essentially it would be an honest, down-to-earth and open description a reflected nuance of its strengths and failure(s), which despite this offers some hope for you/us in the future.

Documentation:

1) 5-8 min telling of your narrative related to a failed process/project on topic. This will be recorded as a video-clip but not published without your permission.

Requesting the following:

2) We ask for 3 independent images about what you share with us. PNG format preferably (jpg is ok, but we prefer png). At least 1000x horizontally. Archive them together into a ZIP or RAR folder and send via email, or share a download link.

3) 200 word abstract which summarizes what you shared with us. It is up to you if you wish to detail names or projects.

See Documentation here.

Oslo Fjord Ecologies Workshop 21st to 27th of November 2016
Art in Society, HiOA, Oslo, Norway

Art and research project on cultural and biological sustainability of the sea.

The Oslo Fjord encompasses ecological connections and challenges that are specific and tangible, as well as cultural practices and interactions with the environment and its populations.

The Oslo Fjord is nature, economy, infrastructure, biology, materiality, culture and history as well as future plans and challenges.

How can new concepts of knowledge, artistic methods and interdisciplinary engagement contribute to formulate sustainable relationships to the environment?

The workshop was organized in three main clusters or spinners of themes, interests and questions:

• (art)education
• artistic research
• the everyday: agency and action

• Ecologies: diverse perspectives on ecology
• Ecology in educational contexts
• Ecology in practical contexts

Hybrid Lab 1 Programme:

The program Friday 25th, Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th is co-funded by Hybrid Labs, a Nordplus horizontal project. Oslo Fjord Ecologies is developed and organized by Kristin Bergaust on supported by Art in Society Research Group, HiOA, in Oslo, Norway.

Friday 25th November 2016:
The everyday – Action and agency from 10-18 

10-11.30 Voice workshop with Tony Valberg
11.30-12.30 Stabekk husmorskole by Martin and Henning, independent activists
13-14 Flatbread Society presented by Mads Pålsrud, designer at GrowLab
14 Gentle actions and resilience by curator and artist Eva Bakkeslet
Langøyene – Free Camping by curator and artist Cathrine Constanse Gjelsnes
Filmscreenings
Mingling/Drinks

Saturday 26th November 2016
City-walk to the fjord

14 Kafé Barbara, artists Gunnhild Bakke Annabeth Kolstø
Walking tour performance
From ANX to Losætra
Flatbread Society Bakehouse

Sunday 27th November 2016, from 13-18

15 Bio-art performance Hege Tapio (IOlab)
Exhibitions/documentations

See the full Programme of Oslo Fjord Ecologies Workshop.

See the report on “Hybrid Lab 1: Oslo Fjord Ecologies”.

See the Creative Apprenticeship report from Oslo Fjord Ecologies by Mamdooh Afadila.

Photographs from Oslo Fjord Ecologies: