Steaming sewers

Geographic determinism: Mejlgade, Aarhus, Denmark
Date: Jan 17 2012, Jan 18 2012

A postcard finally sent

It's a tough job to keep up with the logistics while finishing a diploma project, I've realized. Today I found this postcard, supposed to be sent months ago. It's a snapshot from my light + H₂O-lab video session in the beginning of march 2011. Even though it's not so long ago, it actually feels like ages. There has been a lot of water under the table since, so to say.

Those dark winter days and nights in and around the workshop/mock-up space at the school was sure challenging, demanding both discipline and play, physical strenght and mental clairvoyance. Looking back on it now, I think that's where the foundation of my diploma project was solidified, and it sure was a substantial platform of raw concrete to both build upon, but also an anchor to hold on to while going through storms.

However, right now the same very models are actually back in the mock-up space, after a few months of drifting around in the schoool, waiting to be exhibited in the exhibition space nearby in a few days.

I'm looking forward to catch up with you people at the SPS soon again. I DO want to sit around a table with you before the world goes bananas.

Best Regards,
Jakob

Postcard from Copenhagen

Dear People at South Pole Station.

Its been a long time since I have seen you woolen sweater dressed guys. This night I had a dream similar to the one from Fight Club where a tiny penguin appears with a soft voice and says "slide". In these days I am sliding to much north I believe.
I really miss the feeling of being in an international territory full of undistributed oil fields. I miss the landscape that has so often provided us with a feeling of infinity and love.

I brought my globe to Copenhagen and have decided to turn it up side down so that every time I look at it my dear South Pole looks right back at me and makes me feel as if I was feet up and head down.

Hope to see you soon, over, under and between the ice.


Yours sincerely,
Anders Krogdal

from South Pole Workshop webcam

Epiphyte Telestrielle (E.T.) up and running

On May 16th 2010 Epiphyte Telestrielle (E.T.) started a situation specific architectural performance. A physical arhive of digital information; traces of a 760 kilometers and 13 days long bike adventure, articulated in motion and space.

One after the other, the letters flows through the structure creating a performative archive of the blogposts at enannanvag.blogspot.com. More documentation (also in motion) will be online soon. Until then - and before the 31st of October 2010 - use the possibility to experience it at Wanås Foundation in the South of Sweden.

Epiphyte
A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a staghorn fern, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for nutrients.

Telestrielle
Depending on operations performed remotely, living on or in or growing from land.

Media Coverage: 1, 2, 3, 4

SPECULACIUM

How do we deal with ideas in a digital era?

Long after the emergence of www, we are now used to an extraordinary high flow of information. We know exactly how to prioritize, select and kill our darlings.
Or do we?
Often ideas is never communicated because they are not localize-able in the humongous pile of digits (101010001001111000100100100100010111001001)?

SPECULACIUM is built on the 11 keystones, and contains as you will experience every possible detail in the art of descriping.

SPS surprisingly new post-digital 'SPECULACIUM' is developed for internet users with a romantic desire for physical paper, but is at the same time pleasing network knowledge. We are currently working in collaboration with the fabulous guys at YouSendit, trying to develop a SPECULACIUM Storage System (CA, USA).

Until further notice, fill all your ideas into your SPECULACIUM and store it in a deep drawer, in the couch or somewhere safe and even better.
1) speculacium title: name it
2) date.
3) contact informtion for SPECULACIUM holder
4) descripe your SECULACIUM
5) mediatope: which media would be appropriate?
6) geografic determinism?
7) financial structure + growth rates
8) 2nd thoughts + comments
9) Expected usage of CAL - from carrot to Mars bar.
10) Contact information on 2nd and 3rd part inspectors
11) 1 cm2 signature

get the printer friendly version here:
4 on A4 - very easy!

What would Buckminster Fuller have done?

I was just stroke by a feeling that the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai is more a monument of our time, than speculations of future scenarios.

Looking back at the history of World Expo's, I have a feeling that the future as something exiting, something approaching and something desirable.

Now in the year 2010, we are living the future, over 50% of the world's population live in urban areas, blah, blah, blah. City bikes, blah, blah and blah. We know.

To quote Håkan Hellström; "Give me somthing to build a dream upon".


US Pavilion for the 1967 Expo in Montreal . (Courtesy the Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller)

I never understood that it could be experienced

Idag er sket noget märkeligt og også helt fantastiskt. Jeg kom i snak med en dame, som väret i Gordon Matta Clark's vennekreds. Da hon sa noget i stil med at "dessvärre er det jo ikke nogle af hans verker der er bevarede" var det noget der gik op för mig. Det har jo, om en i et meget begrenset tidsrum, väret muligt at opleve hans verker. Da jeg har oplevet de kun gennem böger og andre representationsformer, har jeg opfattet det jeg oplevede derigennem som verket, og ikke som nogen representation.

Jeg kan märke hvordan verden ekspanderer i mit sind.

Press play to activate soundtrack:

Assume that this ash/dust cloud will be around for a weeks, months, or even years. How will that effect our (everyday) life? Will we still take that cheap flight trip to London? Could this ephemeral apocalypse speed up the development of high-speed rails in Europe?

In the common discourse on and around SPS, reading Steven Johnsson and Manuel De Landa, the idea of the city as an ecosystem where the city is the result of the emergent intelligence of its agents has been discussed. Taking that idea to a bigger scale, we might consider the Gaia hypothesis, where the world is considered a "a complex interacting system that maintains the climatic and biogeochemical conditions on Earth". The idea of the world as a selfregulating system has been on my mind since last night, when a friend talked about how old nordic mytholody explained the eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull as nature selfregulating the effects of cheap airlines.

There is something interesting in the Gaia Hypothesis in relation to Steven Johnsson's Emergence, since the theories of emergent behaviour both deconstruct and reinforce the idea of Mother Earth. Taking the magic away but at the same time explaining the script.

I am not sure where this post is leading, but there is something in the air.