Workshops
By addressing issues of cultural sustainability with focus on networking, RIXC in collaboration with partners is organizing a Training Programme in Cultural Network Management “Organized Networks” which took place in Riga, December 3-5, 2009.
The Training Programme gathered representatives from more then 20 new media art centers, culture organisations and networks from Baltic, Nordic and other European regions, as well as Caucasus countries.
The follow-up workshops took place from March until May, 2010 in Helsinki, Yerevan, Tbilisi and Reykjavik.
At a close of the project network meeting and public presentations during Network Sustainability conference stream took place in Riga, June 14 – 19, 2010.
Workshop-events in Helsinki, March 24-28, in collaboration with Pixelache 2010 festival.
* As a part of Camp Pixelache programme a workshop on “Art and Renewable Energy Technologies” and Renewable Network meeting conducted by Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits /RIXC/Latvia took place in Kerava Art Museum. It gathered more than 40 participants, who were sharing ideas and creative explorations that deal with renewable energy resources, alternative infrastructure design, creative and ecological use of new technologies.
* Led by Tapio Makela/Finland, in parallel in Kerava, also “MARIN” discussion-workshop took place, introducing the project (networked research residency, set on a catamaran sail boat) and its future programme.
* “Herbologies” workshop, conducted by Andrew Paterson/Finland and Signe Pucena/SERDE/Latvia, was an exploration of the cultural traditions and knowledge of herbs and foraging in relation to art, urban culture, and information-sharing.
* The project was also publicly presented by Raitis Smits/RIXC during “Art and Technoscience” seminar discussions, which took place in Helsinki Arts Academy.
Workshop-events in Yerevan and Tbilisi, April 8 – 14, 2010.
* “Sustainability” workshop and artists presentations in Tbilisi focused on immaterial culture heritage and ecology in both urban and rural contexts. The question of how networks are populated and managed by artists and art communities was an additional focus of workshop discussions that took place in Caucasian House, organized by local organizations: Contemporary Arts Center – Tbilisi and GeoAir.
* Yerevan event focused on sustainability issues particularly in relation to urban development, including network infrastructure, green architecture and renewable energy. More projects dedicated to Energy Saving Processes and Urban Sustainability were presented by visiting as well as Armenian and Georgian artists, architects and urban researchers. Workshop and took place at the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art in Yerevan.
* Each of the workshop-events gathered more then 40 international and local participants. As a result, new collaboration projects were discussed and initiated.
Workshop-events in Reykjavik, May 14-22, and Riga, June 19-26, 2010.
The next project event was supposed to take place during Pikslaverk 2010 festival in Reykjavik. This year Pikslaverk festival was organized in collaboration with RAFLOST festival of electronic arts, exploring sustainability issues through open source in arts. The event in Iceland took place, however some participants did not manage to take part due to the interrupted air traffic caused by Iceland volcano eruptions. In addition, two other workshops in Latvia were organized in June, providing another possibility for network members to participate.
Riga workshop entitled “Tissue engineering and art” was devoted to biotechnology, whereas Aizpute workshop with the title of “Herbologies” was creative expedition exploring cultural traditions in relation to sustainability in Kurzeme region of Latvia. Workshops were gathering more then 30 participants from various European countries.
Closing event “Networks and sustainability” in Riga, June 14-19, 2010.
Project closure phase included network meeting and public presentation of project results during “Networks and Sustainability” conference session, which took place in Riga, June 17, 2010 in the framework of 6th SLSA-eu 2010 conference – a large-scale academic event, hosting almost 100 participants from all over the world. This session featured more than 30 researchers, media theorists, social scientists, network activists and artists, mainly from Europe. It was accompanied by Renewable Network meeting. For the closing event, RIXC issued a publication “Networks and Sustainability” (NicePaper Nr.3) providing “Organized Network” project overviews and results.