Geografías emergentes (Emergent geographies), 2007
Hackitectura.net
Videoinstallation
Geografías emergentes explored unusual territorial experiments starting in places on the periphery of the European and global context which are now becoming central to the contemporary redefinition of relationships among technology, creativity, and society.
Extremadura was one of the places, a geographic region on the Southwestern border of the continent, a world pioneer in migrating to free software with the Linux operating system. Lativa was the other place, a former Soviet republic on the Baltic which has managed to recycle techno-military installations from the Cold War for civil, artisitc and cultural uses.
Geografías emergentes investigated the potential of a bridge for cultural exchange between Extremadura and Latvia in this freeing, glocal, fluid, machinist and futuristic context.
The project took place in three phases in Merida, Latvia and the Siberia of Extremadura with ten young Spanish and Portuguese participants chosen through a scholarship contest.
The first phase was theoretical in nature and took place in Merida with the presence of people including Kristine Briede (Medialab K@2, Karosta, Latvia) and Ewen Chardronnet (Ellipse, France).
Phase 2 consisted of traveling around Latvia with visits to media-lab K@2 in Karosta and the Virac radio antenna as successful examples of the recycling of 20th century buildings and technological installations.
Phase 3 consisted of the installation of a temporary laboratory for artistic and technological experimentation outside the dismantled Nuclear Power Plant in Valdecaballeros in the Siberia of Extremadura (Badajoz). The laboratory participants included artists, hackers, free software developers and country residents, physically located in a geodesic dome equipped with a bi-directional Internet connection via satellite which hosted a series of workshops, panel discussions and performances. The participants included: Clausthome (Riga, Latvia), Carl Biosmark (Karosta), Nicolas Henninger (Exyzt), Brian Holmes, Meskalito Nagual, Straddle3, Joseanito Llorente, BeastBox (Lisbon).
Documentation of Phase 3 of Geografías emergentes is presented in Banquet Nodes and Networks (Banquete Nodos y Redes)
Geografías Emergentes named the second edition of TCS Tecnología, Creación y Sociedad in Extremadura
Video credits:
Infiltración nuclear: Cámara y edición Carl Biosmark Clausthome&Valdecaballeros Camera & edition: Carl Biosmark C.N.V. 360 La Arrancada: Camera & edition: Estrébede y Josean Llorente Moebius Industrial Surfing Camera: Alex Muñoz. Edition: Manu Molina y Pablo de Soto