not an Al Gore documentary

// the windvane on the Round tower astronomical observatory//

Dorkbot, Copenhagen

I gave a talk last night at the 'mikro gallery' - an underground artist run space in Norrebro near where I am staying. I discovered I have really forgotten how to ride a bicycle as I attempted the ubiquitous form of transportation in Denmark to reach the tiny space. Dorkbot, CPH branch is a friendly group of artists and interaction designers and other networked people. Jacob Sikker Remin  has a webcam set up on the street outside his new gallery and he has plans for an interactive touch screen on the window from the outside of the window to engage people on the street. Norrebro is in the more grungey, culturally diverse North side of Copenhagen (I like it here).

Spanish technology guru David Cuartielles (and David Sjunnesson) from K3 at Malmo (Sweden's just over the bridge) spoke about their latest project 1scale1. - David is the inventer of the Arduino electronic device for interactive projects which I first came across in an ANAT workshop with Beatrix Da Costa in Melbourne . They are provoking their students to 'go to war' in their next project at malmo university to design weapons ! (?) - if you can't beat them - join them. They hope this will challenge students to invent new concepts for electronic, interactive prototypes. 

Alie Rose from CIID (Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design) and her colleague Simona may have some good ideas on more energy efficient technologies to use in the IMPACT exhibition so I will arrange a meeting with her shortly - this is part of my investigations while I am here. Anne Sophie also spoke about her network Tekne and the work they are doing between art, communication and industry. 

I guess I'm going to have to get used to the 'what can art really do about an issue like climate change' question. Its always a hard one to answer when I am ambivalent about the potential of  art (well my own art anyway) as a direct political tool ( - its not an Al Gore documentary, more about sensory ways of knowing?)