Thomas Söderqvist The Institute for the Unstable Media, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam-based Virtueel Platform are jointly organising a two-day event — a seminar and a workshop — on Thursday and Friday 9-10 November, on the theme of close-to-the-skin technology. See their website here.
Recent developments in science, including DNA and stem cell research, tissue culturing, smart materials and wearable technology, have a growing impact on how we perceive materials and clothing in design practice. In laboratories across the globe researchers at the boundaries of materials research, electronics, chemistry, and biotechnology are laying the foundations of future applications. The key characteristics of the materials and clothing developed in these labs are their ability to adapt (such as fabrics that adapt their density according to the surrounding temperature), the seamless integration of technology (for example, woven-in solar panels) and the self-organising nature of the design process (such as skin that grows in the form of a leather jacket, independent of any living being).
It is up to the designers, artists, and developers to determine how this ‘adaptivity’, seamless integration and self-organisation will take place. Designers and artists play an essential role in the way these technologies are formed and the way they are used in society at large. More is at stake here than merely the design of the products. It is also vital to stop and think about the impact that the introduction of these kinds of technologies may have on society.
Fleshing Out aims to create a breeding ground for Dutch initiatives in the field of new technologies, in the arts, materials and clothing design practice. It also examines the social impact of this scientific innovation on our daily lives, by testing out various scenarios in conjunction with their users.
This seminar brings together leading and critical initiatives in the field of wearable technology and smart materials and presents them to a broad audience of artists, designers, scientists and students from a variety of disciplines. The seminar takes place on Thursday 9th of November at V2_ in Rotterdam and is part of V2_’s Test_Lab. Admission seminar: 40 Euro (students: 20 Euro)
The workshop provides a more intimate setting for a selected group of speakers from the seminar and several invited Dutch experts. They come together in this workshop to analyse best practices in the interdisciplinary field of wearable technology, come up with scenarios, and research the possibilities of setting up new innovative projects in the Netherlands.
The workshop wil be held on Friday 10th of November at the Zwijger in Amsterdam. The Fleshing Out workshop is by invitation only. However there are some open seats available. Admission scenario workshops: 75 Euro (students: 35 Euro)
You can register via our online registration form: www.virtueelplatform.nl/registrationform
