[artinfo] Call for Renewable Futures 2017: Economia Conference

Wed Oct 5 14:17:08 CEST 2016

Dear all,

Please find below our open call for the second 
edition of RENEWABLE FUTURES 2017, art and 
science conference, which with the title ECONOMIA 
will take place in January 20-22, 2017, in 
Eindhoven, Natlab, former Philips physics Lab, 
organised by Baltan Laboratories, in 
collaboration with RIXC, in the framework or 
Renewable Futures European collaboration, as a 
part of Economia festival

The DEADLINE for conference and artwork proposals is extended! It is now:

October 15, 2016

Please see below more info, and please share this 
open call to anyone who might be interested!

best,

Rasa

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OPEN CALL:
RENEWABLE FUTURES CONFERENCE 2017 - ECONOMIA
The second edition of art and science conference 
series in Europe and the Baltic Sea region

January 20 - 22, 2017,
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Venue: Baltan Laboratories / Natlab, former physics lab of Philips.

Renewable Future is a new conference series that 
aims to invent new avenues for more sustainable 
and imaginative future developments. The first 
conference edition took place in Riga (LV) 
exploring the transformative potential of art. 
The second Renewables Futures conference will 
take place in Eindhoven, aiming to push the 
boundaries of our thinking about the economy. The 
conference will be a part of Economia festival 
organized by Baltan Laboratories in Natlab, 
former physics lab of Philips.

Economia festival is a three-day event during 
which we collectively explore new ideas and 
thinking about our economy. The event is a 
laboratory for ideas, a place where we can step 
out of the existing frame. We will use unexpected 
and playful approaches looking at the essentials 
of economy, thus establishing a fresh point of 
view on the economic system and our society.

* Background: about Economia

In the eighties economy transformed more and more 
into a so called hard science. economy reduced 
its various approaches of our complex and 
unpredictable economic behavior, to one 
comprehensive theory known as the neoclassical or 
neoliberal model. This model captured economic 
behavior in mathematical formulas. It had the 
beauty of simplicity, the predictability of a 
formula and sounded too logical not to be true.

Like most powerful technologies dating from after 
the Second World War, economy has influenced the 
world of our ideas, how we define ourselves, and 
how we organize our society. Just as the 
discovery of DNA forced us to look differently at 
life, and the developments in ICT made our world 
smaller in unprecedented ways, the neoliberal 
model caused a huge shift from common interest to 
individual interest, and from a long term view to 
a short term view.
It is striking how little imagination this hard 
economic approach generates. economy has no 
equivalent of multiple universes, singularity or 
space-travelling. No strange life forms in the 
depths of the ocean or on other planets, no 
artificial or eternal life. economy is 
astoundingly prosaic and, rather than to explore 
and push the boundaries of its own domain, it 
seems to move inward, in precisely the opposite 
direction.

Since the outbreak of the financial crises in 
2007/2008, uncertainty about the effectiveness 
and validity of the neoliberal model has grown 
considerably. economy, as a social technology in 
its present form, provides no solution to issues 
of climate change and social inequality. It 
cannot help us organize social alliances, public 
interests or develop long-term prospects. Its 
results no longer appeal. The added value of 
efficiency and productivity are outweighed by the 
numerous disadvantages of reducing all values to 
market value.

Although critique on the neo-liberal model grows, 
no new answers or alternatives have been proposed 
yet. In the search for new economic insights and 
alternatives to the current model, why not start 
by treating economy like any other technology? 
Playing with it, hacking it, using input from 
other disciplines, unleashing science fiction on 
it, approach it in an artistic manner. In short, 
taking ownership so that we can reshape and 
rework economy as we see fit. Because however 
meaningful, criticizing the current model won't 
rid us of it. And we aim to do precisely that.

The aim of the festival and conference is to 
approach economy in new ways and look at our 
economic system and society with the detached 
view of the visitor, researcher, gamer, alien and 
artist. We want to reclaim economy as a 
social/cultural structure that we created, 
ridding us of the idea of economy as an 
inevitable law of nature.

More information about the festival: http://www.thinkeconomia.nl

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OPEN CALL FOR PAPERS AND ARTWORKS

We welcome presentations by academic researchers, 
designers, artists, scientists, students, social 
entrepreneurs, visionaries and other creative 
thinkers and practitioners to submit their 
proposals with regards to the following themes:

* Economy as evolution:
economy is about development and evolution. 
Societies develop and the direction they take is 
determined partly by the type of economic 
relationships they develop. Parallels are often 
drawn between these developments in culture and 
those in nature.

* Economy as a game:
economy is about rules and laws. Just like other 
types of relationships in the edifice of a 
society, an existing system of economic 
relationships adheres to certain laws and 
regulations. Gaming is about learning the laws 
and rules of a game so that you can play it 
better and better.

* Economy as a fiction:
economy is about ideas and faith. Credit has 
existed right from the start of societies, in the 
form of trust that A would pay B. Just as today, 
you would do a task for future reward in whatever 
form. Every form of economic relationship is an 
idea, or to put it better perhaps a prejudice. 
Which means it can change.
economy as a market: economy is about supply and 
demand. The greatest and most misunderstood 
cliché. Demand and supply is a way to describe 
life. Each influences the other in an 
unpredictable and complex ways.

* Economy as magic:
economy is both tangible and invisible. We are 
familiar with two forms of trade, goods and 
money. The one that you can handle and the other 
that exists only in the form of ones and zeros. 
The latter seems like pure magic. It is with good 
reason that some of these 'financial wizards' 
call themselves 'Master of the universe'.

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CONFERENCE PROPOSALS

Proposals should explore at least one of the 5 
proposed themes, which are at the heart of this 
conference. Selected speakers are invited to 
present their papers as part of the conference 
and are encouraged to engage within lively 
discussions amongst peers, experts, and the 
general audience.

Proposals should consist of:
1) Abstract: 250 words
2) Short biography: 100 words

THE DEADLINE EXTENDED - October 15, 2016.
Notification for acceptance will be sent before 15 of November.

Submit your proposal to: http://openconf.rixc.lv/

More information about the Conference Call:
http://thinkeconomia.com/pdf/openCallEconomia.pdf

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ARTWORK PROPOSALS

Proposals for developing or showcasing art 
projects (installations, performances, video 
based work, etc.) should contain:
1) a description of the art project (max 1 A4), 
including at least 2 photos/visual materia and/or 
a link to the website referring to previously 
developed works.

Selection of artworks will be based on quality, 
feasibility and the connection to the overall 
theme.

THE DEADLINE EXTENDED - October 15, 2016.
Notification for acceptance will be sent before 15 November.

Please send your artwork proposals to Olga Mink: info at baltanlaboratories.org,
With the subject: Artwork proposal Renewable Futures: Economia 2017.

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Festival curators: Wiepko Oosterhuis, Olga Mink

Conference chairs: Rasa Smite / RIXC, Olga Mink / 
Baltan Laboratories, and Wiepko Oosterhuis.

* Conference International Scientific Board:

- Katja Kwastek. Professor of Modern and 
Contemporary Art History, Vrije Universiteit 
Amsterdam.
- Armin Medosch. Professor of theory of art and 
media, Singidunum University, Belgrade.
- Gediminas Urbonas. Associate Professor and 
Director at MIT program in art, culture and 
technology, MIT Boston.
- Misko Suvakovic. Professor of Aesthetics and 
Theory of Art, Belgrade University.
- Jussi Parikka, Professor in Technological 
Culture & Aesthetics, University of Southampton.
- Dieter Daniels, Professor of Art History and 
Media Theory, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst 
Leipzig.
- Douglas Kahn, Professor of Media and 
Innovation, University of New South Wales, Sydney.
- Lev Manovich, Professor of Computer Science, City University of New York.
- Laura Beloff, Associate Professor and Head of 
Section, IT University Copenhagen.
- Prof. Lily DIAZ-KOMMONEN / Head of Research 
Department of Media, Aalto University, School of 
Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki, Finland
- Prof. Kristin BERGAUST / Oslo and Akershus 
University College of Applied Sciences, Norway

* Conference Local Organizational Board:

- Katja Kwastek. Professor of Modern and 
Contemporary Art History, Vrije Universiteit 
Amsterdam.
- Daniëlle Arets, lector Strategic Creativity, Design Academy Eindhoven.
- Annie Fletcher, Chief curator exhibitions Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.
- Dan Diojdescu (MBA). Teacher economy at Avans 
School of International Studies (ASIS).
- Ingrid van der Wacht, independent project manager and concept developer
- Alain Heureux, Your Own Lab and The Egg Brussels
- CeesJan Mol, Venturespring

* Contact: info at baltanlaboratories.org, rixc at rixc.lv

* Organizers: Baltan Laboratories in 
collaboration with RIXC and Renewable Future 
European network, supported by Creative Europe.

http://baltanlaboratories.org

http://renewablefutures.net

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