Latest blog posts
| Cat Jones residency: a seasonal botanic retreat | May 10, 2013, 1:02 p.m. | |||
Between February and April 2013 Cat Jones was in residence at FoAM researching for her project, Transcontinental Garden Exchange — an experiment in communication between Homo sapiens and flora to highlight how our green friends have seeded change in our social history and behaviour. Whilst at FoAM Cat researched the scientific and social history of human-plant relationships, plant signalling and the possibilities for ther manifestation between humans and flora. |
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| The identity of trees: workshop and walk | May 2, 2013, 9:55 a.m. | |||
Pursuing the research and reflections we began in the Legal Identity for Trees workshop last October, Heath Bunting, Rasa Alksnyte and An Mertens hosted another ‘arboreal identity’ workshop on 6–7 April, this time part of the Bessst initiative supported by the VGC. We shared the results with a wide audience during the 2013 Erfgoeddag (Heritage Day) on 21 April and the Zoniënmars event on 28 April. |
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| Radio MUSE-E 2013 | March 29, 2013, 11:56 a.m. | |||
From January to March 2013 MUS-E artists Elias Vervecken and Rebecca Lenaerts worked with fourth-grade students of BS De Regenboog (Etterbeek) and BS De Bron (Saint-Gilles) on the topic of radiophony. As usual the project concluded with a gathering at the FoAM studio. Children of two classes could get to know each other, cook and work together. The day ended with the recording of a radio show they made together. |
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| Resilients online | March 28, 2013, 2:57 a.m. | |||
We are pleased to announce the compilation of the Resilients online publication, representing the collected reflections and working notes gleaned from two years' prolific intentional voyages, experimental situations and real-life labs exploring creative resilient practices. Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned imagery from Strangehalos, we present this rich body of material as both a finished chronicle of our endeavours and as a plentiful archive of working ideas and notes that can be built on and modified by anyone interested in pursuing it further. |
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| Magic in Iceland | March 19, 2013, 12:08 p.m. | |||
Last week Nik and I preseted at DesignTalks as part of the DesignMarch Festival in Reykjavik. We gave a talk called, after some deliberation and divination, 'Magick, Mistakes and the Multitude of Matter'. The symposium was hosted in the National Theatre (Þjóðleikhúsið) where we presented alongside graphic designer and educator Inge Drukrey, MoMA curator Juliet Kinchin and the design duo Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto (of Eley Kishimoto). The day was superbly moderated by Hrund Gunnsteinsdottir known as "a dreamer, development and conflict specialist". The topic of the symposium was "the magic of creativity" - a perfect oportunity to legitimately talk about the technology of magic(k), human-plant communication, meditative practice as invocation, storytelling as divination and other topics that have been a part of FoAM's work since its inception, albeit mostly under the surface. In Iceland we found people who were not only curiously receptive to such things, but some that are adept practitioners. |
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| DORIS on the high seas | Feb. 15, 2013, 2:21 p.m. | |||
Yesterday was the first test of the full DORIS marine mapping system I'm developing with Amber Teacher and David Hodgson at Exeter University. We went out on a fishing boat from Mylor harbour for a 5 hour trip along the Cornish coast. It's a quiet season for lobsters at the moment, so this was an opportunity to practice the sampling without too much pressure. Researcher Charlie Ellis was working with Hannah Knott, who work with the National Lobster Hatcheryand need to take photos of hundreds of lobsters and combine them with samples of their genetic material.
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| Werkweek Ecologie | Feb. 15, 2013, 11:29 a.m. | |||
FoAM took part in Werkweek rond Ecologie, an educational project at the Kunsthumaniora School in Brussels. Rasa Alksnyte and Shelbatra Jashari guided 5th-grade students through various experiences and approaches towards a relationship with nature. On the program: a walk and discussion about the identity of various trees in the city of Brussels, and creating urban ikebana sculptures in the schoolyard. |
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| Kunst in de Keuken 2013 | Feb. 7, 2013, 1:07 p.m. | |||
To start our new Mus-E traject this year, Kunst in de Keuken (Art in the Kitchen), I decided to take my class to the Brussels Royal Fine Art Museum to explore the themes of food and food culture in festive celebrations and communal gatherings as they are portrayed in the works of the old masters. |
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| FoAM Newsletter Winter 2012 | Dec. 22, 2012, 6:34 p.m. | |||
Winter greetings from FoAM, amidst virtual snow and the sudden electric bloom of Christmas lights. As the year draws to its close we look back over some intense months of production amidst gardens of (un)earthly delight, the titanic florescence and demise of superpower plants, picaresque peregrinations on foot, pedal, and unmanned aerial vehicle, not to mention ever-expanding spheres, spaces and spaceship imaginaries of future pre-enactments… while also looking forward to a new year of synaesthetic experiences, collaborative fabulations, and ongoing research into alchemical technologies. |
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| Concealed tangential architrave (Ship's log 12/12/12) | Dec. 19, 2012, 6:19 p.m. | |||
After a few hours the majority of the crew seems to be arriving (mind lag) The first casualty happened, although not too serious. Boo has been violated by rats. The doctor keeps him sedated while the agave wound heals. In the mean time, the craftsmen are building Boo-sized rat traps that he's wearing while hibernating (sun has disappeared, so his energy levels are low. The flotilla needs a kitchen extension (temporary)., in order to accommodate the vast numbers of cooks interested in contributing to the feast. |
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