Machine Wilderness Workshop

Machine Wilderness is a free workshop, open to all, crossing the arts-sciences boundaries and merging ecology and design. This workshop is run with Theun Karelse.

Humans have changed animals, crops and landscapes to fit with industry. We've designed machines and technology to efficiently harvest our landscapes. What would a machine look like that feeds a landscape? That is not efficient, but subtle, or graceful? Machine Wilderness asks if we can adapt our tools to living landscapes; play by their rules. Can we design technology in terms of organisms and living processes?

Investigating the relationship between human-made machines and the local environment, we will use design exercises and field explorations to prototype machines adapted to natural systems. Inspiration comes from examples like the Tumbleweed Robot and Fearscape LIDAR.

Everyone is welcome but spaces are limited – to book a place email amber@fo.am

This workshop is funded by the FEAST programme (Arts Council England in partnership with Cornwall Council) and the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Crossovers). The workshop is an invited contributor to ArtCOP21 - a global festival of cultural activity on climate change.

note: Machine Wilderness was the theme given by Andrea Polli to the wonderful ISEA 2012 symposium, and originates from writings of cultural geographer Ron Horvath in the 1960s. It is used here with full respect for that context.