OpenLab-24-25

Schedule

• 05.11. first meeting
  

talking about the schedule and the topics, experiments, workshops we are interested in this semester.
possible schedule: every two weeks. tuesday afternoons
depending on our demand and plans

tuesdays, every 2 weeks

- 19th november, 2 pm

methods and processes, part 1

what are our methods and processes, our approaches on working with our topics, questions...

• the creative independent: resource of emotional and practical guidance for creative people... with interviews, topics, zines on how to be creative and everything connected to it.

• methods of art: a research project created by Johannes M. Hedinger (Zurich/New York) and Torsten Meyer (Cologne), compiled as a series of video interviews with contemporary artists from a wide range of fields, backgrounds and formations. The series explores core questions of „art making“ and the methods in their artistic production. A set of ten central questions aims to approach this matter from different angles.
  

first question: how do you approach a new topic?

actually these are two or more questions as we found out during discussion:

• how do find a new topic?
  
• what is a "new" topic or topic itself?
  could also be an angle, a new perspecive, a new interest, a question...
  
• what is your approach? how do you start the approach?
  

more a question of method and starting the process.

- 03rd december, 2 pm

topics today

Theo talking about his research into sirens, going into detail about not-yet-sounds, shifting perspectives of listening...

Jeo presenting her work on making booklets which are made on daily basis. This work is to display her way of thoughts and make loose associations in her daily life.

some connected links

• Luigi Russolo, italian futurist, painter, composer, builder of experimental musical instruments...
• Charlotte Posenenske, minimalist, predominantly sculpture, also paintings
• aircraft detection 1917-1940, historical photos and information about listening devices during the time of the two world wars
• Byung Chul Hang, philosopher, cultural theorist

methods and processes part 2

for a later time: discussing our own methods and processes, using some questions as orientation:

• what is your process in working on a project?
• how do you deal with ideas, questions, planning? what are your first steps?
• what are common obstacles in your process?

also/ always possible: bring examples of other artists or examples of works (in art/ design/ architecture etc) showing a specific process or method.

- 17th december, 2 pm

topic: cards, tarots, card systems...

Lei will give us an insight into the tarot system and show us her collection.

furthermore: let's prepare for creating our own set of cards
what do we need for doing a workshop?
eg what would we want to show with our own set of cards?

a manifesto in cards, a portfolio, our thoughts and ideas....

so bring your own examples, card sets...

some first examples today

Naoto Hieda, two projects with sets of cards: autobiographical project and a [https://re-coding.technology/heartbreak-cards/ heartbreak cards, a tutorial and website edition.
hans w. koch, one work called privat klavier quartett with a set of cards, a performance, a radio piece.
Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt, oblique strategies, available in different versions, as apps, browserbased, as physical cards, developed into other projects.... eg here or as pdf
Fluxus and the idea of multiples, amongst other formats cards and card systems are used for instructions, thoughts, miniature installations, text etc
one of many fluxus examples is the Fluxdeck by George Maciunas, 1988, although this one only uses a regular playing card deck with different drawings
George Brecht, Water Yam Box
another direction how to use cards: one example of trading cards or fan cards, interesting in terms of combination image and text and information system, collection based

january: one other day

for excursion to

• geology museum, university cologne: Geomuseum

if we are 5 people we can go on a tuesday, otherwise it is open on wednesdays and sundays.

possible topics

collection of topics/ possible workshops from our first meeting, please add/ correct:

• Esther: working with your own inks and paper, trying out different materials. preparing your own pigment/ ink
• Amelie: seasickness goggles
• Amelie: windinstrument-kite
• Sebastián: silk screen, doing small practices
• Jeongan: Draw-A-Book, drawing as process, perhaps doing some exercises
• Charlotte: making a booklet/ zine about dream/ sleep myths
• Jeo: finding principles behind "getting lost" materials, experimenting with glazes, creating her own geological landscapes
• Chanmin: photo developing with plants

more:

• methods/ approaches/ processes: everyone brings one example for a different approach by artists/ ourselves ...
• geology museum, university cologne: Geomuseum, if we are 5 people we can go on a tuesday, otherwise it is open on wednesdays and sundays.
• Exkursion to Bonn in January: Arithmeum, for example the current exhibition with rare mathematical instruments
• process of making a zine
• diagrams?

• always possible: talking about your projects/ questions/ ideas: pick a date and tell us

Seminartext

Das Open Lab ist Kolloquium und Treffpunkt zur Diskussion aktueller Projekte und gemeinsamer Forschungsschwerpunkte im Kontext des exMedia Labs. Es bietet Raum zum Präsentieren und Erproben von künstlerischen Arbeiten, kooperativen Strategien, Experimenten, Installationen, Workshops, Vorträgen, Texten usw. in unterschiedlichen Entwicklungsstadien. Ergänzend bzw. bei Bedarf finden zudem Workshops und Einführungen zu Themen wie DIY-Elektronik, Prototyping- und Drucktechniken, Programmierung und der Arbeit mit biologischen Medien statt.
Dieses Semester gibt es keinen offiziellen Eintrag ins Vorlesungsverzeichnis. Wir treffen uns in unregelmässigen Abständen nach Absprache. Bei Interesse, einen Workshop anzubieten, ein Experiment durchzuführen, ein Projekt mit allen zu besprechen oder einfach generell Interesse an der gemeinsamen Arbeit im exMedia Lab, meldet Euch bei Karin.