Building bridges by narrative design
An experimental workshop of 5 days at the Kunstuniversität Linz tried to establish personal connections via digital media between students from Austria and Arab countries, that face political and social changes right at the moment.
Digital media brings down spatial distance, but how close can we really get to the lives of others, strangers, people far away, unknown or very distantly connected? Twitter journalism, youtube broadcasting system and facebook magazine make you feel immediately involved into happenings around the world. Global Story Workshop puts the intensity of connections with strangers from around the world to a test.
Six groups of students in Linz, Austria, were asked to connect with a person in an Arab country and to generate a design project out of the communication or the process of connecting. Different levels of involvement could be achieved, from very personal conversations to the impossibility of contacts and correspondingly the works reflect the grades of involvment. The countries chosen were the following: Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
Text & Concept: Pudelskern
Projects
Friendly Match - Lebanon
colouRose - Tunisia
I can feel art in your blood - Iran
oh my dear brother - Yemen
Revolution in Bloom - Egypt
Wishes for a better fortune - Syria
http://maiworkshop.jimdo.com/workshops/about/installations/
Participating Students
Magdalena Strauss (Curator), Albert Nagy, Alessandro Lorenz, David Schellander (Organisation), Alexandra Holzmann, Katharina Peball (Revolution in bloom, Organisation), Caroline Weichselbaumer, Lisa Pasterer, Phillip Weinberger, Evi Pribyl (ColouRose), Nina Maringer , Marion Baumann, Stella Baumgartner, Nizar Aguir, Thomas Essl (I can fell art in your blood), Simon Hauer, Peter Walter, Anna Fritz, Anna Haider (Wishing for good fortune), Felix Seidl, Marielis Beham, Anna Pech (Information liar, oh my dear brother), Moritz Matschke, Felix Ganzer, Jomo Zeil, Florian Aistleitner, Rebecca Rottensteiner
Location
Kunstuniversität Linz, Hauptplatz 8, 4010 Linz
Exhibition place: inner yard
Co-operation Partner/Heaad of Workshop
www.pudelskern.at
Period
30rd of May until 5th of June 2011
