Berlin 2019: Music, Tech, Audiovisual Sci-Art scenes

A present day example of this critical dialogue at the borders of art and technological is STATE Studio in west Berlin. Occupying a new gallery space on Hauptstrasse, STATE is a ‘festival, gallery and agency for science, art and innovation who connect people with science in novel ways’. My first visit was for the opening of ‘Field Experiments’ an exhibition series showcasing provocative artistic works across the fields of science, art and society. The centerpiece of the exhibition was ‘Living Canvas’ an installation by artist and designer Faro Peluso. The piece is a giant living canvas-sized algae experiment (complete with water irrigation system), a piece of speculative design challenging the viewer to contemplate the importance of sustainable energy in cities and how algae could be harnessed in urban design to breathe air into our future cities. Faro collaborated with Solaga, a Berlin-based biotech firm to create the algae biofilm. A few days later I got hands on attending the ‘Algature Workshop’ learning how to grow your own algae biofilm and discussing Solaga’s bio-technology work making ‘living walls’; panels of microalgae biofilms that are low in energy and suitable for cleaning at low concentrations that offer potential for urban and biological air purification. Imagine a future city with giant architectural algae structures or hanging an algae picture in your front room to cleanse the air.

Micro-dosing diaries, consciousness and collectivised communist role play in video games, just some of the topics and presentations at the ‘Cake and Conversation’ event at School of Machines, Making and Make Believe headquarters at ACUD, Prenzlauer Berg. Our host School of MA founder Rachel Uwa welcomed us to the studio space, an arts & tech den packed with equipment, books and sculptures including some giant fluffy heads from a previous augmented reality project! The attendees listened to fascinating presentations on the above subjects and discussed the themes over cake. Sounds like a simple concept, it was … and it was great. As Rachel said  “I hate small talk, let’s make time to talk about ideas and things that matter with strangers.”

A couple of weeks later I visited Rachel to find out more. School of MA has a stellar programme based around four week projects bringing creatives together over contemporary technological and societal issues, as it states on their website, ‘ Technology is fascinating but, more importantly, who are we and what do we care about?.’ Usually held in Berlin over the summer, themes have included experimental gaming, eco acoustics, data surveillance and future cities. 2019 sees the School of MA go international with their courses ‘Made in China’ in Shenzen in collaboration with SEEED Studios and ‘Future Landscapes’ at the National University of Ireland. Tutors are selected as world leaders in their field and the programme attracts participants from all over the world.

Rachel is interested in continuous learning, what we once called ‘life-long learning’ in the UK before (before our creative adult education provision was drastically cut.) Tired of one or two day courses where you learn a new skill, software platform or thematic area, Rachel devised the four week programme structure which enables the acquisition of practical skills in say coding, machine learning or AR/VR which is then applied practically through the realisation of a  creative project or collaboration – embedding what you have learnt. It also allows for a more in depth conceptual discussion and rigour with experts and fellow artists. Projects coming up include ‘Evidence’ introducing critical discourse around citizen forensics and ‘Waiting and Escaping’ on the fundamentals of spatial design. Above all you are encouraged to make believe.

Here concludes my insight into the music tech and art-science scenes in Berlin 2019. I’ve loved the opportunity to spend a prolonged period of time in my favourite city, making music and meeting friends old and new. The streets, the humans, the machines the spirit of the place, it’s been an incredible experience I’ll never forget. 2019 marks the 30 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, plus 100 years since the German revolution with ‘100 jahre Revolution Berlin 18/19’, a city wide programme of events and exhibitions exploring democracy, freedom and protest. Coming from Manchester another politically and culturally radical city, i’ve been thinking a lot about just what gives a place cultural significance and creative dynamism. I finished my trip with a visit to the British Council at no. 1 AlexanderPlatz, to share my findings and provide insight into the art scene of my home town, re-energised In the knowledge of the power of cultural exchange and understanding through art. Thank you Arts Council England and British Council for this Artists International Development Funding.

Berlin, Bis Später x