Luminous Green Symposium 2007

The Luminous Green Symposium 2007 was a part of a week long series of events and workshops, each of them aiming to address a particular audience. The Symposium brought together the most varied group of people, aiming for serendipitous encounters between people who may not often come in contact with each other. It was designed to compare, contrast and reflect on the various approaches to issues in which environmental sustainability and cultural values are deeply entangled.

People with access to any form of mass media are well aware of the acceleration of environmental and social instabilities - these discussions have finally penetrated the mainstream and currently even considered ‘fashionable’ - engaging not only environmentalists, but also policy makers, business leaders, concerned celebrities and community groups. However, understanding and the willingness to do something about these issues are still far from ubiquitous. Apathy and paralysis among the general public and expert communities has as much to do with the way the issues are presented and communicated, as the lack of clear and readily available alternatives. What we all need is inspired action supported by critical reflection, visible results and fertile initiatives, on every scale and through all fields of human activity. No one can consider themselves too small, or too conservative, or too isolated.

Interdisciplinary, multicultural, trans-local - we believe that the alliances and networks that will be best equipped to deal with the current global instabilities are unexpected couplings of people with divergent interests, who can work as equal partners, able to respect and learn from each other, regardless of their specific cultural, professional or social backgrounds. Luminous Green is one of the places in which we hope such alliances can be formed.

Bazaaris, Illusionists, Animators and Wranglers on luminous green arts and designs:

• Angelo Vermeulen’s premiere of his latest movie “Un mal pour un bien”
• Amy Franceschini and Myriel Milicevic, Conducting a small afternoon painting and discussion around Thoreau’s ‘Walden’
• Rachel Wingfield and Mathias Gmachl, Showcasing active textiles and other works by Loop.ph
• FoAM, opening the doors of the travelling library
• Picnic, walks in the garden, tour of the Groenhoven facilities

• Vahida Ramujkic, Discussing her projects ‘Schengen with ease’ and ‘Air-Autonomy’, practicing 'Rural FIS Kultura'
• Chuck Varga, Picnic discussions
• Andrea Polli, Presenting video documentation (Queensbridge Wind Power Project, N.) and sound works (Atmospherics/Weather Works, Retina Burn, Soundseeker.org)

Welcome address by Maja Kuzmanovic

Session: Change

• Jennifer Leonard, Ideas from https://storify.com/acewriters/how-to-write-a-synthesis-paper
• Srinivasan Soundara Rajan, Barefoot College
• Discussions

Session: Communication

• Mike Longhurst, McCann-EMEA
• Marko Peljhan, Interpolar
• Discussions

Session: Matter

• Carole Collet, Future Textiles, Central Saint Martins
• Joanna Berzowska, Xs Labs, Concordia University
• Discussions

Dinner and conclusions

• Transcripts of talks: symposium_talks
• Summaries of discussions: symposium_summaries
• Photos