We All Go Together

As part of the Return to Dreamphone exhibition, I held a community sharing event borrowing from the unconference format. 

A significant part of my work, and something that led the work in the exhibition, is gathering. Gathering as a medium for creative exploration and as an important ground for art in itself. To bring this to the fore (and perhaps becoming the most significant part of the show for me) I invited people to participate in this event. Everyone is invited to speak on whatever they find interesting or want to share, everyone has the same amount of time, and the schedule is created there and then as participants add their ideas. 

The day led to talks about the internet and archiving, a blind sonic walk in the sun, a whole new game being created called Speculative Antiques Roadshow, and so many more rich avenues into people’s interests and practices. 

This format isn’t new at all, it was all the rage in tech circles for a while and then in academic spaces too. In those arenas it encouraged a lot of ideas to happen very fast. When it gained the unconference name, it became something that aimed to break away from tradition conferences and the traditions they held. Taking that a step further, I think the format can be an excellent way to remove the structures of presentation altogether. Making a space that allows rest, and conversation without a central figure, and games, is vital.