VARTIOSAARI ISLAND

COMMONERS UNITE!

HELSINKI

WELCOME TO PIXELACHE 2014!

Pixelache Helsinki 2014 is an international trans-disciplinary event focusing on the theme of “The Commons”, including bio-, urban culture and knowl-edge commons topics. Adding a new island to its logbook after Suomenlinna (2011) and Naissaar (2013), Camp Pixelache takes up residence on Vartiosaari, a nature island surrounded by eastern suburbs of Helsinki, during 6-8th June 2014.

Based on previous Camp Pixelache experiments, the event is designed around two main unconference days (June 7 & 8). Typically in this format, the agenda is shaped and confirmed by the attendees at the beginning of the event. Anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on a commons-related topic can claim a time and a space. The event is free of charge.

Camp Pixelache’s pre-programme of events includes two keynote presentations on June 6 and a series of several-day long workshops during the days preced-ing the unconference.

According to Michel Bauwens, “the Commons consist of any common resource that is available to all, and as such there are many type of Commons but basi-

cally two: physical resources or man-made. The Commons is also a series of specific institutional formats used to manage such common resources.”

On the local Commons.fi web-presence, the follow-ing examples of Commons are also given: Shared natural resources, free software, open data, p2p networks, co-operatives, co-cultures, talkoots, street art, as well as many other commonly-known past, present and future manifestations.”

Pixelache already has a long history of engaging with collaborative digital media and particularly with knowledge-sharing and Free/Libre Open Source culture. Early in Pixelache Helsinki’s development, a social science paper by Katri Halonen, correctly identified the strong co-relations between open-source ideology, and the influencing thematic and organizational structure of the festival. Pixelache Festival 2014 engages further in Commons issues, specifically from the angle of educational and cul-tural production strategies and sustainability.

As a trans-disciplinary cultural festival, we believe in the necessity to develop trans-disciplinary capacities to tackle together issues of the Commons, such as environmental protection and sustainable nature-resource utilization/management, as well as resisting privatizing forces on all aspects of life.

We hope that you will enjoy Camp Pixelache 2014!

VARTIOSAARI – NATURE ISLAND

Camp Pixelache’s main venue Vartiosaari demonstrates many aspects of the Commons as a nature and recreation island in the middle of suburban city sprawl, which hosts numerous social and association-run wooden summer-villa retreats and special features. The island is currently under-threat of full-scale residential development by Helsinki City Planning Department, and there is a grassroots campaign to protect its particular qualities, in which artists & cultural practitioners are involved. We are hoping that the occasion of Camp Pixelache can also provide a discussion forum around Helsinki-Commons issues.

Markus Schmidt (AT) & Alain Ambrosi (CA)Helsinki University, Unioninkatu 40 (Auditorium 1)

29-30.5 / VartiosaariCultural Coding Workshop

30.5-6.6 / VartiosaariConstruction Talkoots

2-5.6 / KaupunkiverstasCuries’ Children Workshop

KEYNOTES / City Center

6.6. FRIDAY

17:30-20:00

PIXELACHE 2014 SCHEDULE

PRE-CAMP WORKSHOPS (advance registration)

7.6. SATURDAY

11:00-12:00

12:00-14:00

14:00-15:00

15:00-19:00

19:00-20:00

21:00-

8.6. SUNDAY

10:00-10:30

10:30-13:00

13:00-14:00

14:00-18:00

Camp Pixelache starts with scheduling of day’s sessions / Verkkomaja

First session of activities

Lunch time

Afternoon sessions

Dinner time

Evening sessions

Scheduling of day’s sessions / Verkkomaja

Morning session

Lunch time

Afternoon sessions

CAMP PIXELACHE / Vartiosaari

CAMP DAY 1 / MY SCHEDULE

12:00

13:00

14:00

15:00

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

20:00

21:00

22:00

CAMP DAY 2 / MY SCHEDULE

10:00

11:00

12:00

13:00

14:00

15:00

16:00

17:00

18:00

19:00

20:00

SEEDED THEMATICS

Open-Sourcing Festivals

In the context of Pixelache Network’s ‘Open Learn-ing Steps & Open-sourcing Festivals’ project, we are asking ourselves and others the following questions: How does an organization open-source their cultural festival? Can we share the process for organizing a festival, so that other groups can use it themselves? How do organizations support activities and events throughout the year? Can we share the process for sustaining ongoing programs, so that other groups can do this too?

During 2013-2015, these questions are explored through a mobile circuit of workshops and seminars organized across Europe, Camp Pixelache 2014 being one of the steps in the process. Five experimental art, design and technology organizations from the Pixelache Network are taking part in this project.

PIXELACHE 2014 PROGRAMME

Open Source and Free/Libre culture, spreading from software and hardware, to urban space and organizational issues, unites the partners. ‘Open Learning Steps & Open-sourcing Festivals’ is supported by EU Grundtvig.

This thematic of ‘Open-Sourcing Festivals’ will be explored through several activities proposed by the project partners during Camp Pixelache and we hope that many other participants will share their experiences of event organising!

The Bio-Commons

With regards to biotechnology, society relies mainly on patents as means to enable and secure innovations. In recent years, the limits of this intellectual prop-erty regime has become increasingly evident. New approaches to biological knowledge and technology, such as the attempts to establish open access and open-source practices to key biotech methods and processes are currently being negotiated.

A plenitude of licensing modes has been developed in the past and with success in the digital world. Despite the essential achievements, there exists no similar licensing model for the life sciences. In prospect of the vast amounts of knowledge and inventions to be awaited it is a good time to bring our experience and expertise together to initiate an in depth discussion on the subject of Bio-Commons. The questions to ask

and answer lie at the intersection of law and scien-tific theory and practice.

At the same time we have to consider, amongst others, the ethical, societal and economic needs and chal-lenges concerning life sciences. On the thematic of the Bio-Commons, a discussion is initiated that sets out to identify the requirements and conditions for an open and collaborative approach to new licens-ing models for the Life Sciences. Therefore, members of the biohacking scene from Europe and beyond will gather for a workshop at Camp Pixelache. The workshop is facilitated and organised by the Finnish Society of Bioart and Rüdiger Trojok as part of the Synenergene EU programme.

The Helsinki-Commons

This thematic is the natural continuation of the collaboration with Aalto co-p2p SIG, Open cities working group (Open Knowledge Foundation Finland) and Pixelache.

How may mapping the Helsinki-Commons help towards designing a “how-to resource”, a citizen toolbox, for creating and making Commons?

Besides a Commons-toolkit workshop led by cop2p SIG, we are expecting various Vartiosaari-themed contributions. In addition, we are also excited about all unexpected contributions Helsinkians may propose!

PRE-CAMP WORKSHOPS (advance registration)

CULTURAL CODING WORKSHOP

Hosts: Pekko Koskinen, Jana Pejoska & Agnieszka PokrywkaWhen: 29-30 May 2014Where: Vartiosaari, Helsinki

In this workshop, you will learn the basics of Cultural Coding. It is a new form for expressing actions and interactions. Rather than using the traditional sentences and paragraphs, it creates small

“programs” or “applications” for human interpretation. Meant for humans, it is rather different from computer code, combining the best features of both expressions: The deep interpretation of human language, and the variety of structures offered by programming.

The aim of the project is not merely to develop the code, but also to utilize the possibilities it opens. With such code, we have the possibility to create detailed actions like fiction, share and combine them with others. Think of an open source cultural library that functions like a programming library, directly supporting the creation of new forms – that’s the ultimate target.

But before we get there, we concentrate on the beginnings. During the two days of the workshop, you will gain a basic understanding of the coding styles currently under development, and test out different interactions created by the code. You’ll also get to create a code of your very own, and see what others can do with your code.

Cultural Coding is being developed in Reality Research Center. www.ttk.fi

Note: Keep a look out for manifestations of these workshops during the Camp days.

CONSTRUCTION TALKOOTS

Host: Mikko Laajola & Hello Wood (HU)When: 30 May-6 June 2014Where: Vartiosaari, Helsinki

During 30.5-6.6, a group of enthusiasts will help build sustainable infrastructure on Vartiosaari. The collective Hello Wood from Hungary & artist-gardener and maker Mikko Laajola from Pixelache lead the construction talkoots.

Hello Wood is an international art program based in Budapest, Hungary. Their work integrates various fields of art, design and science. Hello Wood is also an architecture and design studio, organizing projects and events defined by openness, experiment-ing, social sensitivity, innovation and development.www.hellowood.eu

All the structures will be made out of repurposed wood and fallen trees found on the island, and will stay there after our event for others to use. Part of them will be presented in the context of Save Vartiosaari Art Project’s environmental exhibition opening on Sunday 8.6.

This workshop is supported by Balassi-Instituutti.

CURIES’ CHILDREN WORKSHOP

Hosts: Erich Berger & Martin HowseWhen: 2-5 June 2014Where: Kaupunkiverstas, Helsinki

The Curie’s Children [glow boys, radon daughters] workshop is an investigation of radioactivity in the context of art, physics and activism originating from the Case Pyhäjoki project.

It allows the uninitiated to easily enter into a physical and intuitive relation to nuclear and atomic processes, following simple hands-on experimentation, construction and research. This relation promotes an understanding of the complex issues surrounding contemporary uses of nuclear and atomic technologies, which could inform and help to formulate an artistic “response”.

As part of the Case Pyhäjoki project in 2013, Berger and Howse designed a minimal, low budget geiger radiation detector, fast and simple to build. The detector serves as an introduction for the workshop participants to start a relationship with the complex political, economic and artistic positions orbiting the phenomena of nuclear decay. The participants will be guided through their own construction of the radiation detector device, and will extend this with further investigations, experiments etc.

This workshop is a collaboration between the Finnish Society of Bioart (www.bioartsociety.fi), Case Pyhäjoki (www.casepyhajoki.info) & Pixelache.

Generously funded by the Finnish Arts Promotion Centre.

KEYNOTES INTRODUCTIONS

When: Friday, 6 June 2014, 17:30-20:00Where: Helsinki University, Unioninkatu 40, Auditorium 1

As the result of a collective nomination process that took place this winter–involving Pixelache’s members, Expert Board, and a committee of people interested in Commons issues–Alain Ambrosi (Montreal, CA) and Markus Schmidt (Vienna, AT) have been invited to give introductions to Camp Pixelache’s theme: the Commons.

Alain Ambrosi & Markus Schmidt will respectively introduce the Culture/Knowledge Commons and the Bio-Commons.

The event is free of charge.

ferry stop

HAKANIEMI metro station

CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION

/FRI 6.6/ KEYNOTES PRESENTATIONS Helsinki University Unioninkatu 40

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OPTION 1Hakaniemi-Vartiosaari Ferry Schedule, 3-22.6.2014 (Wed, Fr, St, Su)

10.00 Hakaniemi ≥ 10.45 Vartiosaari12.00 Vuosaari ≥ 12.45 Vartiosaari ≥ 13.30 Hakaniemi17.00 Hakaniemi ≥ 17.45 Vartiosaari19.00 Vuosaari ≥ 19.45 Vartiosaari ≥ 20.30 HakaniemiOne way ticket: Hakaniemi-Vartiosaari 7€ / Vuosaari-Vartiosaari 9€

MAP OF HELSINKIgetting to Vartiosaari

metro line bus line walking line

crossing point Reposalmentie 1

Kiiltomadonpolku bus stop

VARTIOSAARI

ferry stop

OPTION 2

Taking the metro to Herttoniemi and then the bus 88 or 89 from Herttoniemi metro station until the bus stop ‘Kiiltomadonpolku’. From the bust stop, there is a 5 minute walk to the crossing point to Vartiosaari. The address of the crossing point is Reposalmentie 1. We have organised rowing boats and rowers to row people over from Reposaalmentie to Vartiosaari main pier.

HERTTONIEMI bus (88,89) & metro station

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INTRODUCTION TO THE CULTURE COMMONSby Alain Ambrosi (CA)

Alain Ambrosi’s presentation entitled ‘Let’s co-re-invent the Commons!’ will testify to the reinvention of the culture of the commons drawing on historical and intercultural perspectives, exemplifying it by opening up the process that led to the Remix the Commons project he initiated.

Alain’s presentation also sets up our ambition to encourage local & regional artists, designers, researchers, activists and citizens to share their voice and participate in video contributions about the Commons to the Remix the Commons platform and archive during the unconference part of Camp Pixelache (7-8.6) on Vartiosaari.

BioDesigner and producer of intercultural projects, independant researcher, author and videographer, Alain Ambrosi is pres-ently producer of the Remix the Commons project and associate researcher at Communautique. His long involvement in improbable international collaborations has led him to aspire to the status of utopian’s apprentice.

www.remixthecommons.org.

INTRODUCTION TO THE BIO COMMONSby Markus Schmidt (AT)

In the case of Bio-commons, developments in biotechnology rely mainly on patents as means to enable and secure innovations. The new field of synthetic biology, however, entails not only classical intellectual property protection but also attempts to establish open access and open source to key biotech methods and processes. How will the two cultures evolve? Will one approach dominate or will they coexist?

Markus Schmidt will walk us through the theme of the Bio-Commons, presenting various initiatives aiming at creating amore open source environment in the biotech area, the NagoyaProtocol as a means to internationally regulate the use andconservation of genetic resources. He draws parallels from theprinter movement to biotechnology, with DIYBio spearheadingthe movement to go beyond the producer-consumer divide.

BioDr. Markus Schmidt is founder and team leader of Biofaction, a research and science communication company in Vienna, Austria. With an educational background in electronic engineering, biology and environmental risk assessment he has carried out environmental risk assessment and safety and public perception studies in a number of science and technology fields such as GM-crops, gene therapy, nanotechnology, converging technologies, and synthetic biology.

In addition to his scientific work, he has organized a Science Film Festival (Bio-fiction) and produced an art exhibition (synth-ethic, both 2011) to explore novel and creative ideas and interpretations on the future of biotechnology.

www.biofaction.com; www.markusschmidt.eu

The visit of Markus Schmidt is supported by the Austrian Embassy in Helsinki.

When: 7-8 June 2014Where: Vartiosaari, Helsinki

In advance of Camp Pixelache a call for contributions was sent out. Through the call, we have received a great amount proposals for different types of activities including presentations as well as discussion circles, thematic walks and workshops.

The advance contributions have been compiled into an online pad here: http://pad.pixelache.ac/p/camp-2014-advance

Typically at unconferences the agenda will be shaped and con-firmed by the attendees at the beginning of the event with the aim to integrate both advance and new proposals. Anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on a commons-related topic, can still claim a time and a space for 5-15 min on the morning of Camp. However it won’t be possible at this stage to propose any other format of activity than short presentations.

Our facilitators Oliver Kohta-Kalleinen and John W. Fail will help attendees with the scheduling of the day both on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Part of the event will be streamed here:http://bambuser.com/channel/pixelversity

Photo documentation of the event will be gathered here:https://www.flickr.com/groups/2637119@N24Use the tag: camp-pixelache2014

For other documentation:http://pad.pixelache.ac/p/camp-2014

The event is free of charge.

CAMP PIXELACHE UNCONFERENCE

CONTRIBUTE TO REMIX THE COMMONS!

Remix the Commons is a collaborative and evolutive multimedia project. It aims at documenting and illustrating key ideas and practices of the commons movement, including the creative process of the project itself. (www.remixthecommons.org)

In collaboration with Remix the Commons & M-Cult, we would like to invite you for a short interview about the Commons.

Camp Pixelache is bringing together a myriad of people from Northern Europe, the Baltic countries and beyond, who we hope could share their voices to the Remix the Commons platform.

Interviews will be documented in video and made available under a creative commons license in order to be remixed, distributed, and eventually added to the Remix The Commons database.

All along the weekend, the contact point for the Remix the Commons interviews is Verkkomaja. Welcome!

SAVE VARTIOSAARI – ART PROJECT III

Opening: Sunday 8.6, 14:00-16:30Exhibition tour starts from Pixelache Info desk at 14:00.

Visual Artist Anu Miettinen together with Helsinki-based Laru Art Association, is for the third year organising an environmental art exhibition on Vartiosaari. The association also organizes this event annually since 2006 in Lauttasaari during the autumn. Theexhibition on Vartiosaari is opening on Sunday 8.6, luckily coinciding with Camp Pixelache, and is on view all around the island.

The exhibition will, amongst many other work s & performances, feature the wooden sculpture made by a group of enthusiasts during a one week long talkoots in early June, led by Hello Wood (HU) & Mikko Laajola from Pixelache.

The exhibition will be on view until 28.9.

http://savevartiosaariart.weebly.com/

CARE FOR VARTIOSAARI!

TOILETSThere are a few dry toilets on the island, but bush toileting is recommended for urinating.

WASTEYou should take back with you all what brought, in-cluding waste, when leaving from the island, as there is not infrastructure for waste on the island.

FIRE Fires are prohibited on Vartiosaari.

OTHER PRACTICALITIES

TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE ISLAND

In addition to the Hakaniemi-Vartiosaari ferry (schedule on the Helsinki map page) we are organizing transportation to and from the island with rowing boats from the pier at Reposalmentie (check map page for the location).

ROWING BOAT SCHEDULE

SAT 7.8. 10.00-14.00 / Several times per hour14.00-22.00 / Every hour on the hour

SUN 8.8. 09.30-11.00 / Several times per hour11.00-21.00 / Every hour on the hour

Additional boat rides possible. Please call +358 40 2425015 for a “boat man”!

INFO DESK NUMBER: +358 46 6291354

CAMP NOTEPAD

PROGRAMME PLANNERSKeynotes: Open call for nominations and polled decision-making by Pixelache members & Expert Board, and a committee of people inter-ested in Commons issues (Andrew Paterson – Pixelache; Erich Berger

– Finnish Society of Bioart, Marion Louisgrand – Kër Thiossane, Senegal, Andrea Botero - Aalto co-p2p SIG and Jukka Peltokoski – Commons.fi).Cultural Coding Workshop: Pekko Koskinen, Jana Pejoska & Agnieszka PokrywkaConstruction Talkoots: Mikko Laajola & Hello WoodCurie’s Children Workshop: Erich Berger & Martin HowseBio-Commons gathering: Erich Berger & Rüdiger Trojok

STAFFCoordinator: Nathalie AubretOutreach & Education Coordinator/Facilitator: Andrew PatersonProducer: Petri RuikkaLocal Producers in Vartiosaari: Oliver Kohta-Kalleinen & Erno RantainenTechnical Director, Video Documentation: Ville HyvönenUnconference Facilitators: Oliver Kohta-Kalleinen & John W. FailPublicist: Creatika / Saara OranenCampaign Designer: Tuomo TammenpääSignage & Booklet Designer: Karolina KoniecznaPhotographer: Antti AhonenVideo Streaming: Mikko LaajolaWebsite Engineering: John W. FailCatering: Karolina Korhonen Volunteers: Alise Brante, Jan Terola, Juan Pablo Manríquez, Karin Umbrich, Nadège Peter, Omar Fasolah, Rousi Rebekah, Stephen Baynes, Timo Viialainen, Joan Kwong, Hannu Makarainen

VERY SPECIAL THANKSOliver Kohta-Kalleinen, Anu Miettinen, Erno Rantainen, Egle Oddo, Vartiosaari-seura, Vartiosaaren eläintalli – ja luontoyhdistys ry, VVA ry, M-cult, Jukka Peltokoski, Becky Hastings, Virve Miettinen, Nadège Peter, Wojtek Mejor, Sara Milazzo, Owen Kelly, John W. Fail, Pixelache Expert Board, Okko Oinonen.

CAMP PIXELACHE TEAM 2014

Organised by:

Supported by:

Pixelache Helsinki 2014 is organised by non-profit organisation Piknik Frequency based in Helsinki.

Piknik Frequency members: Antti Ahonen, Nathalie Aubret, Samir Bhowmik, John Fail, Ville Hyvönen, Jon Irigoyen, Owen Kelly, Mari Keski-Korsu, Mikko Laajola, Albert Laine, Mikko Lipiäinen, Wojtek Mejor, Sara Milazzo, Andrew Gryf Paterson, Petri Ruikka, Päivi Raivio, Mariana Salgado, Aura Seikkula, Irina Špicaka, Ulla Taipale, Tuomo Tammenpää, Jenni Valorinta.

Also supported by:

Collaborators and venues:

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