Doors of Perception 4, Amsterdam, Nov.96

[abroeck@v2.nl (Andreas Broeckmann)]

[Maarten Reesink, press officer of the DoP4 asked me to forward this to the
Syndicate list in order to get the info out eastwards. Last year the fee
for the DoP was criminally high, but I assume that there are ways of
getting reductions and even having it waived if you can make it clear that
you would like to come but cannot pay that much. Maarten also said that
they will try to support participants from Eastern Europe as best they can
with invitations and possibly even funding for travel and accommodation.]


(Version 24 May 1996)


DOORS OF PERCEPTION 4 'SPEED'

Amsterdam, 7 & 8 November 1996


The theme of the fourth Doors of Perception conference is 'speed'. By
design or not, we now live in a world dominated by speed - from the TGV to
CNN. Speed defines our products, our environments, our way of life, and our
imaginations. But is faster always better, or is there a social and
environmental price to be paid for a constant acceleration of production,
information, and daily life? And - crucially - does the value we place on
speed prevent us from living more lightly on the planet?

The Doors of Perception conferences look at multimedia and the information
superhighway from a distinct perspective. We say, 'yes, this stuff is
amazing - but what is it for?' This year's meeting explores that question
in the context of 'speed'.

Speed is embedded in our culture. It drives the design of artefacts,
systems, and environments. In computing, transportation, or work, this is
obvious; in entertainment, education or health, non-stop acceleration is
less visible. But what about the future? Is it time to build 'selective
slowness' into the design of our lives? Might a combination of ultra-fast
information, and slowed-down movement, be a sound strategy for sustainable
designs?

This document outlines the conference programme: its main themes; speakers
confirmed so far; desired outcomes. Updates will be posted on our website,
and a final programme will be published in September. There are only 840
seats: you really do need to register early to guarantee a place.

Session 1
Speed made visible: the cultural power of acceleration

We live at ever-higher speeds. In modern technological culture, speed has
been internalised as an end-in-itself; our designed world further
reinforces the value we place on speed. In the first session, critics
analyse the cultural power of acceleration; designers and artists use new
media to make it visible. Speakers include Stephen Kern, author of The
Culture of Time and Space 1880-1918; he describes how speed emerged as a
driving force of 20th century life, an icon of modernity. Rick Prelinger
will delve into his famous archive of early cinema and tv advertising to
illustrate our preoccupation with ever-faster speed, how it changed work
and business, our sense of time and place, our relationship to nature, the
creative process. Danny Hillis, an expert on super-fast computing, who now
works for Disney, explores the paradox that 'the more computers know, the
slower they get, whereas the human mind has the opposite property'. Reuters
will present state-of-the-art financial information systems and map out
future network scenarios.
A presentation by acclaimed media artist Toshio Iwai will be followed by a
discussion of our obsessions with speed by a panel including designer Benno
Premsela, and political economist Susan George.

Session 2
Why speed matters: ecology and sustainability

Speed drives a way of life in which we produce and consume at an increasing
pace. What if a desire for constant acceleration runs up against the
carrying capacity of the planet? Are we stuck in the fast lane of resource
depletion? Should we - can we? - continue to design with speed in mind,
asks Wolfgang Sachs from the Wuppertal Institute, the environmental
think-tank, and co-author of the widely acclaimed Sustainable Germany.
Professor Juliet Schor, author of the forthcoming Beyond Consumption, looks
at the speeding up of life and its social and economic impact. Geographer
and transport critic John Adams looks at the cultural drivers of mass
mobility. And finally in this session a panel explores interactions between
high-speed information and our experience of 'nature' and the man-made
environment.

Session 3
Changing speed: scenarios for selective slowness

Speed defines most of the artefacts and designed environments that surround
us. Fast cars, fast cities, fast networks. Can we change speeds? Peter
Sloterdijk, the leading German philosopher, has critically examined
'mobilisation' as a hallmark of progress and modernity.
Or will a new modernity be based on 'lightness'? Could selective slowness
be consistent with economic growth and modernity? And in the so-called
'South', although speed has not penetrated everything, similar debates
about speed take place. Designer Jogi Panghaal leads a discussion on the
role of information technology in development strategies for India.

Session 4
>From terrabits to terra firma: design for different speeds

We return to the central question in Doors of Perception: 'what are global
networks and multimedia for?'. This final high-density session features
design scenarios: what might it mean in practice to design with different
speeds in mind? What role can information technology and connectivity play
in 'light' products and environments? What would they look like, and how
would they behave? Ezio Manzini and Marco Susani (Domus Academy) introduce
scenarios about 'turning products into services - and experiences'.
Jacqueline Cramer, a professor of environmental techology and senior
adviser to Philips, looks at strategies for durability as an alternative to
products with ever-shorter life expectancies. 'Slow space', saturated with
information, will be discussed by architect and urban planner Rem Koolhaas
and landscape architect Adriaan Geuze. Telematic alternatives to air travel
will be introduced Professor Gillian Crampton Smith (Royal College of Art)
and Tadanori Nagasawa, a consultant to Japan Airlines. The fast circulation
of ideas and new information architectures will be considered by internet
designer Jessica Helfand, trend analyst Jan Wyllie, and evolutionary
biologist Tom Ray.

Further updates on the programme for the conference will be posted on our
website (whose webmaster is Kristi van Riet). The site also contains
proceedings of our earlier conferences, results of design workshops,
booklists, and other resources. (http://www.design-inst.nl/doors4)

Organisers
Doors of Perception is organised by the Netherlands Design Institute. The
programme for Doors of Perception 4 is developed by John Thackara (the
Institute's director) and Michiel Schwarz (Foundation 567). Doors of
Perception workshops are organised by Conny Bakker. The conference is
produced by Geke van Dijk; its press and media manager is Maarten Reesink
(both ACS-i).

The Netherlands Design Institute is an independent foundation whose core
funding comes from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Information
Netherlands Design Institute, Keizersgracht 609, NL-1017 DS  Amsterdam
Telephone: +31 (0)20 551 6500, Fax: +31 (0)20 620 1031
E-mail: doors@design-inst.nl
WWW: http://www.design-inst.nl/doors

Registration
Kietschenberger, Kerkstraat 371-373, NL-1017 HW  Amsterdam
Telephone: +31 (0)20 4282822, Fax: +31 (0)20 4204807
E-mail: kietsch@xs4all.nl

                         doors@design-inst.nl
                    Keizersgracht 609, 1017 DS Amsterdam
            tel: +31(0)20 5516500/5516512 fax: + 31(0)20 6201031
          http://www.design-inst.nl/


............................................................................
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V2_Organisatie * Andreas Broeckmann * abroeck@v2.nl
Eendrachtsstr.10 * NL-3012XL Rotterdam * t.+31.10.4046427 * fx.4128562
<http://www.v2.nl> <http://www.dds.nl/n5m> <http://www.v2.nl/east>

coming up: DEAF96, the Dutch Electronic Arts Festival, 17 - 22 Sept 1996