THE LANDING IS ON FRIDAY

Event of speculative ecology in Transcarpathia

Participation of Art & Science, University of Applied Arts Vienna
May we cordially invite you to a 48hour happening in the forests of Western Carpathians in Ukraine? A happening where we shall welcome aliens that may have emerged beyond our (knowledge)horizon? These lines probably appear rather absurd to your eyes so let us briefly explain what we intend.
Since the academic year 2016/2017 the Art & Science master’s programme at the University of Applied Arts Vienna tried to understand what a forest ‘is’. With the multidisciplinary help of experts and non-experts we expanded our minds on the biology and ecology of this issue. An excursion into ‘the wild’ of Transcarpathia complemented this task.

And now a happening? Yes, of course! As you know, a happening may occur anywhere and often is a multi-disciplinary event, with a non-linear narrative and the active participation of the audience. Its key elements may be planned but there is room for improvisation for artists & researchers alike. However, be aware: the happening may eliminate the boundary between the artwork and its viewer, between scientific findings and artistic research. Our ‘The Landing is on Friday’-happening will take place between trees and ruins. It will develop a non-linear narrative on ‘speculative ecology’ – a field trial on an ecology with the active participation of fictional aliens, socio-techno-epistemological aliens, corrupted aliens, political, bureaucratic, endangered aliens. Together with the participation of humans the question is addressed: Is it possible to develop an etho-ecological perspective of a place?

Maybe it is possible for you to enrich this happening with your presence. If not, send an alien of your choice. It can be a research finding, a divination, a technical device, a statistical model, a (metaphysical) piece of reality that you consider to be an important ingredient for the happening. Your contribution will call into question the ‘one-would-just-need-to’ statements and stay attentive to the specific place and environment the happening shall inhabit. 48 hours to develop an ethos of the place. However, no ethos, in itself, contains its own meaning or masters its own reasons. Our improvising is confirming that we never know what a being/alien is capable of or can become capable of. The place proposes, but the aliens, together with us, the participants, dispose, give, or, refuse to give that happening an ethological signification.

Organised by: Golnaz Bashiri, Rosie Benn, Athanasios Gramosis, Johanna Folkmann, Rafael Lippuner, Marko Markovic, Frédérique Neuts Leroy, Lala Nomada, Marina Rebhandl
 
Chair: Bernd Kräftner; in collaboration with: Brishty Alam, Valerie Deifel

Cooperation partners: Verein NESTU (Swiss-Transcarpathian Network), Bogdan Popov (Ecosololutions Forge), Rupert Seidl (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna)


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© 2018, Design: Rosie Benn & Rafael Lippuner. Photograph: Marina Rebhandl
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