The thematic framework for the reSource for transmedial culture activity during 2012 – towards transmediale festival in 2013 – is following the reflections initiated during transmediale 2k+12 and expanding in syntony with the planning for the next festival. The main issues are working around the idea of creating a distributed network of activities in the city of Berlin, as a platform for sharing and visibility for the local and translocal communities working in the field of networking, hacktivism and politics. The political grass-root oriented component is at the core of the project, therefore the curatorial goal is most of all to favourite and provoke critical reflection on the logic of art production and activist strategies, and at the same time, generate a context of sharing and exchange for the participants.

To accomplish this objective, the reSource will work both as a connector and a platform for reflection for already existing projects, which lack of visibility and network opportunities (the networking aspect), but it will be also an opportunity to conceive new projects (the curatorial aspect), which will be realised during the year and finally presented at transmediale in 2013. The first programmatic step is therefore strictly related with a research activity (the research component), to understand what is actually needed in a city like Berlin, what are the expectations of the local and translocal communities, what are the problems related to art production and political engagement.

The total of the main three methodological components, networking + curating + research will be theoretically and practically developed in synergy with the transmediale 2k+13 thematic framework, and at the same time will contribute to strengthen the concepts and reflections already initiated during transmediale 2k+12.

 
The reSource programme during 2012

The reSource for transmedial culture programme after transmediale festival 2k+12 is focused around three main initiatives, developed in collaboration with the three reSource partners (CTM, Kunstraum Kreuzberg /Bethanien, Post-Media Lab of Leuphana University Lüneburg):

1. May 11-12, at General Public;

2. August 22-24, at Kunstraum Kreuzberg /Bethanien;

3. November, at Leuphana University Lüneburg.

1. First Event at General Public, May 11-12, 2012

The first reSource event after transmediale 2k+12 will be focused on the idea of establishing a platform of networking and visibility for the local and translocal communities in Berlin. This event will be mainly directed to local actors and will be thought as an occasion to meet the people who showed interest in the reSource activity, answered to the statement of interest and took part at the previous reSource initiatives. The idea is to bring such people together, and collectively discuss various thematic issues proposed by the reSource curator and partners (in synchrony with the ones proposed by the programme team of transmediale 2k+13).

A list of possible activities:

- A collective discussion (first day) on networking methodologies of curating and distributed logics of artistic production. The discussion will be first introduced by the reSource event organisers and then will be opened to the audience.

- Artistic project presentations (second day) as an occasion for visibility and networking for the members of art and hacktivist groups in Berlin.

2. Second Event at Kunstraum Kreuzberg /Bethanien, August 22-24, 2012

The event at Kunstraum Kreuzberg /Bethanien will be mainly project-based. The idea is to organise a series of practical activities, such as workshops, presentations and networking situations. The main goal of this event is to consolidate the networking activities started in the spring, and continue the dialogue further, initiating art projects that will deal directly with the themes of next transmediale festival and therefore will be brought into transmediale 2k+13 –  starting a process going on from August 2012 to January 2013.

3. Third event: PhD Workshop & Conference at Leuphana University Lüneburg, November 2012

This event will be realised in partnership with Leuphana University Lüneburg and Aarhus University. A call for PhD projects and researches will be spread in summer 2012. The event will lead to the production of a peer-to-peer newspaper, which for the second time will be the thematic publication of transmediale.

The production of this event will proceed alongside with the organisation of the reSource programme at transmediale 2k+13.

Photo: © Fleur Augustinus / transmediale