On November 15th-17th leading architects, artists, scholars, and industry leaders from all over the Globe will meet up in Aarhus, Denmark to shape the media architecture of the future and discuss how media architecture is about to change our cities.
What happens when heat sensitive concrete ‘freezes’ the shadows of passers-by, or when a façade turns into a screen by means of thousands of tiny LED lights? What happens to architecture, people, and cities, when buildings turn into a type of digital media and allows citizens to communicate with each other in completely new ways?
Questions like these are increasingly relevant, as media architecture gains ground in cities all over the World. And they will be top of the agenda when these media architecture experts meet up in Aarhus in November.
“Media Architecture is changing the way we relate to traditional architecture,” General Chair of the biennale, Dr. Martin Brynskov, said. ”It is a field in rapid development, and we’re very much looking forward to hearing top experts’ take on how media architecture affects our perception of buildings and cities.”
More about the activities at Media Architecture Biennale 2012 after the break.
Some of the World’s leading experts and creatives within the field of media architecture have confirmed their participation in MAB12, e.g. Italian professor of architecture Dr Antonino Saggio, Finnish media archeologist Dr Errki Huhtamo, Danish Gehl Architects and Bjarke Ingels Group, and British designer Jason Bruges, who creates interactive installations across architecture, art, and brands. Some of the major stakeholders from the industry that provides media architects and designers with materials and technology are also coming: Galaxia from South Korea, AHL from China, Traxon from Germany, and many more.
In close corporation scholars, architects, artists, and industrial participants are going to invent and outline the media architecture of the future.
Besides talks and workshops, the biennale features an exhibition of the World’s most outstanding examples of media architecture in the form of prototypes, models, and large-size pictures and videos. The exhibition takes place at the cultural hub Godsbanen, but slips into the surrounding urban space and transforms major city facades using light and projections – e.g. the facade of the distinctive tower of the city hall.
Finally, the biennale features an award ceremony, awarding outstanding media architecture and media art within the categories money architecture, participatory architecture, spatial media art, animated architecture, and future trends and prototypes.
The biennale is a joint project between CAVI at Aarhus University and the Media Architecture Institute Vienna / Sydney. In 2010, Vienna hosted the biennale in continuation of media facade events in London, Berlin, Frankfurt, Helsinki, and Melbourne. Aarhus, Denmark will host the biennale in 2014 as well.
The Media Architecture Biennale (MAB12) takes place at Godsbanen, Aarhus, Denmark on November 15th-17th. The exhibition is open from November 15th to December 15th. More information can be found on mab12.org.