FWD: makrolab PR

Press Release

MAKROLAB

During the 50th Venice Biennale Aurora Fonda's
activity as Director of the Cultural Centre of
Slovenia continues in its unusual way by offering

MAKROLAB

an autonomous space of communication and research as
well as a habitation unit capable of supporting the
concentrated work of eight persons in
isolation/insulation for up to 120 days. A real
laboratory, Makrolab is equipped to hold artists,
scientists and strategic operators of the media world,
who are supplied with instruments and means for a
common progressive independent work that develops
wide-ranging research in the field of
telecommunications, climate and migration. The
location where the initiative is based is also
unusual: Campalto Island in the Venetian lagoon.

From the beginning of June through to the end of
September, it will be possible to visit the Makrolab
laboratory in full swing, thanks to a ferry service
that goes to the island from the Biennale site of the
Giardini. This service makes it possible for all those
interested to take part directly in the research
activities and experiments and, naturally, the results
that emerge.

Makrolab, started in 1994 by Marko Peljhan, and
realised for the first time as part of Documenta X at
Kassel in 1997, draws on the collaboration of people
from many different studies and disciplines. It is
expected to end in 2007, when the structure will be
placed permanently in the Antarctic. From then on
Makrolab will be managed by a trans-national
foundation. The project has already been a feature at
Venice, in June 1999 at the Querini Stampalia
Foundation and, in February 2001, at the Peggy
Guggenheim Foundation as part of the Guggenheim public
project.

In its three themes (telecommunications, migration and
climatic systems) Makrolab has identified a real
resource to understand how our planet works on a
social, technological and natural level, and how it
develops through methods and systems of art, where it
finds the notion of liberty, and of science which
offer the possibility to progress and reflect.

It should be stressed that Makrolab is a social
experiment and is run by the non-profit association of
Slovenian artists Zavod Projekt Atol. The project is
financed by governments, international organisations
and societies, and by individuals. After Venice it
will be installed in Israel, South Africa, Nunavut
Territory in Canada, Japan, Russia and finally the
Antarctic (2007) where it will be used as a permanent
and independent artistic-scientific station for
research in the areas of primary interest to the
project.

Makrolab is equipped with systems which allow the most
comfortable working conditions, despite limitations in
space. It has five sections: the working section,
kitchen, storage area, rest area and hygiene area. It
draws its energy from wind and sun and possesses a
system of filters to obtain and recycle drinking
water; what's more, it's capable of recycling most of
its waste and has a small hydroponic vegetable garden.
In the near future perma-cultivations will be
installed, which should supplement the nutritional
necessities of the team. For extreme conditions the
laboratory also has a system to control the internal
atmosphere.

Makrolab operates an equal opportunities policy and is
open to anyone. The present team can be contacted with
proposals, suggestions etc., on [email protected] The
majority of results are available to the public
on the Internet or other research engines.

Makrolab is part of the 50th International Biennale of
Art in collaboration with the Comune di Venezia,
Assessorato alle Politiche Sociali, Regione Veneto,
Interreg III Phare CBS Italia/Slovenia, The Slovenian
Ministry of Culture, The City of Ljubljana, Mobitel
d.d. Ljubljana, The City of Nova Gorica and the rx:tx
Foundation, and the University of California at Santa
Barbara (UCSB).






Press Office

Roberta Lombardo Hurstel
8bis, rue de l'Argonne - 75019 Paris
tel. +33 1 53 26 04 26 - fax +33 1 53 30 00 26
Castello, 5064/b - 30122 Venezia
tel. +39 041 52 87 721 - mob. +33 6 10 56 42 51
email: [email protected]



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