[spectre] MAKROLAB PRESS RELEASE MLAB280803001M

[marko peljhan]

PRESS RELEASE MLAB280803001M

Makrolab, Isola di Campalto, Laguna di Venezia 28.8.03 8.45AM

OPERATIONS ON THE LAB CONTINUE WITH THE LAUNCH OF TWO METEOROLOGICAL 
SOUNDING BALOONS EQUIPPED WITH A 2.4GHz OPEN IMAGING SYSTEM IN 
COOPERATION WITH THE REPARTO SPERIMENTAZIONI DI METEOROLOGIA AERONAUTICA 
OF THE ITALIAN AIR FORCE METEOROLOGY SERVICE AND THE BALOON IN NO MAN’S 
LAND PROJECT BY THE ARTIST NIN BRUDERMANN

The MAKROLAB project is an ongoing mobile laboratory setup built for the 
open and integral research and common work of artists, scientists and 
tactical media workers in the fields of telecommunications, migrations 
research, weather and climate.

It was first set up in 1997, during the documenta X exhibition in 
Kassel, Germany, and was consequently operating in Western Australia 
(Rottnest Island), Slovenia (Veliki Kras) and in the Scotish Highlands 
(Atholl Estates). The final aim of the project is the establishment of 
an independent art and science based research station on the Antarctic 
continent in 2007.

On June 13, 2003 the lab in the markIIex architecture phase started 
operations on the island of Campalto (Isola di Campalto), in the Venice 
Lagoon as part of the Biennale di Venezia art exhibition and the PHARE 
CBC Interreg IIIA program. Currently, three different crews are 
operating in it. The DYNE.ORG open source/free software programmers 
collective, working on Linux based X/box cluster computing and the 
DYNEBOLIC Linux distribution (dynebolic 1.06 makrolab), the Universite 
Tangente collective, working in conjuntion with the LOA Hacklab Milan on 
the developement and visualisation code for a complex multi field 
tactical media database tool for mapping contemporary capital, power and 
social relations and the Baloon in No Man’s land project collective, 
working on the preparation and launch of two aerostatic meteorological 
observation baloons in conjunction and collaboration of the Italian Air 
Force - Reparto Sperimentazioni di Meteorologia Aeronautica. (ReSMA)

At 6.20UTC, 8.20AM local time, a sounding baloon train, consisting of a 
600g meteorological sounding ballon of the Italian Air Force Meteorology 
Service, a recovery parachute, a 2.4GHz imaging system of the Baloon in 
No Man’s Land project and a radar reflector was succesfully launched by 
Nin Brudermann, the Makrolab team and the ReSMA team, consisting of the 
commander in charge of the operation, Cpt. Foti Francesco (GARN), 
Maresciallo II cl. Lavorgna Sandro (ATG Geofisico), Maresciallo II cl. 
Oliva Antonio (ATG elletronica), and with the logistical support by 51o 
Stormo Istrana, represented by Primo Maresciallo Randazzo Francesco (ATG 
Motorizzazione).

The baloon was launched from the position 45deg 27.662’ North and 27deg 
19.093’ E, 15m SE from the markIIex structure on Campalto Island, Venice 
Lagoon, and ascended at an approximate speed of 7m/s.

The imaging system operated nominally for approximately 30 minutes, to 
the estimated altitude of 12600m, then the LOS occurred. No visual 
observations of the baloon were reported by approaching or departing 
aircraft at nearby airports. ( a class 1, series B NOTAM, Number 4288 
was issued in conjuction with the launch)

The second launch from the same location was executed at 1745 UTC, 1945 
local time, with a larger payload and a longer range transmission system 
developed by the artist and radio-amateurs from Germany and Austria. The 
launch was carried out during the start of a CB based storm, but was 
extremely succesfull in terms of imaging, with the transmission lasting 
45 minutes, even though the baloon entered several lower cloud layers.

The Baloon in No Man’s land project by Nin Brudermann is an ongoing 
art/science project that the artist is carrying out in conjunction with 
meteorology services and agencies of various countries, in September and 
October of this year, she will be operating and launching from the 
Aurora Australis ship and the Australian Antarctic Station Casey from 
the South Indian and Antarctic Oceans.

The launch project carried out in collaboration of the Makrolab 
project-Projekt Atol, Baloon in No Man’s land, Biennale di Venezia and 
the Reparto Sperimentazioni di Meteorologia Aeronautica under the 
commnand of Lt. Col. Giovanni Casu and the Meteorology Service of the 
Italian Air Force, under the command of General Sorani.

The Makrolab project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the 
Republic of Slovenia, the PHARE Interreg CBC IIIA program 
Italia/Slovenia, Mobitel d.d., Mestna Obcina Ljubljana, Mestna Obcina 
Nova Gorica, Comune di Venezia and coordinated by Patagonia Art and the 
rx:tx institute.

http://makrolab.ljudmila.org