[spectre] makrolab residencies 2003/2004

[marko peljhan]

MLA110903003M

MAKROLAB LAB OPERATIONS ON ISLAND OF CAMPALTO WILL CONTINUE UNTIL END OF 
MAY 2004, PAST THE CLOSING DATE OF THE VENICE BIENNALE

CALL FOR OPERATIONS AND PROJECTS PROPOSALS FOR THE MAKROLAB TERRITORY 
2003/2004 PERIOD

http://makrolab.ljudmila.org

Makrolab, Isola di Campalto, Laguna di Venezia 11.9.03 23.00Z


The MAKROLAB markIIex structure was installed on the island of Campalto 
(Isola di Campalto) in the Venice Lagoon on June 13, 2003 as part as 
part of the Biennale di Venezia art exhibition, Individual systems 
section and the PHARE CBC Interreg IIIA program, organised by Patagonia 
Art, rx:tx and Projekt Atol.

On September 15, the lab operations will stop for a month for 
winterisation preparations and winter overhaul and the resident Projekt 
Atol and rx:tx crew will prepare the lab for the new climatic 
conditions. Operations will resume on October 15 or earlier, depending 
on the overhaul speed. The network operations will continue without 
stopping on November 2, as previously planned, when the Venice Biennale 
finishes. The lab operations will continue!

> From September 12 on, PROJEKT ATOL is starting to accept proposals from 

the tactical media community individual workers and teams, free and open 
source software community workers, radio scientists, biologists, 
ornithologists, ichtiologists, engineers, ecologists and artists for 
operations and projects proposals for the Winter 2003 and Spring 2004 
periods.

The lab is equipped with a 450D/150U satellite tcp/ip link, a primary 
ADSL based radio link, two multi OS workstations, a server, a printer 
and a scanner, data logger, sensor suite, satellite Ku band receiving 
capability, HF and VHF radios and from December 15 on a radar and a 
10foot parabolic motorised dish.

The crews are expected to manage the laboratory while in residency in 
all its technological and social aspects, to manage the project webspace 
and to document their work and day to day operations. Knowledge of 
boating, meteorology, electrical systems and networks is advisable, but 
not a condition.

The MAKROLAB primary research areas are in the following fields:

Telecommunications mapping and reflection, cryptography, network mapping 
and topologies, free and open source software coding and distribution 
systems, remote sensing data acquisition and processing, bird migration 
patterns and navigation, captial migration mapping and reflection, human 
economic migrations mapping and reflection, ecological and social impact 
of migratory patterns, migration interrelation algorithms, local ecology 
awareness information systems, closed energy and waste cycle 
development, robotic sensor deployment, biospheric environment research, 
non linear and non hierarchic data display, use and dissemination, 
autonomous social systems, closed ecologies research, network centric 
identity research, energy production, storage, containment and 
distribution systems.

Any research dealing with cold weather and arctic/antarctic conditioning 
is welcome, as well as any research and work dealing with the local, 
Venice lagoon ecology in all its aspects.

The operations and project proposals should include the following check 
list items:

- title of the proposal

- author, authors and email contact

- category or field of the proposal (if applicable)

- proposal or proposals abstracts with a proposed time line (maximum 2 
pages, we strongly suggest residencies of at least 15 days). Proposals 
for shorter periods will be given equal scrutiny, but the experience of 
the lab operations is that the longer the residency, the more effective 
it can be. Makrolab is physically and socially a challenging 
environment, and an adaptation period is almost always a neccesity.

- crew member list with email contact and short CV (a maximum of 5 and a 
minimum of 2 crew members will be allowed during the winter and spring 
operations)

- possible special dietary, medical and similar needs of the crew 
members should be noted already in the proposals

All work done in the lab must be or become OPEN SOURCE and must be 
publicly available. No private projects with distribution and 
presentation limitation can be accepted, due to the nature of the 
project. Projects in the tactical and strategic categories are an 
exception to this rule and will be assesed on an individual basis.

The crews travel expenses will be covered to a maximum of EUR 200 per 
crew member and will be assesed individually, the supply stocking will 
be done in conjunction with the crews, but budgeted by the lab operations.

Any special material and equipment needs cannot be at this time 
supported by Makrolab, but attention will be given to proposals that 
include equipment that could be integrated into lab’s future operations.

Each crew member must show proof of valid health insurance for Italy and 
is responsible for her/his travel arrangements to and from Venice, 
Italy. A free, unguarded parking facility is available for those 
traveling by car.

The maximum allowed volume of the personal items should fit in the crew 
70X70X50 cm rack storage, a networkable laptop computer is very much 
advised.

Note: there are no clothes cleaning facilities in the lab, although 
arrangements can be made for emergency situations. Winter and waterproof 
clothing is prescribed for the Winter and Spring operations, since the 
use of the boat in the winter will be a wet affair. A clothing plan 
should be part of each crew member planning for the work and the stay in 
the lab.

Makrolab is an equal opportunity program, open to everybody. Operations 
and project proposals will be assesed on the basis corelations with the 
projects main objectives and research, tactical and strategic interests.

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.

The 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.



Send your proposals, PDF or ASCII txt with images to:

makrolab at ljudmila.org

Proposals will be accepted for residencies and operations until the end 
of May, 2004

END OF CALL