[spectre] 13th Annual Subtle Technologies Festival Investigates Sustainability

[jim at subtletechnologies.com]

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13th Annual Subtle Technologies Festival Explores Sustainability
Call for Submissions
Deadline:  January 9 2010

Festival Dates: University of Toronto June 3 - 6  2010

It will be nearly half a century since Rachel Carson's book "Silent
Spring", just over five since Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth", and less
than three years since Anya Hindmarch's "I'm not a plastic bag" eco-bag
hit the shelves.  The grassroots have taken hold fostering mainstream
fashion and a green life style.  This may be a victory of ideology, yet
at the same time, has matured into a new social norm that suspiciously
smells of capitalism.  The replacements are still a chain in
consumption.  Ecological compact fluorescent light bulbs contain
mercury, and biofuels have an impact beyond ethanol production.  If
sustainability is narrowly defined as a closed system that produces what
it consumes, by all means, the boundary conditions leave us hanging,
looking for more.  What can this more, be?

For this years Subtle Technologies Festival we want to explore
sustainability through a multidisciplinary lens.We want to investigate
the role decentralization, diversity and societal power dynamics play in
our attempts at maintaining a sustainable future. Where does the death
of languages, cultures and peoples fit into the sustainability
discussion? We look forward to critical discussions that explore the
meaning of sustainability in this era of ecological and global health.
We will be discussing the science and technology behind sustainable
practises and design as well as the science behind some of the events
and circumstances that have driven us to seek sustainable solutions.
What role does the artist play in bringing forth new layers of
understandings in this discussion?

For our 13th annual Subtle Technologies Festival, we would like to
invite works that address sustainability.  As in previous years, we
invite submissions from various practises.  For 12 years Subtle
Technologies has provided a forum where participants share their
projects, theories and technologies around an annual theme.  Subtle
Technologies is also a place where artists, scientists, and other
innovators inspire, inform and generate new concepts and tools.
Specifically this year we are looking for presentations for our
symposium (30 to 45 minutes), works for our exhibitions, video and film
submissions for
screenings, workshop suggestions and partners who are interested in
collaborating with us. Some example areas of exploration include:
sustainable design and architecture practises, global warming
discussions, climate change refugees, sustainable agriculture, water and
other resource management, cultural preservation and sustainability,
politics of sustainability, material science for sustainable design,
alternative energy systems, corporate responsibility, co-operatives and
microfinance, biodiversity conservation, preservation of indigenous
knowledge,  Please make a submission on our website at
http://www.subtletechnologies.com by January 9 2010. We encourage
applicants to look at our archives to gain an understanding of the types
of programming we support.

Subtle Technologies is grateful for the continuing support of the Canada
Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and
Ontario Trillium Foundation

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Jim Ruxton
Director of Programs
Subtle Technologies Festival
jim at subtletechnologies.com
www.subtletechnologies.com
Twitter:  @SubtleTech