This 24-hour workshop with participants from around the globe is initiated by The Phaistos Project — Forty-five Symbols and Open Collab, presented by Parsons School of Design.
Workshop Kickoff: March 11, 2021, 12pm (noon) EST
Asynchronous Participation: until March 12, 2021, 12pm (noon) EST
Open Collab is a web-based tool created to enable and encourage remote real-time collaboration between visual communicators. Basic type/image-editing software and skills are required.
Participation is free but registration is mandatory. The introduction will be on zoom (the link will be shared via email on March 10) and the actual collaboration takes place on the open-collab platform that runs in any browser.
Documentation of the open_collab workshop January 26, 2021 led by Patrick Thomas and Jonathan Auch. Including work by (1) @kindaghannoum, (2) @duda.pan, (3) @addisonsan, (4) @iamjasongraphics
What is the challenge?
Read the Disc of Phaistos—its materiality and its 45 symbols—through the lens of your everyday: Is the clay of the past the code of today? Are 241 tokens an ancient tweet? Inspired by this time capsule, develop a set of 5 visuals that captures traces of the anthropocene and raises awareness of human activities disrupting the earth’s natural systems (examples below). The outcome of this workshop will be compiled into a digital publication: the Atlas of Human Impact (Vol I).
Before the workshop — What do I need to prepare?
Participants will create, upload, and mix graphics & words during the workshop. As a starting point, the following assets should be prepared in advance:
1 Five visual elements: Use creative ways to observe the changing surface of our planet and/or the shifting material culture. Translate this into a micro-archive of 5 visuals: you might use your senses and the objects of your everyday [1], [2]; initiate an experiment [3]; or extend your senses with technology and access publicly available data like satellite imagery [4], [5].
[1] The PET Proof of Identity by Imhof & Krenmayr
[2] Chews a character by Patricia Grabowicz)
[3] Monoculture by Salomé Anna Neuhaus
[4] Earports by Fitze & Staehelin
[5] Deltas in Danger by Lena Meier
2 A statement: In 5-25 words, describe your concerns, introduce facts, or add a call for action related to your visuals. Use any language and any font for typesetting/lettering.
During the workshop — What is happening on 3/11, 2021, 12pm (noon) EST?
The workshop will kickoff with short introductions to The Phaistos Project and Open-Collab.org. All participants will upload visuals & texts to create collages with peers around the globe. Details will be explained during the workshop and can be found on the platform itself. The system will create (almost) endless permutations—make sure to download the ones you like. You will need internet access and a software that can process graphic file formats (.jpg, .pdf, .png).
After the workshop — How will my work be documented?
As a participant, you may download and save combinations from your personal gallery within the platform, during the session. You can send in a selection of your favorites for consideration for inclusion in the publication via email (will shared during the workshop)
