2003-09-14 - Italy
Makrolab Project - CALL FOR OPERATIONS AND PROJECTS PROPOSALS FOR THE MAKROLAB TERRITORY
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 2003/2004 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,Projekt Atol and the rx:tx institute.

http://makrolab.ljudmila.org

Send your proposals, PDF or ASCII txt with images to
makrolab@ljudmila.org.
Source: Marko Peljhan by Alenka Pirman - Slovenia