WALLED GARDEN
Working conference on communities and networks post Web 2.0
by Virtueel Platform
20 & 21 November 2008, Lloyd Hotel, Amsterdam

Virtueel Platform invites you to take part in WALLED GARDEN. This international working conference will approach the development and future challenges of the current Web 2.0 through exploration, experimentation and exchange of knowledge. Our goal: a blueprint for policy makers, funders and practitioners that works towards a public garden.

“What happens when we have friended our old friends on MySpace and have written professional testimonials on LinkedIn, have scrobbled our entire music libraries on last.fm and have written on many walls on Facebook? Can networks be open, sustainable and valuable? Or does a network only work when it’s a walled garden?” (Sabine Niederer, Institute of Network Cultures)

“Enough of those serious play group therapies! Enough of those brainstorm meetings! Enough of those project manager group planning sessions! Enough of those power point powered informal get-togethers! Let’s just make things happen. Now.” (Aymeric Mansoux, goto10.org)

“If history is doomed to repeat itself, is it possible to miscalculate the future less radically than did the great minds of the past? What can we learn about the future from the role art plays in envisioning and inventing it?” (Edward Shanken, University of Amsterdam)

Virtueel Platform invites you to take part in WALLED GARDEN. This international working conference will approach the development and future challenges of the current Web 2.0 through exploration, experimentation and exchange of knowledge. Our goal: a blueprint for policy makers, funders and practitioners that works towards a public garden.

WALLED GARDEN will address issues of identity, mobile communities and networks by focussing on the tendency towards online gated and closed communities. How does this affect the (in)accessibility of information and knowledge? Now is the time to identify success factors and failures of Web 2.0 and to initiative new tools and strategies for the future Web. Keywords: trust, transparency, accountability, enforcement, privacy, personalization, context-awareness.
Virtueel Platform sows the seeds with lively debates but we need your expertise!

WALLED GARDEN breaks with the traditional conference format. Structured participative group dialogue will be interspersed with inspirational presentations from artists, researchers and technologists. Registration is open until Monday 10 November.

Speakers and moderators
Sessions will be led by international researchers, including:
Bronac Ferran (Royal College of Art, London), Tom Klinkowstein (Media A, New York), Tapio Mäkelä (University of Salford), Erin Manning (Senselab, Montreal), Aymeric Mansoux (goto10.org), Sabine Niederer (Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam), Matt Ratto (University of Toronto), Edward Shanken (University of Amsterdam), Adam Somlai-Fischer (The Kitchen, Budapest)

Virtual and physical presentations by:
Celia Pearce (Georgia Tech), mez breeze (_Augmentology 1[L]0[L]1_ ), Aenimae (Performing Creativity Platform), Aymeric Mansoux & Marloes de Valk (Metabiosis), Tom Klinkowstein and Irene Pereyra (2030 – a day in the life of..) and many more.

Registration closes on 10 November 2008!
If you want to be part of WALLED GARDEN please mail to workshop@virtueelplatform.nl
Since there is a limited number of seats available, a selection process will take place if the quantity of applications succeeds this number. Therefore, please send us a short statement of max 250 words describing why you want to participate and what you would like to gain by taking part.
The fee is 150 euro (students 75 euro) for two days, including lunches and dinner.

About Virtueel Platform
Virtueel Platform is an independent expertise centre that stimulates innovation and supports knowledge exchange in the field of e-culture in the Netherlands. Virtueel Platform has an international orientation and provides insight in Dutch e-culture for the international cultural community. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has given Virtueel Platform the task of supporting interdisciplinary e-culture. Our aim is to encourage new kinds of partnerships, particularly between parties who would not normally work together. The resulting projects then go on to serve as examples of good practice.

http://virtueelplatform.nl