The Butterfly Effect, Digital Indentity & A Look At London’s Underground [Events]

In our post-future era of acceleration and densification of information, the state and nature of being live and online becomes one of the crucial definers of our social presence. Response and action are compressed into an existential here and now triggering a durée of continuous digital stimulation.

With RESPONSE:ABILITY transmediale.11 explores the emerging qualities of liveness as a fundamental nature of our present digital culture and discusses the abilities, that are required to respond to social, political and economic processes triggered by the intensity of our participation and interaction.

RESPONSE:ABILITY is also a call to action – to seize and transform the moment of our own individual liveness within the cacophony of communications density. The resultant convergence of media, interfaces and accelerated data flows being increasingly merged into mega-infrastructures with little oversight risks turning the greatest republic on earth – the internet – into an empire of control and freedoms lost. The abilities required to respond, to enact and steer collaborative energies become the new means to co-opt the tools and systems of our live culture – and use these to create new forms of societal interaction, communication and mobility. How do such systems act to enable new forms of liveness, entrench the assertiveness of individual thought and expression, and ultimately move toward the forms of open structures and flows that visionaries such as Marshall McLuhan and later the pioneers of the early internet envisaged? In an equally open competition for resources, attention and sensory stimulation the ability to fuse the desire for digital emancipation with the necessity to act is our task.

The net we operate in is itself a living entity, built by others. Now it is up to the power of our response:ability to put it to use!

Future Map- London, through Feb. 6th

An annual survey show exhibiting the best cutting edge talent from the graduating year at University of the Arts London. Reviewing all the graduate and postgraduate courses in art, design, fashion and communications, an illustrious panel of industry experts chose works they feel best represent the next generation of creativity.

Now in its 13th year, Future Map is a strong brand, with a reputation for being the first to showcase the most hotly tipped rising stars of the future. Because of the talent scouting nature of this exhibit, Future Map has a steady following of industry insiders including top UK and international gallerists, curators, collectors and critics.

Underground Journeys: Charles Holden’s Design For London Transport- London, through Feb. 13th

The V&A+RIBA Architecture Partnership announced an exhibition celebrating architect Charles Holden’s designs for London Transport.

A selection of original drawings, photographs, posters, film, journals and models will tell the story of his modernist designs for some of London Underground’s landmark stations. Of the 270 stations on the underground network, more than 40 were designed by Charles Holden. His Piccadilly line stations, such as Arnos Grove, Boston Manor and Southgate are regarded as modernist icons and their importance is reflected in their Grade II listed status. Holden is also known for his Northern line stations and his interior refurbishment of stations such as Piccadilly Circus.

The exhibition will look at his first designs for stations such as Westminster and Stockwell through to his latest designs and will also include a section on his designs for fixtures and fittings – some of which we still know and love today. In addition to his stations, designs and images will also be displayed for Holden’s new headquarters for London Underground at 55 Broadway.