A new country of ScienceBlogs: Brasil! here the launch site of the science bloggers network. So interesting to read Portugese....
The Future of Media
Following an invitation by the Federal Ministry of Economics, I attented the "Branchenhearing Pressewirtschaft " yesterday.
With other professionals like Wolfgang Fürstner (Managing Director VDZ), Robin Meyer-Lucht (Media Studies) and Volker Lilienthal (Journalist), the future and profile of media companies were discussed. First and foremost, we talked about the difficulties for those media companies, about digitalization and the current recession.
In my lecture I pointed out the outlook of the media industry. I addressed the important political basic conditions which we need as media companies in these times. Politicians must strengthen the position of German media companies and promote Internet also as cultural and creative medium as for instance film, radio or TV. Basic essentials are: encouragement of Internet programs such as Sevenload and economic incentives for online-start-ups.
The Internet is elementary for the future of the media companies. Media usage, advertising market and business models are at the same time a large innovative, occupation and a location potential. US players have strong position in the German Internet: Google, Facebook, Ebay, Microsoft.
Therefore, German media companies are foresighted and focus on advertising, direct marketing and e-commerce in the internet. How these new models look like, you can see on Focus.de, ScienceBlogs, Glam and Holidaycheck.
Read my lecture: Branchenhearing. Further details about the whole session you can find here.
Digital Lifestyle and Online Travel
How do social networks and mobile solutions influence human behavior in general, and with regards to travel in particular? That was one of the questions I discussed yesterday on the session "Digital Lifestyle and Online Travel" during the ITB Berlin Kongress.
With the other panel guests, Urs Grasser, Ignacio Martos, Sebastian Moleski and Harald R. Fortmann, I had an inspiring talk about visions and strategies for the travel industry.
Digital Obama and Germany
Here I did a story for FOCUS Online on the Obama election campaign and how the German parties position themselves online in the national election year 2009. What do you think? Is Germany ready for an internet driven election campaign?
Like no other president before him, Obama has managed to mobilize and inspire the American people to get involved in politics. Looking back at his campaign, it is the internet which provided a major political news source for Americans. Referring to PEW Research, nearly a quarter of Americans said that they recieved regular information about the campaign over the internet.
I am anxious to see how this effect will influence the election campaign in Germany. The German parties and their candidates will definitely not be able to campaign without the internet. An opinion survey about the changes in the information and communication culture carried out by the Allensbach Institute shows that the internet has become the number one source of information. 59% of all 14 to 64 year olds go online several times a day to keep abreast of current events. It is particulary the social networks like Facebook, MySpace, StudiVZ and YouTube that are gaining in importance.
Interested in the analysis the German political parties with regard to their activities in the social web? You can find our DLD internet politics study here.
Social Internet
„He doesn’t know to email.“ Dieser Wahlspot traf McCain persönlich. Der 72-Jährige gehört zur Vergangenheit. Obama ist der erste Internet-Präsident wie JFK der erste TV-Präsident war. Barack Obama hat in seinem Wahlkampf nur selten seinen Kontrahenten persönlich angegriffen. Einer der vielen Werbespots zielte jedoch auf John McCain. Der Spot stellte die Welt vor über zwanzig Jahren dar. Es war eine Welt ohne Personal Computer, ohne Handy, ohne Internet. „Doesn’t know to use a computer“, erklärt die Stimme und zeigt den heute 72-jährigen McCain. Obama dagegen trägt nicht nur einen Blackberry am Gürtel und ist damit jederzeit vernetzt.....
Diesen Artikel habe ich dem Dezember-Heft in gekürzter Fassung unter dem Titel Gewinner Social Internet und online beigesteuert.
Nicholas Carr on Nietzsche, Google and Gutenberg
Again I read this profound and provocative Atlantic-article by Nicholas Carr how the internet affects our thinking and would like to post it to your attention.
SEED sets science and design to talk
The last issues of Adam Bly's science magazine SEED featured some of our dear DLD friends, including the senior curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art, Paola Antonelli and biology pioneer Craig Venter. In a frank interview, Venter who sequenced the human genome explains what’s holding science back and how he intends to fix it. The design issue presented seven different themes – from visualization to algorithm – that underlie the emerging science-design movement. I like it a lot, especially the conversation of Will Wright and Jill Tarter of the SETI center on science and game design. Wright created not Sims as well as Spore. And the influence game design has on science but also business is far reaching "Can we model reality?”
The debate between the highly esteemed “father of fractal geometry” Benoit Mandelbrot and MoMA’s Paola Antonelli embraces among other things, fractals, self-similarity in architecture, algorithms that could specify the creation of entire cities, visual mathematics, and “the death of Euclid”. And what is interesting, Nassim Thaleb dedicated his book "The Black Swan" to Mandelbrot. Small worlds indeed.
Change, Clouds and Chanel
Three articles that I picked of the two current Economist editions I'd like to comment on. The fact that young voters in the US really brought the change and rallied for Obama in a way which has not been seen so far. And the knew to use the internet and social networking. It is the real first internet election like it was the first television election in 1960 (the famous Kennedy-Nixon TV debate). 1960 it brought the iconic turn of politics. Like the 1960 Olympics made the sports competitions a global political event. The 2008 elections are the digital turn of politics.
The other 16-pages dossier is on cloud computing. A very good read to better understand the scope of this paradigm shift in computing and data storage. There are many dimensions to it, the environmental issue of energy consumption which makes server farms go under water, the political question of privacy rights and law enforcement when data is not stored at a place to localise, and the business impact. Who will benefit when information commoditizes further? Nicholas Carr sees Google as the benefitor and driver of this process like Microsoft emerged as monopolists by commoditizing products like the browser that were "complementary to its cash cows, such as Windows".
And I liked the face value on Maureen Chiquet, newly named CEO of the epinomious Chanel, a brand that stands for the luxury and inspiration for nine decades now. How to renew such as legacy? The notion of luxury is changing so much. Often people tell you that personal time and independence is true luxury, less buying expensive products that can be bought on Ebay or whose exclusivity may be undermined by fakes. Global brand need to aspire buyers in different cultures. Celebrities endorse such brands and vice versa, like Nicole Kidman or Keira Knigthly with Chanel. But even so, luxury has been a growth market over decades, and just now feels the impact of the credit crunch. I visited the Chanel Mobile Art Pavillion in New York and can say that this staging of the brand is a most modern expression of inspiration and brand mystique.
Taryn's view
Last week, Taryn Simon gave a talk at Christiane zu Salm's About Change Collection. I was happy to go there, since Taryn spoke at DLD08 and it was good seeing her again. She showed two series of her work: American Index and The Innocents (Taryn is a highly relevant new photoartists introduced to us by Hans-Ulrich Obrist look her bio and profile here).
The image above belongs to the American Indes series. It shows the only legal canabis lab in the US. On her website you see more of these examples of unknown and hidden places of reality we don't know. To me this is very strong. Even more so, the prior series on convicted innocent people who she portraited at the crime scenes the never have been. The stories of these people make you think a lot. Often it is, as she explained, due to false photo identification they are sent to prison for years. Then DNA tests brought them back to life. So the unvisual overcomes the visual. It is part of the change of our times. I would like to keep tuned on her future projects.
Artsy and establishing Berlin
This week's Berlin Art Forum again was a frenzy week of numerous openings, dinners and parties. The city has become an Euriopean art hub, nothing new, but you feel it. When I lived in Berlin Mitte eight years ago, the city was fun, but lacked a clear profile, a loaden history, Plattenbauten Osten, a patchwork, cozy West Berlin, Mitte was yet more a construction site, some big hotels, few restaurants and most clubs were temporary. We were the New Economy generation, experimenting a new media. So was the arts, yet leading figures of today's art world worked in Berlin since the nineties. Olafur Eliarsson or Klaus Biesenbach.
2008, Berlin is an artsy, young and vibrant metropole. New galleries emerge and leading galleries are coming to Berlin. Sprüth Magers or Capitain Petzel (picture at Karl-Marx-Allee), both with impressive places in Berlin Mitte. Private collections are built and temporary Kunsthallen (see below). Grill Royal is the place to go, Cookies has arrived on Friedrichstrasse and art magazines like Monopol or 032c set the talklines. Actually rents went up a lot in Mitte, too.
On a typical evening, you move around from place to place (see Monopol Party in picture). With some luck you see Quentin Tarantino, Diane Kruger or Malcom McLearan. Hollywood likes Berlin, too. Next Monday James Bond is premiered. The city has created momentum. It becomes a political hub, has good universities and a bunch of internet companies and creative minds. Actually, we just put a small team to Berlin to build some websites. Nevertheless, there is high unemployment, no industry nor capital, actually the city is almost bankrupt, less elegance than Munich or Hamburg and now has an airport less. And it is shining. But keep going Berlin, you are changing a lot and give coolness to Germany.
Absolut Abstrakt
Absolut Abstrakt is the title of the grand Kandinsky-retrospective which opened this weekend at Lenbachhaus in Munich. Sunday I went there, not to many people as I expected. The exhibit is so complete and it shows how Wassily Kandinsky who was part of Bauhaus gradually developed his abstract style.
The earlier works are woodcarvings (Holzschnitte) and then he ads this bright colours of red, blue, green. Actually he understood, that I learned, painting and music as similiar forms of arts and his paintings had some leitmotivs. The exihibit than openes up in the newly-designed rooms of the Blaue Reiter collection of Lenbachhaus.
If you go there, also pass by the exhibit showing of architect Sir Norman Foster plans to renew the Lehnbachhaus building ensemble. In the other rooms previous works of Foster & Partners are presented which all reference to history: the Reichstag, the British Museum and the current plan for the Moscow Pushkin Museum.
Black and Green Swans
It was some time in my to-read list and I haven't really got through. This weekend I then read The Black Swan of Nassim Thaleb and his theory made me think a lot. How we think we know things and assess opportunity and risk. His deep and wide reference in philosophy, history, mathematics and economics and juxtaposition of sceptical empiricism vs. platonic approach. I discovered Hayek and Popper who I read in my studies and Mandelbrot whose elegant random and self afine fractals I always felt some fascination for. Actually, Nassim Thaleb dedicated the book to Mandelbrot.
This week, I met Jack Hidary who works hard on fostering clean tech energies in the US. He and his group just achieved to preserve a huge tax break in the bail out legislation that passed congress lately. When I asked Jack on the progress in energy efficient technologies, he said me that there is so much capital, HR and intensity in this field now that a Green Swan may occur which brings a dramatic drop in alternative energy cost. I liked this metaphor.Obviously we live in swan times.
Chanel Mobile Art
"Life is a story of form" spricht die franzöische Schauspielerin Jeanne Moreau dem Betrachter in das Headset, der gleich einem langsamen Tanz und Traum durch die experience, ja das Wort beschreibt es, wandelt. Wie ein Raumschiff aus dem fernen Chanel-Olymp steht die Mobile Art, von Zaha Hadid realisiert, im Central Park auf der Höhe 72nd Street. Dass ich erneut und danach darüber schreibe, gehört zur experience glaube ich. Man will dieses Wunder Anderen kundtun. Fotografieren verboten, Handies und Taschen sind abzugeben am Counter nach dem Eintritt. Der Platz ist in elegantem Schwarz gelegt, die Haut der Struktur ist grau.
Nach einer freundlichen Einführung, man tauche ich ein und folge dem Tempo, das uns die Stimme vorgibt. Mir gelang das nur im ersten Raum, danach musste ich beschleunigen. Seltsam. Er kommt ein Bodenmosaik auf Blumen (siehe Bild via coolhunter), ein Tümpel auch Licht und Lebensformen (sahen aus wie Teile von Insekten), unterlegt mit Musik, die an Café del Mar erinnert, aber dazugehört. Jeder hört es in seiner Sprache mit eigenem Headset. Menschen, die präsent und away sind. Der zweite Raum thematisiert das Weibliche schlechthin, die Frauenbilder fast alle asiatisch dabei. Es gibt Videoinstallationen wie eine, die von oben auf Pappekisten projeziert, hinein gar.
Ein Lichttunnel spiegelt unten am Boden eine Häuserreihe im Regen bei Tag und Nacht. "Mir gefiel immer die Reflexion" erklärt uns Moreau. Ein grüner Container mit Innenleben folgt, das Chanel-Logo immer wieder verfremdet und erkennbar als Hufeisen. Eine attraktive junge Frau, die auf einen Sandsack boxt, Schaukeln mit Chanel-Ketten. Dann eine immense Tasche geöffnert und im Spiegel schießen Frauen in leathersuits mit Maschinengewehren auf Handtaschen. Am Ende kann man Postkarten mitnehmen, eine Notiz hinterlassen an einem Baum und checkt aus.
Mobile Art wurde diese Woche von Karl Lagerfeld in New York eröffnet, nach Sejours in Hongkong und Tokyo. London, Moskau folgen, das Grande Finale in Paris. Weltstädte des Konsums. Ein avantgardistisches, wie ich finde interessantes Experiment - multimedial, techno-ästhetisch, unerwartet. Es setzt auf der global culture auf, die mit der Jahrtausendwende enstanden ist. Nur der Börsencrash stimmt etwas dissonant."Fluidity", das bringt Mobile Art zum Ausdruck meint Zaha Hadid, die die organische Gestalt geformt hat. Natürlich ist das ein Übertritt des Luxus in die Kunst, eine Erhöhung, ein Tempel, Markenkult.
Aber was beschreibe ich lange. Schaut hier dieses Video, in dem Lagerfeld und Hadid ihr Werk im Rahmen des Venedig Architekturbiennale darstellen. Die Idee wie ich von Lydia erfahren habe, wurde in der Lobby des Mercer Hotels geboren, wo sich beide erstmals trafen. Wir wirkt das auf Euch?
National Design Awards
Heute wurden die National Design Awards im Cooper-Hewitt-Museum for Design in New York vergeben. Richard Meyer eröffnete und knapp zehn Kategorien wurden vergeben. Einige DLD friends waren involviert und da. Marissa Mayer von Google nahm einen Preis entgegen für Corporate Achievement. Scott Stowell, den ich kennenlernte, gewann den Preis für Communication Design (siehe Nation Cover). Landscape architecture fand ich auch relevant, der an das Büro OLIN ging (haben Columbus Circle designt). Und Interior ging an David Rockwell, dessen range von Restaurants bis Theaterinszenierungen reicht.
Ich traf John Maeda, nun Präsident der Rhode Island School of Design, und fragte ihn, wo er die Entwicklung sieht. Er sagte mir, Design würde "more human" nachdem der Pendel über eine Zeit stark in Richtung Technologie ging. Craft spiele eine wichtige Rolle. Dazu passte der Architektur-Preis an Tom Kundig mit seiner Mischung aus Handwerk und Coolness. Beth Comstock, CMO von General Electric, ist im Board des Museums. Adam Bly von SEED war da. Design gewinnt an Bedeutung in seiner sozialen Wirkung, als Kunst und Bedeutung für Unternehmen.
Streetart Spiel in München
Gastspiel, so hieß die kurze Ausstellung, die ich letztes Wochendende in München gesehen habe. Wer gab das Gastspiel? Die Gallerie Springmann aus Freiburg und vier Street- oder Urban Art Künstler aus der Schweiz, Deutschland und Frankreich: Dare und Toast, die sich mit Ausstellungen wie „Die Kunst ist weiblich“ in Leipzig positionierten und die von Gunther Sachs, der auch da war, gefördert werden. Toast gestalteten seine Räume im Schlosshotel Velden.
Stefan Strumbel gehört zu den jungen Shootingstars. Aus der Graffitiszene kommend und in Offenburg geboren arbeitet er mit Siebdrucken, Installationen und Objekten. Durchaus provokant wie die Serie „What the fuck is Heimat" und mit Erfolg. Karl Lagerfeld hat sich eine der schrillen Kuckucks-Uhren gekauft.
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Das Gastspiel war auch ein Event, in einem Loft gegenüber dem Opernplatz. Mon Müllerschön, Kuratorin der Hubert Burda Media-Sammlung, sprach eine coole Introduction. Kari Albermann half, die Gruppe nach München zu bringen. Und Flori Riedel spielte mit seiner Band jazzy groves. (das Bild mit Kari, Stefan, Flori und mir).
Der vierte Künstler ist der 56-jährige Franzose Blek le Rat. Er war selbst nicht anwesend, aber beim Art Forum in Berlin, wo die group als nächstes präsentiert. Über Le Rat sagt selbst Bansky: „Jedes Mal wenn ich denke, ich habe etwas Originelles gemalt, finde ich heraus, dass Blek le Rat das schon gemacht hat...nur zwanzig Jahre früher!“. Seine Arbeiten sprechen mich an mit seiner kontraststarken popartigen Stencil-Technik (s.im Bild). Die Tate Modern präsentierte im August 2008 eine Auswahl von Bleks Arbeiten.
