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Media Architecture Biennale 2012

The most important international event within the field of media architecture has just been hosted in Aarhus with great success – organized by Media Architecture Intitute, CAVI and PIT, Aarhus University.

The theme of the 2012 biennale was ‘participation’, and the focus on how to create and use media architecture to make people more involved, better off, more happy and so on turned out to be a common thread. The biennale featured talks by leading researchers, architects, designers, and industry from around the Globe, and will return to Aarhus in 2014.

“Please change the World”

This was the case already at the official opening ceremony, where the Danish Minister of Culture Uffe Elbæk asked the around 200 participants to use keep focus the biennale on people’s needs: “All of this happens because of people. Ordinary people deciding to do un-ordinary things. This is a very un-ordinary event!” said the Minister and asked everyone to use the inspiration and knowledge gathered at the biennale to change to World. How this change can come about – and what role media architecture can and must play in it – was discussed with great passion at both debates, speaks, workshops, and in the corners of the biennale exhibition.

The biennale ended Saturday 17th Nov., and so participants left for China, Korea, Austria, Spain, Finland, Germany, Australia, and England with the promise to return in 2014. The exhibition at Godsbanen (www.godsbanen.dk) is open until December 15 2012.  As one of the main institutions, CAVI has been deeply involved in making the biennale happen – from curating the exhibition to programming the catalogue. Read more about the event on www.mab12.org.