[echo] press release Cultura21 event at the Biennale di Venezia

[Sacha Kagan]

Dear members of the ECHO list,

I have the pleasure to announce you the following...

You can also find the info on the Cultura21 website at 
http://www.cultura21.net/venezia.htm ... and further material will be 
made available through our Wiki (at http://www.cultura21.net/dokuwiki/ ).

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The Cultural Dimension of Sustainability; Towards an Ecology of Culture


September 6, the 52 nd Venice Biennale, at the Thetis New Arsenal, will 
be the site of a full day of
events organized by the international network Cultura21. Lectures, 
debates, performances,
videos and a workshop, entitled “the Cultural Dimension of 
Sustainability – Towards an Ecology
of Culture,” will commemorate Beuysʹ “Free International University” at 
Documenta 6, 30 years
ago. The “100 Days of Conference” re‑ opens, with the theme of “The 
Defense of Nature”.
September 5, the South‑African artist James Reed (Social Sculpture 
Research Unit at Oxford
Brookes University) and a team of volunteers will perform the social 
sculpture intervention
“Agents of Change” outdoors, around the canals in the center of Venice. 
This will be a Prequel
event to the main program.

The Cultura21 network gathers scientists, artists, activists, 
intellectuals and other cultural actors promoting
cultures of sustainability. Its activities range from local initiatives 
to international events and exchanges.
The September 6 th program at the Thetis New Arsenal will include 
contributions by the renowned artists
Isabella Bordoni (Progetto per le Arti, Rimini); Aviva Rahmani (Ghost 
Nets, USA); Shelley Sacks (Social
Sculpture Research Unit at Oxford Brookes University, UK); Insa Winkler 
(Social Land Art Project,
Germany); the activists and researchers Davide Brocchi (Institut 
Cultura21, Germany); Francesca
Cozzolino (EHESS, France); Hans Dieleman (Universidad Autonoma 
Metropolitana, Mexico); Sacha Kagan
(Leuphana Universitaet Lueneburg, Germany); Steffen Keulig (Freunde der 
Naturvoelker, Germany); Oleg
Koefoed (Gravitations Centre for Action Philosophy, Denmark); Michele 
Marziani (journalist and writer,
Milano) and Ilaria Riccioni (Free University of Bolzano).

James Reedʹs intervention (Sept. 5 th ) directly engages the public with 
the issues of future sea level rise and
climate change. At Thetis (Sept 6 th ), the first part of the morning 
will start with an introduction to the
ʹCultural Dimension of Sustainabilityʹ and will be dedicated to a 
cultural perspective on the world, with a
video and debate about West Papua – the forgotten war in Asia (Keulig) 
and a video and debate about
Unsustainability in European university reforms (Kagan). The second part 
of the morning will deal with
movements and migrations, with Bordoniʹs poetic/sound environment 
“Digital Migration/Fraternité: a
fragment” and Marzianiʹs “Journey on the Po River”. In the afternoon, we 
will explore Culture as Change
Factor, with lectures on Social Engagement and Creativity (Riccioni) and 
on the Field of Social Sculpture
(Sacks). The day will include videos and debates about The Acorn Pig 
Project (Winkler); Virtuality as
Trigger Point at a Global Tipping Point (Rahmani) and the 
workshop/performance “Flowers of
Sustainability” (Dieleman/Koefoed/Winkler).

The Prequel event on September 5 th will take place outdoors in the 
center of Venice. Access will be free.
Events will also be FREE at the Thetis New Arsenal!

More information including individual artists websites and the latest 
updated program are
available at : http://www.cultura21.net/venezia.htm

Press Contact: davide.brocchi at cultura21.de and kagan at uni‑lueneburg.de

Biennale di Venezia : Collateral Event : Joseph Beuys “Difesa della Natura –
The Living Sculpture : Kassel 1977‑Venezia 2007”
Thetis New Arsenal (Castello 2737/f 041 ‑ Venezia ‑ Open: from 11am to 6pm)
Director Lucrezia De Domizio Durini ‑ Codirector Antonio dʹAvossa
September 6 th 2007 : guest event by Cultura21 (www.cultura21.net)

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Greetings,

Sacha Kagan