I am in lovely Copenhagen for the first of this year’s IETM meetings, enjoying the beautiful cool air and sunny skies. I came over a day early because I have been running myself ragged with projects and thought it might be nice to give myself a small treat by getting here before the madness began. It also turns out that I couldn’t get here on time to do all the things I had booked to do as part of the IETM meeting unless I came today – so two birds, one stone.
The first thing I did after checking into my hotel, was to hunt down the organic hot dog kiosk that I had read about online. Whenever I visit Scandinavia (or Germany), I always find my way to a hot dog stand even though I would normally avoid them like the plague. I swear they taste better over here. But, since I rarely eat non organic (or at least free range) meats, I was pleased to discover this little gem. Here it is:
I purchased one of the hot dogs with everything (mustard, ketchup, fried onion pieces, pickles, and sauerkraut) on a whole wheat bun (the only choice). I could have had a french hot dog (which is a hot dog shoved into a fully sealed bread-bun thing and slathered with mayo), but decided I wanted the full treatment. This is what I got:
It was well worth the journey across town to get it. That was lunch sorted, so I spent the rest of the day wandering through the city and then stopping at the black diamond for a coffee to check email and do a bit of work. I’m now sitting in my hotel (cheap and cheerful, as the Brits say – paid for by IETM), looking out my open windows onto a beautiful, if slightly dilapidated hotel across the street. I’m working on the meal/event that Proto-type are curating and creating as part of the Getting It Out There Symposium hosted at Live at LICA. We are creating an event where all of the guests cook/make the food and then eat it together. Throughout the event there will be artist interventions and conversations about what it means to get it out there – not just in terms of artistic touring (which is a key to the symposium’s goals) but also about taking risks and learning to enjoy the struggle that comes along with being an artist. Lots to do to get that going.
I’m also doing a bit of work to try to pull together the book I’ve been editing. I’ve been very behind because things have been very busy at MMU where we’ve been doing a lot of reorganisation and other boring admin stuff. Need to get back on top of the things that really matter to me – like thinking about technology’s relationship to intimacy. If anyone has thoughts on that – whatever they may be – send em my way.
In the midst of all that, I’m also working on Proto-type’s tour to Zimbabwe to participate in the 2012 edition of HIFA. Cannot wait to go – just wish I was going to have a few extra days to go see some big game. Alas, not this time. There is a (slightly inaccurate) article about our participation in the festival here. I’m also working on trips to Armenia and India with the British Council. Going to be a busy year of travel!
So, back to work here in Copenhagen. I’ve got my emergency kit of things I love to keep me safe/sane:
One Comment
One interesting case I’ve read about recently in relation to technology and intimacy has to do with Filipino migrants and keeping in touch with family members through mobile phones and skype etc. A new book by Madianou and Miller called Migration and New Media: transnational families and polymedia (2011) addresses the case – might be worth skimming ch. 4 and 6 in particular to see examples of differences in transnational family relations between letters/cassettes and mobiles/email/skype.