This is an old revision of the document!
[note from maja: i know i've expanded this too much, so it needs re-compacting and probably renaming. i also wonder how much of it needs to be a part of the pitch, and whether we could just include a link to the descriptions of the worlds?]
As a possible way of structuring the publication, we organise its themes and content into several “worlds” that broadly represent our foci of interest and serve, loosely, as the book’s “chapters”. There is also corresponding material in the surfacing_stuff node…
(The extended family)
- All the various ppl involved, devolved and in partial orbit or comet-rendevous flyby…
- data, metadata, pata- and para- data
Reality Generation
where we talk about FoAM's experiments with immersive, responsive, transmedia environments, and our explorations of the edges between the digital and the physical worlds (e.g. The *t-series: http://fo.am/t-series/)
Behind the Algorithms
in which we trace a path through computational worlds, beginning with Glitch Art and generative media, through to live coding, tangible media, mini-games and augmented reality apps. (e.g. http://fo.am/digital_art_and_the_glitch/ http://fo.am/kernow/ and http://fo.am/lyta/)
Human-Plant Interaction
where we investigate the many possible relationships between plants and humans, including urban gardening, citizen science plant games, speculative experiments with human-plant communication and a reintroduction of seasonal rituals (e.g. http://fo.am/groworld/)
Towards Luminous Green
in which we look at FoAM's environmental and technosocial worldviews; combining technology and sustainability; electricity with green; augmentation with foraging (e.g. http://fo.am/luminous_green/, http://fo.am/boskoi/, http://fo.am/farm-crap-app/)
Affordable Mysticism
is the small niche of all things meta and pata, the esoteric, mystical and spiritual dimensions that though often occulted, are like dark matter interspersed as background radiation behind everything we do.
Alternate Realities and Possible Futures
balancing on the edges of fiction and reality, futurology and fortunetelling, delving deep into FoAM's explorations of speculative culture, looking at what emerges when we dare ask “what if?” and prototype the answers as artistic experiments and daily rituals; here we also explore several perspectives on surviving and thriving in turbulent times, and ask what cultural resilience might be like, today and in the future (e.g. http://fo.am/future-fabulators/, http://fo.am/borrowed-scenery/, http://fo.am/resilients/)
pre-enactments and role-playing games (e.g. http://fo.am/grig/ http://fo.am/opening-electrified/ or http://fo.am/resilients-flotilla/)
Grow your own
Aside from being a well-known creed in the countercultural movement, Grow Your Own is a philosophy that we apply across different disciplines, through hands-on workshops and co-creation sessions. In the book we look back at the people, stories and methods we developed to encourage participatory learning and open knowledge sharing (e.g. http://fo.am/splinterfields/ and http://fo.am/xmedk/)
FoAM Food
is one of the pillars of our transdisciplinary culture. In this chapter we reveal the secrets of FoAM's experimental kitchen and include recipes and menus from some of our most beloved meals (e.g. http://fo.am/open_sauces/ and http://fo.am/froth/)
Hosting Craft
where we talk about the foundation of a FoAM culture, based on hosting and nurturing its collaborators and participants, in intergenerational residencies and transiencies, coaching, mentoring and even matchmaking (e.g. http://fo.am/residencies/ and http://fo.am/services/)
Institutional Hacking
where we talk about the nuts and bolts of experimenting with an organisation as an artform, about FoAM as an extended clan blurring the boundaries between life and work, and discuss the many pros and cons that we experienced in the flesh during this process (e.g. http://lib.fo.am/future_of_the_lab, FoAM Manual)
nik