/// KITCHAIN 2013 EDITION STARTED

Meanwhile, in the Kitchain from Antoine M. on Vimeo.

/// LET'S GO OUT

(ENG) The project KITCHAIN has been published in the book Let's Go Out from Gestalten. The book provides a current overview of trailblazing spaces that go well beyond the classic models of restaurants, cocktail bars, and clubs.

About the book:

Going out to enjoy eating, drinking, and spending time together is practically a basic human need. Digital networking and social media have increased our demand and appreciation for face-to-face encounters and genuine experiences in the real world. The places where one chooses to eat or drink play almost as important a role as the company one keeps while doing so. The more unusual or authentic the surroundings, the more exciting or memorable going out becomes. Designers, architects, interior designers, artists, and gastronomes from around the world are creating extraordinary possibilities for bringing together friends, partners, business associates, or even strangers. 

The projects in Let’s Go Out! clearly demonstrate the essential role that concept and furnishings play in our experience of eating and drinking. These inspirational examples appeal to all of our senses and, in the process, they hone both our taste buds and our visual awareness.

+ info at Gestalten website

/// LONG STREETS FOR SHORT STORIES IN LISBON

(ENG) Some photos of our installation Long Streets for Short Stories that's in display in Travessa da Marta Pinto, Belém, Lisbon until November 11th. For a full experience of the installation we recommend a visit after 8pm when the lights are on.

/// LONG STREETS FOR SHORT STORIES OPENING

(ENG) To everyone that will be in Lisbon next saturday, we will be opening in Vicente Festival the urban installation Long Streets For Short Stories that we have been developing with the artist Miguel Faro. This will be the third presentation of this piece after Tallinn (Estonia) and Riga (Latvian). We are creating a site specific portuguese story to this presentation. We post the invitation bellow to everyone that wants to drink a glass of wine with us in next saturday afternoon.

Long Streets For Short Stories
from 8th september until 11th November 2012
Travessa do Marta Pinto, Belém, Lisbon

+ info: www.travessadaermida.com

/// KITCHAIN EDITION 2012

(ENG) After nine days of performances, exhibitions, talks and workshops, the Belluard Festival has come to an end and the doors of the Arsenal have closed. The Kitchain has been once more disassembled and all the tables and benches will quietly wait for the next year edition. This year we had a special contribution on the blog for recording the Kitchain : mr. Antoli and his fantastic videos! We show you below a selection of the best videos that Antoli posted during the nine days of the festival. See you next year and if you want to know more go to kitchain.net

Kitchain Belluard 2012 - dimanche from Kitchain Belluard on Vimeo.

Kitchain Belluard 2012 - jeudi from Kitchain Belluard on Vimeo.

Kitchain Belluard 2012 - Future Nostalgia from Kitchain Belluard on Vimeo.

/// KITCHAIN 2012 HAS JUST STARTED

(ENG) Yesterday was the opening of 2012 edition of the Festival  Belluard Bollwerk International and that means that Kitchain will be open in the next nine days for more food, drinks, talking and fun. We leave bellow a video from yesterday open event. As usual you can follow all the big and small stories of this nine days in the Kitchain blog.

/// KITCHAIN IN THE EXHIBITION DEVIR MENOR

(ENG) Our project Kitchain will be part of the exhibition Devir Menor that will open next saturday June 16 in the city of Guimarães. We will give a small talk about the project integrated in the pre-opening programme of the exhibition.

Devir Menor  explores projects sensitive to the specificity of contextual conditions, often using other tactics to the traditional methodology of architecture and making a social and economic operative critique, committed on transformation and on revitalization of its context. The architectural project acquires a proximity to everyday life and a processual nature, the modalities of relation with the context change the project itself and the work becomes reflexive and relational. These works are close to cultural practices, characterized also by a particular reconciliation that defies the global and local; they have a strong spatial component and use, among others, techniques of materials recycling, reuse of existing resources, the do-it yourself, or experiment various work modes. The project´s concept is a collaboration between Inês Moreira (architect and curator) and Susana Caló (philosophy researcher and editor)

The exhibition consists of a spatial immersive installation that explores the potential of the drawings, registers, videos and pictures of the invited participants, privileging an informal and intuitive relation with the public. It also presents a selection of 50 reference publications, as well as documental materials and essays produced especially for the project. The installation will establish a dialogue with the building of Sociedade Martins Sarmento, a proeminent building in the city of Guimarães, designed by the architect Marques da Silva.

New projects:
Iconoclasistas + Bernardo Amaral + Paulo Moreira (Argentina + Portugal)
Paulo Tavares (Brazil and United Kingdom)
Mario Ballesteros (Mexico)

Authors / collectives:
Al BordE arquitectos (Ecuador)
Ángela Bonadies + Juan José Olavarría (Venezuela)
Borde Urbano consultores (Chile)
Control + z + Straddle3 + Lamatraka Cultural (Spain)
Cristobal Palma (Chile and United Kingdom)
Husos (Spain + Colombia)
Iconoclasistas (Argentina)
Blaanc + Rootstudio (Portugal + Mexico)
José Luis Uribe Ortiz (Chile)
Louise Marie Cardoso Ganz (Brazil)
Maria Luz Bravo (Mexico)
Monica de Miranda + Artéria Arquitectura (Portugal)
Moov (Portugal)
La Panaderia (Spain)
Plano B (Portugal)
Supersudaca (Latin America)
Todo por la Praxis (Spain)
Tomás Garcia Puente (Argentina)
Urban Think Tank (Venezuela)

+ info: www.devirmenor.com

/// BLOWER VAC

(PT) A máquina pneumática é um objecto mecânico que tem como função criar vácuo, através da sucção de ar do interior de uma campanula de vidro, para a realização de experiências químicas. Interessou-nos esta propriedade do objecto em criar vazio, de estarmos perante uma máquina cujo principal objectivo era produzir ausência.

Blower Vac é uma instalação que utiliza o ar como matéria de transformação do espaço e como detonador da mensagem através da sua presença ou ausência . O público é convidado a interagir com um dispositvo eléctrico transformado que aspira ou sopra ar. Essa movimentação alternada de ar provoca o enchimento ou esvaziamento de duas bolsa de tecido que incorporam em si duas mensagens distintas que só podem ser visualizadas à vez uma vez efectuado o respectivo processo de insuflação ou desinsufluação.

Dimensões: 110 x 100 x 50cm
Material: Aspirador eléctrico, tecido elástico
Objecto quimico interpretado: Máquina Pneumática

Blower Vac foi apresentado na exposição Visões da Química no Campus da Caparica da Universidade Nova que terminou ontem e que pedia a um grupo de sete artistas - Miguel PalmaAna Romana & Susana Anágua, Ana Vasconcelos, Enrique Williams, Helena Abrantes, Miguel Faro, Miguel Palma e MOOV - um novo olhar sobre objectos históricos usados em laboratórios químicos.

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #11

(ENG) After the post dedicated to the unCloud project, we would like to share two more projects: Time/Bank by Julieta Aranda & Anton Vidokle and Macht Geschenke: The Making of Capital by Christin Lahr. The two art projects deal with money and time.

As you can read in the program: "Time/Bank is a platform for cultural and arts communities where groups and individuals can pool and trade time and skills, bypassing money as a measure of value. Time/Bank is based on the premises that everyone in the field of culture has something to contribute, and that it is possible to develop and sustain an alternative economy by connecting existing needs with unacknowledged resources.
Time/Bank is a platform for cultural and arts communities where groups and individuals can pool and trade time and skills, bypassing money as a measure of value. Time/Bank is based on the premises that everyone in the field of culture has something to contribute, and that it is possible to develop and sustain an alternative economy by connecting existing needs with unacknowledged resources."

For Macht Geschenke: The Making of Capital, the artist Christin Lahr took over the chair of the mayor of Leuven and spent the first week of the Festival at her workstation in one of the exhibition spaces, continuing her meticulous work. Quoting, once more, the festival program about the work she presented: “since May 31, 2009, Christin Lahr has been making daily money transfers of 1 cent to the German Federal Ministry of Finance, thus helping to counter the growing mountain of debt in small doses. In the field "reason for payment", she always writes 108 characters from "CAPITAL: A Critique of Political Economy" by Karl Marx. That way, bit by bit, the entire text of the book will be transferred into the state’s central account via online banking. The transmission of the roughly 15,709 cents and 1,696,500 characters will take about 43 years.”

We had the opportunity to talk with Christin about her work and we were the lucky ones to receive two original screenshots of the money transfer she made. Her idea is actually to substitute the money transfer numbers with the name of the people who have received them.   

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #10

(ENG) A great time-lapse of yesterday night capture by Wieni Kookt, one of the three groups that made the Kitchain Do-It-Yourself sold out night.

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #9

(ENG) Another morning in STUKcafé...

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #8

(ENG) Sunday KITCHAIN! Eight adults with two children at one kitchenette. Among other things they wanted to grill some turkey at the outdoor grill but after a while they have decided to grill it inside! Too much rain in Leuven! At the other kitchenette a really nice surprise: a couple coming directly from Wuppertal to eat at the KITCHAIN! The evening was really nice and friendly! We were able to carry out Freeman mission because many people made their promises! And it’s always special to have children running around the KITCHAIN! We ended up playing on the Pedro Reyes see-saw "Leverage" (a post about his wonderful piece soon!!!)!  

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #7

(ENG) On Saturday, we had the pleasure to spend a wonderful KITCHAIN evening with Davis Freeman, his daughter, or as he introduced her to us “my assistant” and other 6 guests! The evening started with “Promises” and we need to explain this concept a little bit: it’s a really simple and great idea, he asks people to make promises that will contribute to a more sustainable world, like: “You promise you will take a shower just for 2 minutes for 1 week… You promise you will buy just second-hand clothes for 1 month...” and so on… If people agree they sign a paper and they will get a badget…and a free shot of vodka! Us and many people eating at the KITCHAIN made promises and the atmosphere was great! We also played a multiple choice quiz related to the environment and after a delicious shortbread, made by Davis daughter, we ended up singing a karaoke version of “I will always love you”! Thanks a lot Davis!  

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #6

(ENG) We would like to share with you some projects here at the Artefact. The first is the unCLOUD project by INTK (Rui Guerra) and the Antisocial Notworking by various artists, curated by Geoff Cox/Arnolfini. The unCLOUD is an application that enables anyone with a laptop to create an open wireless network and distribute their own information. You can download the software or you can just connect to the unCloud wireless network. Check it out!

More information at: www.intk.com/uncloud  

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #5

On the fourth day, 6 people have cooked two delicious salmon improvised recipes at the Do-It-Yourself kitchenette and at the outdoor grill. They were quite happy with the result and they have even left the KITCHAIN with the leftovers!

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #4

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #3

(ENG) The Do-It-Yourself KITCHAIN is officially open and what a great start!
At one kitchenette the artists Sarah Vanhee & Kristien Van den Brande and two persons who joined them...who are actually the cooks of a very famous restaurant in town!! At the other kitchenette the Kitchain team - us, Thomas and our guest Yari. We had to challenge ourselves with radicchio, fennel, beans, aubergine, figs, almonds, chicken, tempeh and other many delicious things! The two kitchenettes gave each other advices, shared ingredients and cooking skills and, of course, got to know each other! It's really nice to see two professional cooks at work at the KITCHAIN kitchenette! You can see but, unfortunately, you cannot smell our first Do-It-Yourself KITCHAIN night! Tomorrow there is more! Come!

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #2

(ENG) Yesterday was Artefact opening in STUKcafé. Some pics of the night:

/// ARTEFACT FESTIVAL NOTES #1

(ENG) Since saturday we are in Leuven to do the Kitchain installation for the Artefact Festival. Tomorrow will be the first day that we will be in action but the tables are already assembled in the space. Bellow you can see a few images of it. We will post daily here in the blog during the entire festival (14 - 23 February) to give a full insight of Kitchain and the Festival. Stay connected.

(1) STUKcafé - ready made area
(2) Artist kitchen -  do-it-yourself area
(3) Courtyard - barbecue and beer garden area

/// GAME CHANGER

(ENG) We had teamed with GPOD to produce Game Changer. The aim of our proposal, is to show that change is at everyone's reach, and that we all have the tools needed for being active agents of change.


The theme of sports seemed ideal for 2 main reasons: 1 - its collaborative essence; 2 - everyone knows sports very well. The idea is to have groups of people actively taking part on a system they know so well - the game, which we change in ways that it can almost be played as everyone knows it, but not really! Consequently, every player individually and as a group, will have to refrain it automatic knowledge of the game, and go back to learn about it in order to  play it.

More than the sports we chose to work on our proposal, the location in town as well as the way we chose to have them represented in the urban space, were the two driving forces guiding the creative process. Also as agents of change ourselves, we decided to intervene in spaces where the need for a successful negotiation with the current use of a given urban area, being it a street, a parking lot or a square, would be a determinant point for the success of the installation. For this we also rely on the help of the eventual players which by wanting to play those games we propose, will help us on achieving that negotiation. 

The urban spaces chosen, having primary functions perfectly defined in urban terms, being temporarily misused by the introduction of a new sportive functionality, will become a natural invitation for the population to think about the potential of their neighborhoods and how they can evolve. The deliberate choice of going towards the periphery of the city, meaning going away from the obvious urban areas where cultural events take place, aims at emphasizing the notion that everyone can be an active agent of change - a game-changer.