Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun- Stepanian will deliver a Masterclass on the theme of Extraterrestrial Gardening at Zurich University of the Arts for their Refresh Festival on the 19th September 2020.
You can read more about the event and where to get your tickets here.
This masterclass will investigates the mechanics of experiential practice in space missions as a creative framework for space education and outreach. Students are tasked to speculate together on gardening experiences and shapes we might encounter in other planets.
She will explain the challenges she faces in her own practice, trying to defy and design in the gravity of the hyperreal, a world where fiction is as truthful as reality. In this passionate masterclass, she will share the complexity of her large-scale projects («I am not a Monster», «The International Space Orchestra», «Disaster Playground» and the «University of the Underground») and introduce members of the public to her «hammering and total bombardment» philosophy.
Initiated by the Department Design and the Immersive Arts Space of the Zurich University of the Arts, «REFRESH #3» will take place as a hybrid conference from September 17th to 20th, September 2020 in partnership with the Digital Festival Zurich. A part of the speakers and masterclass leaders will be physically present on-site, while others will participate virtually via video conferencing tools. Under the title «Experimental Futures and Immersive Experiences», REFRESH #3 (talks, masterclasses, performances, screenings and an exhibition) brings together designers, artists, researchers and experts from Switzerland and abroad to anticipate possible futures for Design and the Arts. The third edition of the interdisciplinary conference REFRESH is devoted primarily to the topics «Digital Evidence», «Digital Humans», «Immersive Worlds», «Extended Realities», «Imagine New Tomorrows». All reflect the spirit of the times, questioning the role of designers and artists in an increasingly digitalised world. All ask for a binding ethic in dealing with the flood of available data.
More information available here.