A 2 day event organized by Otto Von Busch and Despina Papadopoulos that explores the intersections of fashion, technology and creativity and energises dialogue & a community of practitioners and thinkers.

The point of departure for Electronic Etherealism and the Digital Perfume project is the bridging of the worlds of fashion and technology.

We are interested in locating the juncture between fashion and technology and it is possible that perfume, which is also bottled mythology sitting on the crux of alchemy and science, can prove an effective conduit.

The interfaces and protocols between these worlds are today insufficient. Instead of framing this field with tools from the enlightenment we aim to explore alchemic practices of re-mystifying technology for merging it into the mythical world of fashion. To form an alloy of "fashion and technology" there is a need to reveal the Quinta Essentia of electronics and transmutate it to a proto-scientific experience, turning it in to expressions of fashion.

Day 1

Friday, October 27th 4:00 - 8:00 pm, Pratt Institute, 200 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn. Sponsored by the Digital Arts Laboratory, Department of Digital Arts and School of Architecture at Pratt Institute, hosted by the Department of Digital Arts at Pratt Institute

Lectures and discussions on perfume, essential etherealism and fashion mythology, technology, memory and process

List of Speakers:

Mouna Andraos, interaction designer
Otto von Busch, fashion theorist & designer, organizer
Giana González, designer
Despina Papadopoulos, interaction designer, adjunct professor, NYU, ITP, organizer
Eddie Roschi, co-founder, Le Labo fragrances
Clemens Thornquist, Head of Fashion, School of Textiles University College of Borås, guest researcher, FIT

Panel discussion moderated by Timothy Mohn, Founding Director of the Digital Arts Research Laboratory at Pratt Institute in New York City

Day 2

Saturday, October 28th 11:00 am - 5:00 pm, Eyebeam (closed session)
540 W. 21st Street, between 10th and 11th avenue, NY
We are grateful to Eyebeam for hosting the brainstorming session

Brainstorming, concept building and electronics hacking as re-mystification (mutilate-modulate-mutate), hands-on building session, exploring various ways to mimic or stimulate magical powers and alchemical processes in electronics. Making electronics speak the language of fashion.

A publication with essays from the event and workshop findings will follow in the Spring of 2007.