Seeds of Change - Heiner Benking's Blog - quergeist.info
Welcome to the NewsLog or Blog of Heiner Benking. A kaleidoscope of insights and impulses collected first in the DaZiBao (Rio) process Seeds of Change Viewsletter of the Club of Budapest since 1995, continually updated ever since. Now available for broader distribution and comments in this blog - enjoy, and come again !
I am a little concerned and sadened in view of how little was achieved in 5 years, and in view of what I witnesses when planners and architect were trying to change how towns were build and ho to do regional planning, but developers and consultants where blocking 40 years ago. Central critical directions where not pursued: building structures, sewer-systems, water systems, infrastructures and transportation systems.
How long it took to report in New York and Geneva, and how little...
BUT also where people like Haiko Pieplow, Ralph Otterpohl, Gerhard Soja, Hans Peter Schmidt .... are struggling with today and which milestones are on thorizon or already made....he
umdenken - umschwenken
TerraBoGa auf der Expo Milano 2015 Expo Milano 2015 https://expo2015-germany.de/en/
scales.....
Pyrolysis - i remembered: Pyrolysis market technology reearch in the early 80ies --- times come back in circles ...
20 Jun 2015 @ 20:28
I was Thursday - Friday focused on CULTURE_POWER_UNITY? the annual conference of our Federal Political Education (bpb)-programme and Culture-Politics Society with the title: Culture Politics and Transformation Politics. I like the social breaks and evening ! but the highlight for me was the podium discussions about researching living things, communities, societies, ... who can object and have resentiments about the purpose, verbiage, scope, relevance,... very controversial was the introducgtion of Heinz Bude who had researched for years and 3 Million Euro the "development" of a town: Wittenberg. Thanks to the organizers to bring disagreement to the public, as only so I hope we can learn !! how we research, present, display, summarize and evaluate and how this is received differently, depending on your position and expectations/assumptions.
and there I am close to a very central theme of mine: Identity, Identification, Representation and that in a research cluster about Anthropology, History, Cultures in combination with Knowledge and Identity and to even top this, reflecting about ways to present and highlight/neglect and even use images and maps. You understand - I could not resist to join in for various sessions and even asked from the floor. Well received, even understood to some degree, hopeful I will return to this TOPOI event: ANCIENT IDENTITIES AND MODERN IDENTIFICATION - SPACE, KNOWLEDGE AND REPRESENTATION exercise of the excellence cluster with focus IDENTITIES ! The Formation and Transformation of Space and Knowledge in Ancient Civilizations more to come...
4 Jun 2015 @ 04:50
I faintly survived the 5 days of "Wunderkammer revisited" last night. After the Sustainability Actions and the Annual Council gathering last night there was another highlight of our WUNDERKAMMER activity in one of my favorite conference/event venues in Berlin: the "Trichinen Tempel" or officially the: ANIMAL-ANATOMIC THEATER Tieranatomisches Theater, Philippstr. 12/13, Haus 3 (Campus Nord) of the Humboldt University. [link] ON THE EDGE
Artists in dialogue with Humboldt University Collections [link]
In the Tieranatomisches Theater, the striking new exhibition ON THE EDGE will open tonight, June 3, 2015, 7 p.m., providing a fascinating insight into the Humboldt University scientific collections through the eyes of seven artists from Germany and the UK: Annie Cattrell, Simon Faithfull, Agnes Meyer-Brandis, Lucy Powell, Andrea Roe, Nicole Schuck and Wolf von Kries.
You are cordially invited June 4 - September 13
and on June 17 to the Workshop: On the Edge. Artists in Dialogue with Humboldt University Collections.
Organisers: Sara Barnes, Jochen Hennig, Felix Sattler (Hermann von Helmholtz-Zentrum für Kulturtechnik / Excellence Cluster „Image Knowledge Gestaltung. An Interdisciplinary Laboratory“; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
The workshop aims to reflect, contextualise and amplify the exhibition “On the Edge. Artists in Dialogue With the Humboldt University Collections“. The exhibition and the workshop act on the assumption that exhibitions produce knowledge by aesthetic means. The relation of protagonists involved – scientists, artists, gestalter, exhibition curators and collection custodians – has been in a constant state of flux since the late 1970s. The workshop aims to retrace these shifts and to reflect on the exhibition “On the Edge” as an example of this transformation. [link]
Vernisage June 4th: Prof. Dr. Peter A. Frensch, Vice President for Research at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Sara Barnes, exhibition curator and Heike C. Mertens, Member of the Board of Directors of Schering Stiftung, will speak on the opening, moderated by Dr. Jochen Hennig, official representative of the presidium of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin for its collections.
2 Jun 2015 @ 22:47
The last 5 days of the Wunderkammer exercising are really thrilling, so much to learn, explain, construct, deliberate, reconcider and reframe.
TODAY (unfortunately this is published still on June 2nd)
is the HIGHLIGHT of our WUNDERKAMMER exercise around the SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS needed. So check June 3rd please.
But before I cover the Sustainability Council (NACHHALTIGKEITSRAT) [link] Annual Symposium, Gathering, Deliberations, Workshops, lectures, Keynotes, ... we will see ...and the ACTIONS -like ours here this week: [link] let me go to another track, another paralleldiscussion I got entangeled in while searching for our "Wunder revisited": A discussion in a SYSTEMS LikedIn thread:
https://www.linkedin.com/grp/post/2639211-5985677112940445698 about this question:
Christopher Alexander's "design patterns", "pattern languages" and "living systems" summarized in the book "Pattern Theory". Is "pattern theory" a subdivision of systems theory or something separate? after a lot of contributions I added the below as I feel it fits perfectly to my world of thinking the last ACTION week:
I wrote: I feel we need to reconcile, general systems theory and general models theory, and a patterns language is one piece of a menue of actions and constructions, designs and co-creative multi-modal procedures needed. I fully reconcile with the work of Christopher Alexander since I learned about it at the Ulm School of Design in the early 90ies. [link] Architects can help out as they can bring together the exact and fine arts (painting and sculpturing, architecture and astronomy) as you can find in as a root painting in Sanssouci, Potsdam). But architecture has no panacea to offer, and there is no quick fix!
It needs work to be done, compromises to find, failing and getting up. Part and Parcel of what I feel are needed are multi-modal, concrete, contextual, embodied and co-creative and co-laborative solutions. Definitely using patterns and follow and supperted across scales !
I have just cited in my blog: [link]
Scale is more than size
it is size with proportions and consequences
when proportions are no longer in harmony,
or consequences are unanticipated,
we have a problem of scale. A. Buzacott
This is exactly what our key-concepts were in Schwanewerder and Hofgeismar about: Responsibility, Space, Time, Size, Frames, Streit,.... 1993 - 2015 - little changed - so little progress and such dangerous trends and challenges.....
My 5 cents here:
We need more than the Architectural thinking of Chr. Alexander, I would add Planning thinking (Carl Ritter, Doxiadis, Jantsch) Model thinking (Herbert Stachowiak, et al) Arts and Sciences and other exact and fine vague and concrete approaches. Helmut, I think your question is right on, Pattern Languages and Harmonization, not Standardization only, or worst, NOT !! Homogenization !! are to be also part of the recipe.
I am still struggling with this translation: maybe we can discuss or find someone to help finding words? As we need multi-cultural diversity, and multi-modal approaches: all designs, all signs and symbols, pictures and scaffoldings,… we can get !
Maybe there is time in Berlin at the ISSS - or the week after the ISSS !!??, to have an open working group! See you there !
and:
ooops I forgot this link to the text from 2009 needing proper wordsmithing: House of Eyes: [link] - we did a lot in German around Post-Materialism: Skizzen für Weltbilder und Welthäuser - Haus-Aufgaben zum Thema Weltbetrachtung und Naturverständnis[link] But it is hard to find the appealing new words and models for new concepts and constructions, which include and build on old concepts and designs. When we have created one, in need, for real, by accident, it needs 25 years to have other "disciplines like "social and political studies" to take notice ! - so we need more attention to incorporate the "other", the alien, beyond the need to agree....
My example from March 2015 is: “The GLocal and Global Studies” in Globalization 15 – you can obtain a free download of the article from [link] As you can see an embodied, metaphoric story, design and construction, negotiated jointly !!!, might be helpful ! Christopher Alexander is one of my "heros" here, fully on the same level, as Jantsch, Oezbekhan, Warfield, Doxiadis, ... and definitely I have missed a lot deep thinkers and doers... Still rushing ...
So let us see what Chancelor Angela Merkel has in store for us ....
I hope I can ask her in the Press Conference why she is not pround of the GLOBAL CHANGE efforts in the German Chancellery 25 years ago ! - Stay tuned...
PS: I just received this quote: so please help me and others to find the proper "mix":
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. .. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Winston Churchill
Still following this blog? check what I just received: MODES OF EXLANATION [link]
2 Jun 2015 @ 07:49
Our Wunderkammer action is put to test, yesterday and today. Media meets the People, Responsibility, Religion and Ethics. We are in Schwanewerder in a Protestant Academy and you find participants with such a variety and depth, you can only dream of. Thanks to the organisers and the theme. Marrying Media and Transformation with in a religious setting in a unique environment.
I am testing and presenting with the participants and through some questions, statements, and responses in the breaks. In a nutshell: It is possible to positions along scales, responsibilities with time and space horizon!, media strategies and global societal, indutrial, and cultural transformation in one ROOM. I am very happy to move all our events to Schwanewerder. A historic, scenic, spcecial and sensitive environment. Meeting invitees and participants is really rewarding. Check out the programme !!
I have lots of pictures, videos, notes, and no idea where to start? waiting for Manfred's summary?, preparing tomorrows ACTION highlight and harvesting !?
To only mention one revelation and gift I reveived trough one of the participants.
He also had his father create a TERRARIUM, and so I found a kindred spirit. He was also keen on the meaning and how words resonnate and communicate. Very important for story merchants in the internet media age ! Meeting with senior church activists and honoraries, politics, science, politics,.... is really rewarding and do the Exhibiton GLOBAL CHANGE Anniversary and the Discussion about STREIT, MethodenStreit, GelehrtenStreit,... are really deep and rewarding. In a nutshell I liked the event more and more, propoesed in the closing circle to continue another day, as the group was after 2 days on the same "level" to really dif into what people not only say, but mean ! and how we come to terms, find solutions with minimum compromising...
I can only add here our 21stCenturyAGORA[link] efforts and some of us will meet again tomorrow ! stay tuned !!
Much talk is about PLASTIC WORLDS like SPACES and SCALES, ORDER; MEDIA; , BOUNDARIES, SYSTEMS,..and I repeate about Maps and Models and check what is rising interest or questions. I often cited lots, not only:
Scale is more than size
it is size with proportions and consequences
when proportions are no longer in harmony,
or consequences are unanticipated,
we have a problem of scale.
A. Buzacott More:
[link] - [link] - [link] - [link]
My last exchange was about the Chinese policy objectives and activties, I tell my experience from 1991 in Beijing, receive some high level doubts and disagreement, and so tell how I expereince it - regarding an art of governance and reducing the infliction of suffering... But I realize I was that time already 40 years of age, so maybe not toooo young to understand what matters. I often cite: "Matters of Consequences", COP: [link] I invited to check HAPPINESS Sukkha Increase & SUFFERING Dukkha Reduction and an Art of "governance". Maybe check PANETICS, Ralph Siu: [link] - Ralphs contributions here: [link]
More to come tomorrow, after WUNDERKAMMER harvesting ..... More >
note for the WUNDERKAMMERN Nachhaltigkeits Actions follow-up: We proceed today not at INBAK Souterrain, but in Schwanenwerder as we still have our WUNDERKAMMERN revisited event today - and I decided to not only do our evening workshop - but merge it into the SCHWANENWERDER CONFERENCE. STAY TUNED.
One Example of Media Coverage is the Coverage of the new Club of Rome report, which was introduced in Berlin last week ! For me unfortunately "little news" but nevertheless what MARTIN writes is all true, relevant, urgent, .... but little news when we look into our 25th and 45th Anniversary this week.
Schwanewerder is one of my favorite places and with good-sad memories of my efforts around the Protestant Church activities 1993 in memory of HANS JONAS's 100th Geburtstag in Hofgeismar and Robert JUNGK's WATER - SOURCES OF CREATION, Churchday in Munich 1993 makes we look again back into how mcuh was known and tried 20 years ago - and how little, if anything substantial at all, was achieved the last 22 years....
Central for me is what we said at Bobs's 100th in memoriam last year in Berlin: YESTERDAY IS TODAY I sometimes personally feel VERY priviledged ! We have QUALITY public television. Not just ARTE, Alpha,... unfortunately not available in some countries... But as currently in television WELTSPIEGEL is "on air" re SILICON VALLEY and Y, incubators, and SINGULARITY.... I am touched and moved - this incubators we called in the early 70ies the EXPLORATORIUM (as originally conceived by Kückelhaus at the EXPO in Montreal) is now getting after 40years onto a new level. Possibilities without Responsibilities... specially in view of the fate of the OTA in Washington - OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT - as I have covered here: EUROPE WORLD. The right topic for our Schwanewerder exercise today !!! RESPONSIBILITY with SPACE, TIME, and CULTURES, MEDIA, FUTURES horizon....
Postscripts:
PS:
We just had the discussion that Brundtland and Our Common Future did not mention MAN - MANKIND - HUMANS appropriately - have "forgotten" ... this is the same like in the Thematic Navigation of the Academy above. "No Environment" !? So the Protestants exclude the "Environment"?
What silly concerns, but they can help us to come to common frames. I will mention today the Intersectoral Strategic Dilemma as tabled before for Rio 92. We need such deep "scaffoldings" (MANY WUNDERKAMMERN!?) to help see what is missing so we do not forget "Soils" as Klaus Töpfer said recently at is 3rd Soil Week...
Same is this unfortunate discussion if the environment has a Right in our constitutions, or if the Environment should be an Organisation, not only a programe, in the UN system.
Issues, Problems, Goals, ... to not fit into our boxes, and as long that we do not understand that our Live, living things, the environment is not only a sector or discipline, we are doomed to failure of not tackling the root questions and mindprint conceptualization and communications. Warfield wrote about Warfield wrote about mind-bugs and mind-boggles....
Churches or better the Council of Churches and others in reality care very much about the nexus in-between and perplexing issues, like: POVERTY REDUCTION AND ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE. check for some approaches: "Connecting Dots and Spaces"
31 May 2015 @ 05:32
KRÖPCKE UHR 130. Jubiläum ! [link] today !
Join KRÖPCKE OPEN. [link] Hier das Programm [link] für Sonntag 31. Mai in Hannover. [link]
Join us at the KdW event all day: 12-17:00 hrs
join WUNDERKAMMERN IDEEN WERKSTATT 13:00
30 May 2015 @ 13:36
Welcome to join us this afternoon in front of the German Chancellery. As I believe in time and procedures/rituals we will celebrate or should we better say help remember the GLOBAL CHANGE - Challenges to Science and Politics exhibition opening exactly 18:00 hrs 25 years ago. We also have more to revisit so come back and join in... [link]
After receiving 2 email explaining why neither the Press, not an "expert" if he is not on the invitation list can enter to the opening of the new NACHHALTIGKEITS exhibition I checked if there are other ways to "gate-crash" - but as the Anniversary is today, we can only look back, subsume, resonate and compare with the "new" exhibition later.
So let us "kick-off" now the next days of exercises, actions, workshops, and happenings.... and maybe check us in teh German Chancellery event last year: [link]
now is time chill out and prepare the next 4 days ! WE COVERED our anniversary from 17:30 - 18:00 so EXACTLY the hot time 15 years ago. Back to INBAK and PNW office, so the HAUPTBAHNHOF was greeting us in time after ""a different"" "mission accomplished".
Wait for further documentations and some video editing.... and come back....
maybe see "The Chamber of Wonder" and how we can translate to old & new other times, tangible and so they matter - and help us reach "shared terrains of negotiations and understandings" ...
MORE TO COME ... maybe if you have the time or curiosity check WHEELS and WOVA: around [link]
29 May 2015 @ 10:53
This is the first time I report here about something forthcoming. Its my Positive Nett-Works events in Berlin and Hannover from tomorrow to next Wednesday.
Title: WUNDERKAMMERN revisited
It is about 2 Anniversaries:
1. The Presentation of the Blackbox Nature and Vernissage of the GLOBAL CHANGE exhibition exactly 25 years ago.
2. The Methodenstreit and the unfortunate "bifurcation" of the Club of Rome exactly 45 years ago. But checking learnings and challenges of this very critical event long ago is a matter for another event - a symposium End of August in Hannover, the Herrenhausen Gespräche - More later.
Now WUNDERKAMMER revisited is "on". Join us and check out the website WETURN: [link] for details and schedules.. . WORK IN PROGRESS .... see also tomorrow - May 30th as we got to "celebrate" commemorate, remember, subsume and resonnate a lot the next days !
Meanwhile you can check the 24th "Anniversary" and the BOX in the German Chancellery last year:
German Chancellery – Boxes and Models for the Public – 24 years ago and today
This is Heiner Benking's News Log, a private-public diary presenting events, symposia and happenings in Berlin and elsewhere - my farings, foci, issues and concerns.
PLEASE CONSIDER THIS PERSONAL BLOG an ARTISTIC and PERFORMATIVE MEDIA INTERVENTION !
The Log links to my work and interests and presents issues and special concern of maybe a very small group of "concerned, engaged generalist" - a Global Interest Group (GIG). This needs to be seen in contrast to the ubiquitous Specialized Interest Groups (SIGs), the "scientific" approach to organize subject areas and specialization and standardization and harmonization! of means, nomenclatures, and modes of thinking. My favorite stories in the WHOLENESS SEMINAR include:
BELA BANATHY: "GENESIS
OF GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY" and "IVAN HAVEL: Longing for Unified Knowledge" where a "specialist" runs into the founding session of the early foundations General Systems, mumbling "this is not my field" or where Ivan M. Havel expresses his search for other kinds of knowledge.
As a starter I also recommend to check my MINDPRINT site, where we add the need for HANDPRINTS and MINDPRINTS, as FOOTPRINTS are good to visualize and communicate numbers, densities or consumption per area, but are not sufficient to negotiate and "harmonize" across domains and communicate gains in different cultures, technologies, times,... in short: incompatible but relevant information and our work on dialog, peace, policy-making, and multi-modal, faceted issues and consequences.
What am I? This is a "well-packed" question for which I have not the or a single answer. Some called me an in-betweener, go-getter, facilitator, hub, marvel-hero, trim-tab, bricoleur, bricoleers??? - career designeer, .... Some even "hank" which I disliked or Story which I liked very much !!
I have no single answer as I feel we need to walk the talk and sing and dance Life ! in spectra and fields in multiple embodied spaces.
To nebulous an answer? I am sorry but I do not go for overclaims and oversimplifications, under-complex and over-simplistic approaches with clan-think mindsets about real issues in clear contexts!
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23 Jun 2015 @ 10:17
20 Jun 2015 @ 20:28
4 Jun 2015 @ 04:50
2 Jun 2015 @ 22:47
2 Jun 2015 @ 07:49
1 Jun 2015 @ 02:22
31 May 2015 @ 05:32
30 May 2015 @ 13:36
29 May 2015 @ 10:53