A community evening about regenerative technologies, permacomputing and symbiotic energy systems.

An evening full of talks | Thursday, November 27 | 20:00–22:30 | Tolhuistuin

What if we could power computer systems in collaboration with living organisms? Are there ways to reimagine energy production, data storage and the re-use of waste streams through experimental regenerative art and design? 

If these questions spark your interest and longing for alternative digital futures, you are warmly invited to join the evening programme (De)Growing Infrastructures on Thursday November 27 at WarmingUp Festival. Presented by Amsterdam-based FIBER and Waag Futurelab, various makers and thinkers share their work and how they experiment, build and dream about new computational futures.

Computing infrastructures and their daily use have a damaging carbon and material footprint across the planet. Yes, this includes your daily ChatGTP searches. These systems are extractive by design; they depend on huge amounts of coal, water and land. The rapid expansion of digital ecosystems is only made possible by exploiting natural resources, pushing the planet further into uninhabitable states.

Linked to the WarmingUp festival theme The Art of Coexisting, we come together to learn and share how to imagine, prototype, build, store and grow together with others (human and non-human) on regenerative digital futures. Can we collectively grow a new vision on computation?

Speakers: Leo Scarin, Mark IJzerman, Ola Bonati, Sunjoo Lee, The Critical Climate Computing Group (Wesley Goatley & Mariana Marangoni), Fieke Jansen, Rein van der Woerd, Marina Otero Verzier. Moderated by: Abdo (Abdelrahman) Hassan

Why should I join?

Expect an evening with short talks by artists and a more in-depth panel conversation, where various artists and researchers will shine their light on regenerative modes of computation through the application of microbial metabolism, permacomputing, waste energy and digital composting. In other words: redesigning digital infrastructures to operate in a kinder, less destructive way. And while doing so, prepare ourselves for an adapted form of computation, separated from Technofeudalism, within the reality of a climate emergency. The programme is open for everyone: newcomers and experts, we’ll make sure you will be introduced and get a good understanding of who is doing what (and why?!).

In addition to the talks, a workshop on the theme of Permacomputing will take place on 24 November, organised by Waag. More information here 

FIBER is supported by the Amsterdam Fund of the Arts and the Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie. This programme is part of FIBER’s nomadic Reassemble Lab series

Background info

In late 2024, FIBER and the broader Permacomputing Community organized the first Dutch symposium on permacomputing and environmentally conscious media and networking technologies at the Tolhuistuin. Titled Practising Permacomputing, we explored how the theory of permacomputing can be put into practice by a wide variety of artists, designers and activists. Now, one year later, we return to Tolhuistuin with as many contributors as possible for one dynamic evening to pose the question: where is everyone at? What has happened in the meantime and which art and technology projects are currently underway?

Event Information

• Thursday November 27
• Tolhuistuin, Zonzij
• 20:00 – 22:30 (Drinks till 23:00) | Door 19:30

Tickets: https://shop.paylogic.com/d203f4cd12fe489db1f327cc65cc668f/