Dorten conversations2016
In tandem with an international network of players from the world of art, philosophy, science, sociology and business, Dorten studios periodically initiates and organizes projects, events and workshops. As a pioneer in tackling the issues of the future we thus provide new impetus and foster discourses.
A prime example of this type of discussion and networking is our series THE DORTEN CONVERSATIONS, which takes place at our studio in Berlin. In cooperation with the zeitgeistiest, most coveted and sustainable brands, we are creating an open and inspiring atmosphere that invites you to engage in a dialogue based on trust.
Inspiring individuals who are already exploring the world of tomorrow today are participating: Progressive thinkers, creators and pioneers of a new brand identity. Two speakers from different disciplines and industries report on their work and their personal future issues. We promise unique moments, new perspectives and unexpected ideas.
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How will the cityscape of the future and our awareness of it change? What kind of architecture will be changing the urban space and how will the city of the future sound? We discussed the sensory perception of urban space and near-future scenarios in the context of technological developments.
We invited Ludwig Engel, futurologist and urbanist at the Berlin University of Arts, and Roger Lima, L.A.-based sound designer as our experts on these issues. They let us identify and question the relationship between humans, technology and urban space.
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What form will the sensory perception of media take in the future? How is the reception of digital and analogue media changing? Our needs when it comes to dealing with media are changing within and with the media landscape.
To get the ball rolling we invited Anja Kirig, trend researcher from the Zukunftsinstitut to speak. She introduced Slow Media to us as a concept for mindful media consumption, which is coexistently establishing itself as a promising alternative to the flood of information from mass media.
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Combining technology, responsibility and aesthetics in the fashion industry is becoming an issue of ever-greater relevance. At this interdisciplinary talk, we compared notes on holistic concepts in the textiles sector. The key question on our minds was the compatibility of high-tech materials, functionality and design.
We invited Sandra and Anja Umann, the founders of the Berlin fashion label Umasan to join us. They told us more about progressive approaches and pioneering impetus in the fashion industry.
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Decisions are part and parcel of our everyday professional life. But what do we do if there is not enough information available? Or if there is not enough time to process all the information before we make a decision? In the era of big data, growing complexity and dynamism (“dynaxity”) we find ourselves coming up against the limits of rational decision-making ever more frequently. How do we recognise relevant data, how do we know if we can trust it?
Dr. Andreas Zeuch provided interactive insight into the opportunities and risks of professional intuition. Armed with a new awareness of the different perspectives on intuition in the context of organisational decisions, we will be relying on our gut feeling more often in the future.
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A picture is worth a thousand words – the trend towards a visual society is something we are increasingly observing. In this context, we want to explore the question of whether the image may perhaps end up replacing text in communication. We will be reflecting on this development and exploring how it will impact breaks with the past, the work of photo journalists and, further down the line, the visual communication of information in the future.
To kick things off, we have invited Wolfram Kastl, photo journalist and picture editor at dpa (German press agency) to join us. He was talking to us about people’s changed reception of media and images and about future visual communication concepts. At the interdisciplinary plenary were discussing the challenges and potential harboured by a visual society.
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In the course of our expedition to documenta 14, for our conversation we turned our attention to the interesting relationship between “Arts and Politics”. What is political about art? Can, should, must art be political? Or not for that matter? Or has art possibly always been political?
Alexander Koch – curator, author, gallery owner and cultural strategy advisor - showed us the political side of art and examined the structural circumstances in which art - as part of societal practice – can develop a politicity going beyond individual works and the act of beholding them. We chose d14 as our example for simulating exactly this type of scenario (controversially).
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There is a certain trend we are observing in corporate communication – a lot of words and images seem to have shed their emotional content. Is the language of brands worn out – the vocabulary overused? Perhaps it is time to stop thinking of language and communication purely as an instrument aimed at one-sidedly steering and controlling people.
Together with Dr. Inga E. Kastens, corporate language researcher, we gained an understanding of the cultures which determine the ways businesses and brands deal with language. Corporate communication has increasingly lost its meaning for many of those who engage with it. That is why it is important to reflect upon the origins of interpersonal communication and use this attitude to search for a method of interaction between businesses and clients in the truest sense.