MONDAY 10 JULY

6:00PM – 8:00PM

OPEN SCHOOL EAST, CT9 1NY

Join members of ‘A Forest of Things’ collective on Monday 10 July for an exhibition of works in progress and learn more about their shared interest in conducting practice research and finding alternative ways of being together, inspired by ecological networks and the language of machines. 

This is exhibition is free to attend – Booking is required – please RSVP using the button below:

A Forest of Things (AFoT) is a collective of artists and researchers using Arduino microcontrollers to create sensing artworks, serving as a space to collaboratively investigate ecological and human networks. 

AFoT started as a three-part workshop series led by Matt Mapleston from the Geekery, a small community and DIY Tech Hub in Margate. The workshops, initiated by OSE Associates Jamie Lee and Emily Stapleton-Jefferis, were part of Open School East’s Associate-led public programme ‘From Gardens Where We Feel Secure’. 

The collective orients around an interest in how local, sustainable and supportive frameworks can enact change through understanding, and a commitment to forging creative responses to the technology that surrounds us and its impact on the environment. AFoT are also inspired by cooperative approaches of gathering data as forms of activism, exploring how as a collective they can support climate action as well as inspire more connected, sustainable and harmonious futures between humans and machines.

Members from the AFoT collective will present work in progress at OSE on Monday 10 July, where you can learn more about their shared interest in conducting practice research and finding alternative ways of being together, inspired by ecological networks and the language of machines.

OSE Public Programme 2022-23

This event is held as part of Open School East’s 2022-23 Associate-led Public Programme. This year’s Associate-led Public Programme responds to themes of social & ecological hybridity, as set out in the Associate’s first term curriculum entitled When The World Looks Back At You: about storytelling, ecology and the weird led by artist Saelia Aparicio. Through explorations of the voice, the body and sensitive connections with natural and man-made networks that unite the world around us, the Associate-led Public Programme looks to and explores creativity and collectivity in green spaces.

This year we’re excited to announce our partnership with Turner Contemporary, who are generously hosting part of the public programme. You can find more Public Programme events at: openschooleast.org/events