audrey penven

The video from my talk at 26c3, "Photography and the Art of Doing it Wrong," is online. This happened on December 30, 2009, in Berlin.

I last wrote on New Year's Eve, in Berlin, before the exploding fireworks reached their climax. To say that Journey to the End of the Year was a success, is certainly an understatement. We started off with 250 manifests, and handed out every single one of them. The crowd listened to the rules, including the precautions that yes, in fact, cars and buses are still real and can still kill you even though you are playing a game. Fin and Valerie took turns with the megaphone, eventually letting the players loose in Berlin. They scattered in all directions, many of them second-guessing their direction, spinning in confusion before bolting off from the base of the tower.

players scatter, their fate is in their own hands (and feet) now

The party ended at C-Base. Midnight came in a fresh wave of explosions. Hackers launched bottle rockets, and anything else that would blow up, over the river. We danced with sparklers. We danced in the snow. Friends and lovers kissed, welcoming the new year. The party persisted all through Berlin, through dawn. As a group of us finally made it home, sometime during daylight. A comment on the quiet was met with something blowing up in the distance. So much for that. White snow had turned into a red paste of explosive debris.

Over the next few days, we gradually said our goodbyes. As with every Congress so far, I've gained more friendships without necessarily knowing which country (or continent) my friends live in. Rubin, Slim and I hopped on a train to Praha after a few days. I've only got a few digital photos from there, and none are yet online. The batteries don't like the cold, which really just turns into an excuse to only shoot film. Rubin has since made his way to Wien, spending some quality internet time at the Metalab, uploading some of his photos taken in Berlin and Praha.


photo by Rubin Abdi

I'm in Amsterdam with Slim as I write this. We arrived yesterday, and spent most of the day hanging out with friends (Alex, Agnes, and their son), talking about art, motorcycles, hacker culture, memetics, performance, and costumes. We shared photos and stories until it was time to sleep, and then of course, continued in the morning. Tonight we're checking OT301 for vegan food and art before meeting up with some more people in that part of town. I have just a few more days before returning to San Francisco. Though I'm loving it here, I'm excited to come home and run with all the ideas in my head - new ones, and refined versions of older ones.

Much more to write. Much more to share with you. But for now, there is more city to run around in.

xoxoxo
- Audrey

In Berlin, in a room packed full of friends. Making the final preparations for Journey to the End of the Year. A plan that formed at the end of the summer, with Slim and Valerie at the top of Thunderdome as the sun was rising. It's happening tonight. The city is already echoing with fireworks. The snow stained with red powder. Join us tonight, running around the city! But remember, don't die. That's depressing when it happens in real life.

Afterglow of my talk yesterday, to a full room at 26c3. A huge thank you to everyone who attended! That was wonderful! It was so exciting to share this with all of you!

Snow glittered in tungsten light. A snowball fight in the street. At C-base later, talk of photography, of inspiration, of sharing techniques. Dancing in the space station. Speaking abstract concepts with our hands and bodies. Throwing snow with bare hands. Back to the dancefloor. Reluctance to say goodnight meant that it took several hours. Just one more song. And then the music gets glitchy. How could we possibly leave now? Our night ended at 6am, still a bit early. Tonight doesn't have to end so soon. We'll sleep sometime next year.

I’m in Berlin, at 26c3 – my third time at the Chaos Communication Congress. My talk starts in about two hours.

Photography and the Art of Doing it Wrong

If you’re here, come to my talk! If you’re elsewhere, it will be streaming.

The sound of my hands moving across the keys. The glow of my laptop screen. Things are happening. I keep reminding myself of this, even though it's not tangible yet. Email. Talking. Planning.

Another New Year in Berlin. I've completely lost track of how many people we've convinced to join us. A plan formed at sunrise, Tuesday morning at Burning Man, on the top of Thunderdome. Journey to the End of the Night was an amazing way to experience the two cities I've played in - Oakland and San Francisco. An unfamiliar path through a familiar city took me to places I hadn't seen. I found connections I didn't know before. The game redefined what counted as a way out. I wrote about the Oakland game in June, so I won't retell the story here. I craved this experience in other cities. I wanted to play in Berlin, in Wien, in Praha, in every other city I might travel to someday. Once these thoughts spilled from my lips, they were on their way to becoming real. Slim, Valerie, and I in the quiet of dawn, before sleep. I'm not sure which one of us said the words. It had momentum before I had decided for sure to go to Berlin again. So this is what happens now!

Ok, so I've committed to going to Berlin again. That means, of course, going to 26C3. This year, I'm giving a talk. It's called "Photography and the Art of Doing it Wrong." One of my tasks for the next week is finishing the paper for it. If you're coming to Berlin, come listen to my talk! It's happening at 2pm on December 29th, in the big room! I hope to see you there!

Praha, for more than a day and a half. Perhaps the train will not catch fire. And this time, the stories and memories won't just be mine. More photographs of the city at night - some for a sculpture I'm building for Burning Man next year.

Speaking of Praha.... This game, Machinarium was made by the Czech based Amanita Design. It's the most beautiful game I've ever played. From the first screenshots I saw, I remembered walking the streets of Praha in January. The story is told without words. Puzzles are often solved in delightfully janky ways. It is charming and wonderful, and my words are not adequate for what I want to express. Play it. Do it now. You'll be happy you did.

This will be my third winter in Europe. I'm very excited to play a more active role this time, instead of just attending the Congress. I love listening to other people's talks. I love the experiences and games set up by others. But, I'm happiest when I'm creating also. The balance is important here. I'm so excited!