audrey penven

Both rolls happened to be from Praha. Half of one of them was shot in Amsterdam. So, here's Amsterdam:

And here's the Praha set again, with some new photos:

After the fireworks finally tapered off in Berlin, we said our goodbyes and rode the train to Praha. This is not the first roll of film I shot there, just the first one I've developed. This is from whatever day Slim, Rubin and I went to see David Cerny's installation piece on the TV Tower in Zizkov.

Slim and I took a long walk through Old Town to get back to our hostel.

Encountered this sculpture, inspired by Kafka's "Description of a Struggle."

Then we went to the Cross Club. Slim and I sat at a table on the balcony made of machine parts and rebar. I finished this roll of film, reloaded the camera, and then we joined the rest of the crowd on the dancefloor.

the rest of the set is here.

Praha, at night. In the soft, comforting glow of night, thin metal fingers reached down. A thin figure, a shadow. It wants to dance.

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!