Fiber Fiction
This colloquium is a series of short fictions stemming from the problems and potentials of our shared forests, including their products and leading timber expertise. It assesses the current conditions and technologies regarding timber, momentarily suspending disbelief and projecting new futures. Within the forests and timber industry, thinking "a few steps further" (Butler 1998) not only requires us to critically engage with our current and past methods of operation, but forces artistic critiques of our future selves and societies.
As a story-telling colloquium, this is a serious business. Through gathering professional and expert foresters, manufacturers, and designers to share imagined futures, these fictions provides a glimpse into our future that is both imaginative, flexible and technical, without using standard mapping tools. Cross disciplinary collaboration can often be tied down by practicalities, thus Fiber Fiction aims to subvert conventions and normalities within current practices in order to connect at a higher level of the potential futures: both ones we are afraid of and ones we would like to see in the world. What might we gain from suspending disbelief?
Bulter, Octavia. 1998. "Devil girl from Mars": Why I write science fiction. Transcript. https://www.blackhistory.mit.edu/archive/transcript-devil-girl-mars-why-i-write-science-fiction-octavia-butler-1998
Who:
Uli Dangel (University of Texas), “Eine düstere Zukunft – A Grim Tale”
Alberto Martinez Garcia (Yale MED), “Bahareque”
Phoebe Lickwar (University of Texas), “The Forest Gardens of Rome”
Matthew McBroom (UT SFA University), “Phased Gap Regeneration”
Peter Osborne (McGill University PhD) “Wood in Transition”
Tyler Swingle (University of Cincinnati) “Balancing Branches”
James Michael Tate (Texas A&M), “dambldn”
Jesús Vassallo (Rice University), “Owl Deck”
Yasmin Vobis and Aaron Forrest (Ultramoderne), “Ordinary Construction”
Lindsey Wikstrom (Mattaforma), “Sylvie's Plan”
Dylan Wood (University of Oregon), “Fast Fiber Futures - 2040”
What: one image (12”x12”) and one short story (1000 words)
When: Submissions-2024 April 01; Exhibition/Colloquium-2024 April 12
Where: UT School of Architecture, Goldsmith Hall, Mebane Gallery
Fiber Fiction Exhibition
Uli Dangel (University of Texas), “Eine düstere Zukunft – A Grim Tale”
James Michael Tate (Texas A&M), “dambldn”
Phoebe Lickwar (University of Texas), “The Forest Gardens of Rome”
Dylan Wood (University of Oregon), “Fast Fiber Futures - 2040”
Fiber Fiction Exhibition
Lindsey Wikstrom (Mattaforma), “Sylvie's Plan”
Fiber Fiction Colloquium
Peter Osborne (McGill University PhD) “Wood in Transition”
Tyler Swingle (University of Cincinnati) “Balancing Branches”
Fiber Fiction Exhibition
Matthew McBroom (UT SFA University), “Phased Gap Regeneration”
Yasmin Vobis and Aaron Forrest (Ultramoderne), “Ordinary Construction”
Jesús Vassallo (Rice University), “Owl Deck”
Alberto Martinez Garcia (Yale MED), “Bahareque”