School’s Out! #2 with Dirk Sijmons

Dirk Sijmons was the speaker of School’s Out! #2 on Friday 22 February. In his talk ‘Mobilis in Mobile’, Sijmons tried to outline the implications of the observation that we are living in the age of mankind, the Anthropocene. Four philosophical approaches towards the Antropocene were identified (Denialism, Eco-Modernism, Post-Humanism and Anthropocentrism 2.0) and the future political energy between these approaches were briefly sketched. It was a bumpy ride. The four stances were illustrated with examples from design and popular culture and Sijmons showed how they could function as navigating tools in a new geological era.

Elma van Boxel (ZUS/Independent School for the City) responded to Sijmons’ talk and kicked off a conversation with the audience. Afterwards the short movie The Green and Pleasant Land by Max Colson was shown – a selection by Jord den Hollander.

Dirk Sijmons is one of the founders of H+N+S Landscape Architects, has been National Landscape Advisor to the Dutch government and Professor of Landscape Architecture at Delft University of Technology. During his career he has been awarded the Rotterdam-Maaskant Prize in 2002, received the prestigious Edgar Doncker prize in the category ‘True Dutch Culture’ and the Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award. Dirk sees the landscape as a mirror of society and as a living coproduction between man and nature. He is interested in the question how social processes can be used as positive forces in the landscape, while simultaneously wondering how natural processes can be employed in solutions for human needs.

Programme

18.00 – 19:00    Drinks, food, and tunes
19.00 – 19:45    Talk ‘Mobilis in Mobile: Navigating the Anthropocene’ by Dirk Sijmons, with a response by Elma van Boxel + Q&A
19.45 – 20:00   Film selected by Jord den Hollander
20.00 – 22:00 Drinks, food, and tunes