Supporting Frankfurt’s festival “NODE Forum for Digital Arts”
MESO has taken a significant role in supporting NODE Forum for Digital Arts since its founding. Over the past decade, a dynamic bond has grown that goes beyond a conventional sponsorship: from the involved wo/manpower, infrastructural and technical support, to curatorial impulses from individual members of the MESO team. With our origins in vvvv, shared fields of interest and questions concerning of the role of technology in society, a mutually rewarding dialogue was kicked off in 2008 that still continues to this day.
Contributing to a platform for exchange
Connecting high-class software creatives and critical thinkers
Back in 2008, a team gathering around MESO employee David Brüll felt the urge to bring together the vvvv software community. The users of vvvv and its developers, formerly based at MESO, had spread out internationally but until then had mostly interacted online. From the very beginning, MESO supported the newly formed group that realized the first edition of NODE Forum for Digital Arts. Organized as a media artist meet-up, the week-long program was curated with a focus on vvvv workshops. David Brüll was the director of NODE Forum for Digital Arts from 2008 to 2015.
NODE Forum borrows its name from the idea to create a forum, a “node” for connecting people and disciplines. Since 2008, designers, technologists, thinkers, creative coders, scientists, and curious people of all ages join the discussion.
Furthering NODE’s growth
Interdisciplinary debating and learning
To date, NODE Forum has grown into a successful platform which attracts more than 8,000 international visitors per edition exchanging practical know-how and theoretical insight in more than 150 events. The biannual festival is organized by the non-profit organization NODE Verein zur Förderung Digitaler Kultur e.V of which MESO partner Sebastian Oschatz forms the board together with founder David Brüll and Jeanne Charlotte Vogt.
Along with educational creative coding workshops for professionals and aspiring coders, NODE Forum also hosts a kids program. The program includes introductory creative technology workshops, Jugend Hackt (“the youth hacks”) for young coders, guided tours through the festival, and other activities.
Along with educational creative coding workshops for professionals and aspiring coders, NODE Forum also hosts a kids program. The program includes introductory creative technology workshops, Jugend Hackt (“the youth hacks”) for young coders, guided tours through the festival, and other activities.
The program is always complemented by nightly media art performances and an exhibition that encourages visitors to reflect on the edition’s leitmotif by offering an extensive mediation program. The mediation program is designed to stimulate an open exchange and enable visitors of all ages to take part.
The program is always complemented by nightly media art performances and an exhibition that encourages visitors to reflect on the edition’s leitmotif by offering an extensive mediation program. The mediation program is designed to stimulate an open exchange and enable visitors of all ages to take part.
Each NODE edition aims at broadening and further stimulating current discussions on the use of digital media and attracts a diverse crowd. Creative technologists, curious makers, and thinkers from design, architecture, philosophy, science, and the arts take part, contribute to the community and interact with each other.
Each NODE edition aims at broadening and further stimulating current discussions on the use of digital media and attracts a diverse crowd. Creative technologists, curious makers, and thinkers from design, architecture, philosophy, science, and the arts take part, contribute to the community and interact with each other.
MESO’s contributions
Supporting NODE Forum on all levels
Providing a home
The permanent headquarters of NODE are located at our MESO office in Frankfurt, Germany. We provide infrastructure, resources, as well as technical expertise. With a strong overlap of interests in interdisciplinary topics, our team welcomes all NODE activities. Large parts of the team regularly work as volunteers for NODE and profit from the exchange with international coders.
Community talks
One of the most popular events within the NODE week is curated and moderated by MESO partner Max Wolf. The Patcher Kucha, a modified version of the well-received Japanese “pitch format”, invites the audience to present and debate their ideas, whether they’re already successfully implemented, or just a prototype for a crazy idea. It’s a great opportunity to connect with the international scene of creative technologists.
Community talks
One of the most popular events within the NODE week is curated and moderated by MESO partner Max Wolf. The Patcher Kucha, a modified version of the well-received Japanese “pitch format”, invites the audience to present and debate their ideas, whether they’re already successfully implemented, or just a prototype for a crazy idea. It’s a great opportunity to connect with the international scene of creative technologists.
Workshops
Johannes Scherg of MESO and Joreg and Rosi Grillmair curated the educational program comprising more than 60 workshops in 2017.
Direction
For NODE17, Johanna Teresa Wallenborn directed the festival edition NODE Designing Hope together with Jeanne Charlotte Vogt. Shortly after, she joined the MESO team.
Workshops
Johannes Scherg of MESO and Joreg and Rosi Grillmair curated the educational program comprising more than 60 workshops in 2017.
Direction
For NODE17, Johanna Teresa Wallenborn directed the festival edition NODE Designing Hope together with Jeanne Charlotte Vogt. Shortly after, she joined the MESO team.
Sharing knowledge
Over the years, our team has contributed to many creative coding workshops, such as “Programming Industrial Robots” or “3D Rendering in Real-time”.
The educational program provides a fertile bed for our transdisciplinary roots and ambitions. The learned skills are in turn then reapplied in commercial projects.
Sharing knowledge
Over the years, our team has contributed to many creative coding workshops, such as “Programming Industrial Robots” or “3D Rendering in Real-time”.
The educational program provides a fertile bed for our transdisciplinary roots and ambitions. The learned skills are in turn then reapplied in commercial projects.
Exhibiting research
In 2017, MESO brought “Who Wants to be a Self Driving Car” to life in collaboration with moovel Lab. The vehicle enabled people to see the world through the eyes of a futuristic autonomous car. NODE Forum provides an exceptional platform to present research and receive feedback for speculative prototypes.
Exhibiting research
In 2017, MESO brought “Who Wants to be a Self Driving Car” to life in collaboration with moovel Lab. The vehicle enabled people to see the world through the eyes of a futuristic autonomous car. NODE Forum provides an exceptional platform to present research and receive feedback for speculative prototypes.
Co-Producing Events
Countless other team members have also supported and helped to produce NODE editions, not only as part of the sponsoring, but also by volunteering year-round, strengthening the partnership between NODE and MESO.
Co-Producing Events
Countless other team members have also supported and helped to produce NODE editions, not only as part of the sponsoring, but also by volunteering year-round, strengthening the partnership between NODE and MESO.
Infrastructural support
MESO provides computers and other hardware for the extensive workshop program for each festival edition. For example, Anna Rack and Timon Skerutsch implemented a real-time data digital signage system across three venues which guided visitors through the current and upcoming programs.
Infrastructural support
MESO provides computers and other hardware for the extensive workshop program for each festival edition. For example, Anna Rack and Timon Skerutsch implemented a real-time data digital signage system across three venues which guided visitors through the current and upcoming programs.
The MESO Reception
Biannually, the extracurricular meet-up and satellite NODE event gathers the core of the vvvv community at the MESO headquarters during the festival week for food and drinks.
Besides meeting old and new friends, networking, tours through our studio, and an in-house workshop, the MESO Reception always showcases interactive, artistic installations by our team.
Voluntary MESO team
engaging for more than a decade
many many names, sorted alphanumeric, as the their support can not be measured. The list includes our relentless permanent team, former interns, and our freelancer friends that contributed their time to NODE:
Stefan Ammon, Cornel Brand, David Brüll, Wolf Moritz Cramer, Michael Burk, Theron Burger, Thomas Eichhorn, Alexander Graf, Sebastian Gregor, Eno Henze, Ingolf Heinsch, Christian Hergarten, Thomas Hitthaler, Sebastian Huber, Joreg, Nina Kömpel, Sebastian Kujas, Alex Leask, Johannnes Lemke, Philipp Lorenz, Christine Lyschik, Daniel Maaz, Nikos Mechanezidis, David Morasz, Sebastian Oschatz, Alessandro Pohl, Philip Reul, Benjamin Schiek, Patrick Raddatz, Anna Rack, David Rittershaus, Anja Scharrelmann-Hasselbrock, Timon Skerutsch, Paul Schengber, Johannes Scherg, Sarah Schmid, Björn Schwarzer, Klaus-Peter Texter, Fabio Thiel, Alexander Teczar, Constantin Urban, Valérie-Françoise Vogt, Anton Viehl, Johanna Teresa Wallenborn, Nils Weger, Mathias Wollin, Max Wolf, Marc Zeman