Dear followers of the Otlet Salons. It is with great excitement we announce three new editions of the Otlet Salons. With the support of the Flemish government we invite you to take part in online or blended editions of our beloved salons. Please check our events page and we will keep you updated on the details. You can also check the recaps of our previous editions on our Youtube channel.

We wish you warm and intimate holidays,

Team Otlet Salons

Please find the report and video of the BOZAR-CREW Edition on virtual reality at our Events-page together with reports, pictures and video’s of all previous editions. We also created a Youtube channel for you to see video’s of previous editions. If you have an interesting video you would like to share on this channel please let us know. We are currently applying for new grants to organise future Editions and will keep you updated on future initiatives.

We are extremely happy to host the next Edition of Otlet Salons at BOZAR, Brussels on Friday 25th of November 2016, from 7PM to 10:30PM. Keynote is Eric Joris, internationally recognized as one of the pioneers in the field of virtual reality and mediated performances. CREW and Eric Joris participate in European and international academic and technological research programmes . A result of these international collaborations will be part of this Otlet Salons Edition! We start this Edition by visiting the installation Collateral Rooms.

The subject: ‘Virtual Reality’ appears to be transformational by nature: instead of looking at an image, one feels to be a part of it. This embodiment is enhanced by physical movement, touch, sound, etc… Inside VR the distinction between live and mediated reality blurs. It is this shifting moment in between the perceived and the embodied world, the ‘transitional zone’ that became ‘the stage’ of CREW’s live performances and research.

Interacting with tools changes the way we think and perceive – This echoes Marshall McLuhan’s famous line “we shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us”. [McLuhan, 64]. This evening we discuss this ‘transformational’ aspect and the major implications of it.

Registration is free but compulsory at: otlet.salons@gmail.com. Please note that registration closes Fri November 18, 2016 and is limited to 40 people, so we can optimally accommodate all guests. This invitation is strictly personal, but if you know other potentially interested and interesting people, please let us know, so we can invite them too! More information regarding panel members and the program will follow shortly.

Looking forward to welcome you!

The fourth Edition of Otlet Salons takes place in the Open University of Diversity, nerve centre to the diverse activities of internationally renowned artist Koen Vanmechelen (https://koenvanmechelen.allyou.net/). Vanmechelen, best know for his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, entertains and lectures his audience on the necessity of both a mental and physical space where people can share ideas. Prof. Dr. Caroline Pauwels (VUB) and Prof. Dr. Luc De Schepper (UHasselt, the rectors of two Flemish universities reflect on diversity, crossbreeding and the future of their institutions. Fusing arts and science is the way to go according to artist and panel members. They agree that within universities there needs to be a balance between real freedom and being productive at the same time and making sure there’s a return to society. The lively interaction between keynote, panel and audience that Otlet Salons so cherishes, touches on many subjects, concluding that interdisciplinarity and exchange pose some challenges, but mainly holds great (societal) advantages.

Read the summary-koen-vanmechelen-edition for more information about this edition with quotes from the panel members and highlights of the evening. Video fragments will follow soon.
More on this and previous editions.

On Wednesday, June 15, recently selected Fulbright Belgium, Luxembourg and Schuman grantees took part in a pre-departure ceremony and other programs in preparation for their 2016-2017 scholarship terms.

At the pre-departure orientation at the U.S. Embassy to Belgium held early afternoon, Executive Director Erica Lutes welcomed Fulbright grantees who are going to study, teach or conduct research in the United States in the upcoming fall. The orientation started with an informative presentation by the Fulbright staff on practical details about studying in the U.S., from academic programs, financial matters to visa-related information. Two Fulbright alumni, Jasper Bossuyt and Paulien Detailleur, contributed to the discussion, sharing their past experiences studying and working abroad, and responding to questions and concerns from the newly minted scholarship recipients.

Following the orientation, grantees convened at the residence of United States Ambassador Bauer for a reception and panel discussion, the latter co-organised with the Otlet Salons and entitled “Navigating Intellectual Property Rights, Nanotechnology, and Art.” The guest speakers, two of them Fulbright alumni, each shared their views on the importance of property rights and their implications on various fields, from art to material science. The event also presented the opportunity for Fulbrighters from all generations (with 1958 being oldest class year present) to connect and continue to develop a supportive Fulbright community.

More photos of this event can be found on the Flickr page.

Thursday the 9th of June 2016 we are invited in a unique venue: The Open University of Diversity in Hasselt. This is the atelier of artist Koen Vanmechelen. We are extremely happy to be able to present a very high level of interaction, with internationally renowned artist Koen Vanmechelen and the newly elected rectors of two universities. We would like to welcome you in Hasselt at 7PM, starting with a complimentary visit to explore the Open University of Diversity, after which the presentation and discussion take place. After the event, you are also invited to a reception with snacks to network and discuss more. We invite you to take part in the public discussion and we hope you find new ideas and new contacts during this network event that aims to foster new cooperation across the borders of disciplines, institutions and society.

Registration is free but compulsory at: otlet.salons@gmail.com. Please note that registration closes Fri 3th of June, 2016 and is limited to 40 people, so we can optimally accommodate all guests.