Our understanding of the world around us, including climate change, is very much based on information, whether scientific, political, or social in origin and scope. In a time characterised by an ever-growing flow of information, it is, however, also possible for information to have the opposite effect; it can seem overwhelming, impenetrable, and ultimately alienating. For one thing, climate change discussions are often linked to abstract statistics and data that laymen may, quite rightly, find it difficult to relate to. Furthermore, the general information overload has sown doubt as to the validity of the information received. The climate crisis, it seems, is not just an environmental crisis; it is also an “information crisis” or an “epistemological crisis”.

The RETHINK Information exhibition part takes this as its point of departure. Janine Randerson renders satellite data and scientific information from the Arctic region visible to us in her media installations, imbuing it with sensuousness and poetry. Jette Gejl is interested in how bodily experiences can give us a subjective understanding of universal phenomena such as nature, using sophisticated 3D-technologies to explore the subject. Taking a more social or political perspective, Parfyme explore the contours of a potential new model for a community based on citizen ideas and attitudes, and The People Speak employ social media such as Facebook to involve the general public in decisions about potential solutions to the climate issues, thereby providing an alternative to the decision-making processes of official political organs.

This exhibition part is made available to audiences in the physical as well as virtual realms and will be on show on the Internet, at a satellite exhibition at Moesgård Museum in Århus, and as performances in the public space of Copenhagen.

The Alexandra Institute is the initiator of RETHINK, because the firm investigates and develops visions and technological solutions for the challenges of the future.  This IT-research institute is specialized in generating cooperation between the research community and other areas, such as the private sector, public authorities and cultural institutions. Prior to RETHINK, the Alexandra Institute arranged the art exhibition Enter Art at ARoS (Aarhus Kunstmuseum).

Moesgård Museum is a museum with changing special exhibitions that deal with archaeological and ethnographic topics. The permanent exhibition presents many unique archaeological finds from prehistoric Denmark. Two finds from the Iron Age - the Grauballe Man, the only completely preserved bog body, and the impressive sacrifices of weapons from Illerup Ådal - are the absolute highlights.

Moesgård Museum
Moesgård Allé 20
8270 Højbjerg

RETHINK Information
From October 31st 2009 to Januar 10th 2010
Tue-son: 10-16
Admission: 60 kroner (more info)

Read more on www.moesmus.dk