«Human encounters are there to make the improbable happen! Improbable comfort, for example. Instead of these dreary probability calculations by the AI as to what I should buy next.» Monika Rinck
For the finale of the 1st season our GOLDEN RECORD STUDIOS, Alexandra & Lukas take a look back:
In front of the green screens of their holodecks at home, they encounter some questions & suggestions from the first round: Welcome Classes for time travelers, anti-dystopia & desires at the frontier. So is it finally cooling down, the planet of the recipients of our Record…? (And why does Lukas now always wear a clay whistle around his neck: is that already merch or still a reality check?)
In retrospect, the first eason mainly involved fundamental research with experts: How to approach the project of a New Golden Record, what strategies & policies do we want to pursue?
But – pssst…! – Season 2 will work with various practitioners to find out what should go onto the records!
A sneak preview reveals that, among others, will be involved: The sci-fi author who lost his system; the space architects whose designs will soon be orbiting the moon; the Indian art activist who helps narratives beyond the opressive mainstream to gain recognition; as well as one of the administrators of the backup for all of Germany!
As a gift for Alex & for all listening friends of the genius of free-floating knowledge productions, Lukas then unpacks the bonus episode: A conversation with Monika Rinck, the poet of new improbabilities, thinker ahead of our stupidity in 100 years & interpreter of the windlessness.
Monika Rinck has published numerous books of poetry, prose & essays as well as translations (including HONIGPROTOKOLLE; CHAMPAGNER FÜR DIE PFERDE; WIRKSAME FIKTIONEN), has given several poetry lectures, e.g. the one in Frankfurt, curates literature festivals & has published her BEGRIFFSSTUDIO since 1996 (currently no. 1 – 5689): An «archival venture» as a «hymn to the obscure term and its productivity for language». (Ron Winkler)
The conversation was held in German.
Links to streaming platforms
Welcome to THE GOLDEN RECORD STUDIOS – It’s high time for a new world selfie! 45 years ago, NASA sent its «Golden Records» into the depths of space in the hope that distant intelligences would be able to get an idea of humanity this way. Back then, a small group of Americans curated an embellished selfie for the entire Earth: Photos as if with a retro filter, music between European classical music and Azerbaijani bagpipes, as well as nature sounds in poor sound quality – our as yet unknown alien friends will get a pretty weird impression of us. Fortunately, since the 1970s, not only the view of the world, but also the view out of the world has changed significantly.
In our podcast series THE GOLDEN RECORD STUDIOS, exosociologists, anthropologists and other alien artists put their heads together with us for this experiment to produce new recordings: How do we want to be remembered? How do we welcome alien intelligences? Which colonial structures do we have to say goodbye to in order to secure the existence of the human species? And is freezing after death really the smartest way to travel into the future? THE GOLDEN RECORD STUDIOS are an open invitation to listen in and think along, infused with sounds and music. On the first level, we deal with various questions arising from the Golden Records project. But you soon realise that we are dealing with very contemporary and local issues via the figure of the alien or the message to space.
Hosts: Alexandra Lauck und Lukas Matthaei
Creative Producer: Fabian Kuehlein
Music: Chris Umney
Produced by matthaei&konsorten 2024